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From afc.com.au
Comfortable in the Crows' nest
5:46:05 PM Mon 24 November, 2003
Alan Shiell
afl.com.au
Adelaide’s three new draftees – talls Fergus Watts, Josh Krueger and Ben Hudson – had their first training runs with the Crows at West Lakes on Monday, admitting they were ‘excited’ about the challenges ahead of them.
Watts, 18 and 197 centimetres, from Sandringham Dragons, Krueger, 20 and 195 centimetres, from Glenelg and Hudson, 24 and 199 centimetres, from Werribee, were taken at Nos. 14, 31 and 58 in Saturday’s National AFL Draft.
Watts said: “It’s good … they’re a good club, a good organisation … and they’ve got great blokes in (Andrew) McLeod, (Wayne) Carey, (Mark) Ricciuto and all them to learn off, so I’m really excited.”
Krueger said: “It’s definitely a great feeling to be at a club with the likes of Wayne Carey and Ian Perrie. Them being my mentors, I couldn’t ask for anything better. I’ve definitely got a bit to learn so I’m going to be like a sponge and soak up anything they can provide for me.”
Hudson said: “It’s all come as a shock. If I was a betting man, I wouldn’t have put any money on me at all (being drafted). But it happened so I’m just stoked.”
Expanding on the Carey theme, Watts said: “From a development point of view as a footballer, Wayne Carey’s about as good as it gets as a centre half-forward, so if you’re going to learn off someone, there’s none better than him. So I’ll stick pretty close to him the next six months to a year and soak it all up.
“I like playing centre half-forward more than anywhere else, but I’ve played centre half-back most of my life – centre half-back, centre half-forward, full forward. I played a bit of ruck-rover during the year for the Dragons. I just love playing footy so I’ll play anywhere.
“Yeah, I’d to play senior footy next year but I don’t know whether they’d fit me into the team anywhere. I’ll just keep working hard and try to get a crack at it.
“I think areas for me to improve would be just my overall, all-round football – leadership, footy smarts, all that kind of stuff. I can improve as much on my marking as my kicking and handballing.”
Admitting ‘about nine or 10 clubs’ had spoken to him before the draft, Watts said: “I’m not coming to Adelaide to be here for two years and then leave, so, yeah, I see myself as a one-club player and a long-term prospect, so hopefully it all pans out that way.”
Werribee-born Hudson, who moved to Queensland at the age of eight, is coming off only his first season in the VFL. He was runner-up in Werribee’s best-and-fairest award this year, gaining valuable experience against some AFL-listed ruckmen, after two years of Australian football with the University of Queensland, where he completed his physiotherapy studies, and two years with Mount Gravatt.
“I played a little bit (of footy) as a kid – when I was 13 and 14 – then I played a lot of junior basketball (including state championships for the Gold Coast) and then went off to uni and played a bit of rugby union,” he said. “In my third year at uni I went down to the local uni (Aussie rules) club and started playing there.
“I thought I might give it a crack in Victoria (this year) and rocked up on Werribee’s door and said: ‘Do you reckon I could get a game?’ So funny things happen.”
Asked what he thought were his strengths and weaknesses, Hudson said: “Probably because I’m pretty new to the game, anything could be a weakness – disposal and obviously my fitness needs work. I suppose as a strength I find I can get the ball as a ruckman – sort of get a few possessions.
“It’s going to be another huge step up. I’ll either sink or swim. You’re not going to know until you’re out there but, from what everyone says, it’s going to be a whole lot faster. There are not five to 10 AFL players out there, there are 22.”
Comfortable in the Crows' nest
5:46:05 PM Mon 24 November, 2003
Alan Shiell
afl.com.au
Adelaide’s three new draftees – talls Fergus Watts, Josh Krueger and Ben Hudson – had their first training runs with the Crows at West Lakes on Monday, admitting they were ‘excited’ about the challenges ahead of them.
Watts, 18 and 197 centimetres, from Sandringham Dragons, Krueger, 20 and 195 centimetres, from Glenelg and Hudson, 24 and 199 centimetres, from Werribee, were taken at Nos. 14, 31 and 58 in Saturday’s National AFL Draft.
Watts said: “It’s good … they’re a good club, a good organisation … and they’ve got great blokes in (Andrew) McLeod, (Wayne) Carey, (Mark) Ricciuto and all them to learn off, so I’m really excited.”
Krueger said: “It’s definitely a great feeling to be at a club with the likes of Wayne Carey and Ian Perrie. Them being my mentors, I couldn’t ask for anything better. I’ve definitely got a bit to learn so I’m going to be like a sponge and soak up anything they can provide for me.”
Hudson said: “It’s all come as a shock. If I was a betting man, I wouldn’t have put any money on me at all (being drafted). But it happened so I’m just stoked.”
Expanding on the Carey theme, Watts said: “From a development point of view as a footballer, Wayne Carey’s about as good as it gets as a centre half-forward, so if you’re going to learn off someone, there’s none better than him. So I’ll stick pretty close to him the next six months to a year and soak it all up.
“I like playing centre half-forward more than anywhere else, but I’ve played centre half-back most of my life – centre half-back, centre half-forward, full forward. I played a bit of ruck-rover during the year for the Dragons. I just love playing footy so I’ll play anywhere.
“Yeah, I’d to play senior footy next year but I don’t know whether they’d fit me into the team anywhere. I’ll just keep working hard and try to get a crack at it.
“I think areas for me to improve would be just my overall, all-round football – leadership, footy smarts, all that kind of stuff. I can improve as much on my marking as my kicking and handballing.”
Admitting ‘about nine or 10 clubs’ had spoken to him before the draft, Watts said: “I’m not coming to Adelaide to be here for two years and then leave, so, yeah, I see myself as a one-club player and a long-term prospect, so hopefully it all pans out that way.”
Werribee-born Hudson, who moved to Queensland at the age of eight, is coming off only his first season in the VFL. He was runner-up in Werribee’s best-and-fairest award this year, gaining valuable experience against some AFL-listed ruckmen, after two years of Australian football with the University of Queensland, where he completed his physiotherapy studies, and two years with Mount Gravatt.
“I played a little bit (of footy) as a kid – when I was 13 and 14 – then I played a lot of junior basketball (including state championships for the Gold Coast) and then went off to uni and played a bit of rugby union,” he said. “In my third year at uni I went down to the local uni (Aussie rules) club and started playing there.
“I thought I might give it a crack in Victoria (this year) and rocked up on Werribee’s door and said: ‘Do you reckon I could get a game?’ So funny things happen.”
Asked what he thought were his strengths and weaknesses, Hudson said: “Probably because I’m pretty new to the game, anything could be a weakness – disposal and obviously my fitness needs work. I suppose as a strength I find I can get the ball as a ruckman – sort of get a few possessions.
“It’s going to be another huge step up. I’ll either sink or swim. You’re not going to know until you’re out there but, from what everyone says, it’s going to be a whole lot faster. There are not five to 10 AFL players out there, there are 22.”
