CHBench
Norm Smith Medallist
- Jan 20, 2008
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Draft talent analysis: tall forwards
Tall Forwards
Lewis Johnston
DOB: 03/3/91
State league: SA
Club: North Adelaide
McCartney says: "He was in my mentor group this year at the Academy and just had an outstanding season. Lewis has got fantastic hands and is a great mark whether it's on the lead or contested. He's a thumping kick, but one of the things we addressed with Lewis was his ability to spot up the short free target and I think he did that really well.
"One of the things I was really pleased with this year is we were able to change his focus a bit and impress on him that his running game needs to be his strength whether you're a centre half-forward or playing as a tall defender. He had played more of a power forward role and his focus was that he thought he needed to improve his fitness, but it was never that, it was more of a mental thing. But we did eliminate some of the weight sessions he was doing and added some cross training and we played him as a third tall defender in Perth earlier in the year and he was outstanding.
"On the wide open spaces of Subiaco he was getting the ball in the back pocket, hitting up a short option and running on to receive it back; it was just phenomenal. He showed a great running capacity and then at under-18 level he's gone back to centre half-forward and he used his new strength to great effect.
"When we first picked him for the Academy the tag was that he was a bit unfit or a bit lazy, but his running has become one of his greatest strengths now and he's able to run blokes off their feet.
"He'll go very high in the draft, there's no doubt."
Paul Cahill
DOB: 19/8/90
State league: SA
Club: Sturt
McCartney says: "Paul's a bit of a jack in the box and he came to a camp we held back in December and he's really a fantastic athlete. He played centre half-forward, full-forward in the game that SA played against Tasmania in the champs and they were in trouble in the first half, but they ended up winning the game because Lewis Johnston went to full-forward and kicked four goals and Paul came out to centre half-forward and just marked everything in sight.
"He's got a fantastic vertical leap, he's interesting, he does tend to double-take the footy, but it's always at its highest point. He troubled Michael Hurley in a game and it was because he's got great bounce and agility. He played some really good footy throughout all the under-18 games."
Aaron Cornelius
DOB: 29/5/90
State league: TAS
Club: Tassie Mariners
McCartney says: "Aaron was in the Academy two years ago and it was an interesting situation with Aaron this year. He's a very good player, All-Australian the year before last and was in our Academy as a bottom-ager, is a really good mark and played senior footy for the Devils this year and last year. I saw this year as not super by Aaron's standards, but I saw it as a tough year because he would have got picked up last year, so it's been a bit of a holding year.
"One of his games in the Division Two qualifiers was really good, but being the main target for Tassie, he tended to get double-teamed a lot. He probably found the going pretty tough in Division One, but what was pleasing was that he came to Melbourne and his second-last game, where the team got toweled up at Casey, was just fantastic.
"He was at centre half-forward, on the move – that's his go – and he tends to take a really good contested mark where he can run and jump and float across the pack. So after what was probably a disappointing first three games he finished off really well. There will be a lot of interest around him no doubt."
Liam Jones
DOB: 24/2/91
State league: TAS
Club: Tassie Mariners
McCartney says: "Liam was in the Academy this year and his father, Bob, played some games for St Kilda, so he's a mad Saints fan. Liam didn't play under-18's for Tassie because he was at Scotch College and he hurt his knee at training and didn't end up playing much footy for the majority of the year.
"Liam is a fantastic mark and we played him mostly as a defender at the Academy and he'd only played a few games down back, but he was terrific. He's got great anticipation and he didn't spoil the ball much because he just got in front and marked it.
"He can tend to fall off the ball a bit when he kicks, but he's got no major dramas there. What's also pleasing is that you look at him now compared to when he came into the Academy and he's grown at least three centimetres."
Jackson Trengove
DOB: 01/11/90
State league: VIC
Club: Calder Cannons
McCartney says: "Jackson was in the Academy this year and is an outstanding young man, but unfortunately only played the one under-18 game against Vic Country because he tore his hamstring off the bone at training.
"I see him as very versatile and he's got a great leap so at a pinch he could go in the ruck, but I see him as having the ability to play most positions down the spine. The question will be how he's recovered from that injury, but all the reports have been really good.
"He's a great competitor and what sticks in my mind is during that one game at the champs he was playing at centre half-back in the third quarter when the pressure was on and he went back a couple of times into packs and just came away with the ball."
Jordan Lisle
DOB: 12/7/90
State league: VIC
Club: Oakleigh Chargers
McCartney says: "Jordan was good to watch at under-18's level because I hadn't seen a lot of him. I saw him play at centre half-back and be very good in the air, very good one on one and set up a lot of play. With him and Michael Hurley down there the opposition didn't have much of a chance, but I also saw him go forward a couple of times and kick three or four goals.
"His dad played some games at North and he looks to have good footy smarts."
Tom Lynch
DOB: 15/9/90
State league: VIC
Club: Sandringham Dragons
McCartney says: "I think Lynchy had an outstanding year from where he was coming from. He had an ACL the year before and his preparation was unbelievable throughout his time at the Academy with a real attention to detail with his training. What that allowed him to do was play his first game for us when we were on tour and because his preparation was so good he played at a good level straight away.
"I thought it might have been good to let him play at centre half-back and just let him play his way into some form, but he played at half-forward and did very well. When he does play down back I thought he read the play very well and he was good with his hands and had the ability to cut across in front of traffic.
"In one of the trial games for Vic Metro Tommy took five or six marks in the first quarter and he has great fitness and great agility. At an AFL club I could see him fitting in as a third forward type, but with his endurance he could even play through the middle."
Jack Watts
DOB: 26/3/91
State league: VIC
Club: Sandringham Dragons
McCartney says: "Wattsy is just a super talent, but before the Academy I hadn't heard much of him. What I had heard was that he was how good he was at basketball and he had a fair bit of pressure from that side of things with an AIS Scholarship offer, and he was managing basketball camps and his footy.
"Allan McConnell had a lot of talks with him and his parents in the lead-up to the under-18's because we felt something was going to give. He was training and playing footy as well as his basketball commitments and he was starting to get sore groins and there was potential for some OP-type damage. We encourage the boys to continue other sports, but just to manage their commitments.
"In the end Wattsy made what was a really tough decision, because he's very good at basketball – that he wanted to concentrate on the footy.
"I'd seen glimpses of his talent through the AIS. He's super quick, very athletic and that's the basketball background coming through. I'd seen bits and pieces, but to see him play centre half-forward in the first game of the championships and the surety of his hands and the way he controls the footy sometimes was amazing.
"He has good decision-making, but the mark he took with a minute and a half left in that game – he was three or four deep in the pack but he just clunked it and went back and kicked the goal that won the game. Allan and I were joking that what he would have liked more is if the siren had gone while he was lining up to kick; he's got that sort of confidence.
"He's a super-intelligent kid and what we found was that what we were delivering to the other kids he finds a bit boring and mundane, so you have to challenge him.
"He's a massive talent."
http://afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=69438
Tall Forwards
Lewis Johnston
DOB: 03/3/91
State league: SA
Club: North Adelaide
McCartney says: "He was in my mentor group this year at the Academy and just had an outstanding season. Lewis has got fantastic hands and is a great mark whether it's on the lead or contested. He's a thumping kick, but one of the things we addressed with Lewis was his ability to spot up the short free target and I think he did that really well.
"One of the things I was really pleased with this year is we were able to change his focus a bit and impress on him that his running game needs to be his strength whether you're a centre half-forward or playing as a tall defender. He had played more of a power forward role and his focus was that he thought he needed to improve his fitness, but it was never that, it was more of a mental thing. But we did eliminate some of the weight sessions he was doing and added some cross training and we played him as a third tall defender in Perth earlier in the year and he was outstanding.
"On the wide open spaces of Subiaco he was getting the ball in the back pocket, hitting up a short option and running on to receive it back; it was just phenomenal. He showed a great running capacity and then at under-18 level he's gone back to centre half-forward and he used his new strength to great effect.
"When we first picked him for the Academy the tag was that he was a bit unfit or a bit lazy, but his running has become one of his greatest strengths now and he's able to run blokes off their feet.
"He'll go very high in the draft, there's no doubt."
Paul Cahill
DOB: 19/8/90
State league: SA
Club: Sturt
McCartney says: "Paul's a bit of a jack in the box and he came to a camp we held back in December and he's really a fantastic athlete. He played centre half-forward, full-forward in the game that SA played against Tasmania in the champs and they were in trouble in the first half, but they ended up winning the game because Lewis Johnston went to full-forward and kicked four goals and Paul came out to centre half-forward and just marked everything in sight.
"He's got a fantastic vertical leap, he's interesting, he does tend to double-take the footy, but it's always at its highest point. He troubled Michael Hurley in a game and it was because he's got great bounce and agility. He played some really good footy throughout all the under-18 games."
Aaron Cornelius
DOB: 29/5/90
State league: TAS
Club: Tassie Mariners
McCartney says: "Aaron was in the Academy two years ago and it was an interesting situation with Aaron this year. He's a very good player, All-Australian the year before last and was in our Academy as a bottom-ager, is a really good mark and played senior footy for the Devils this year and last year. I saw this year as not super by Aaron's standards, but I saw it as a tough year because he would have got picked up last year, so it's been a bit of a holding year.
"One of his games in the Division Two qualifiers was really good, but being the main target for Tassie, he tended to get double-teamed a lot. He probably found the going pretty tough in Division One, but what was pleasing was that he came to Melbourne and his second-last game, where the team got toweled up at Casey, was just fantastic.
"He was at centre half-forward, on the move – that's his go – and he tends to take a really good contested mark where he can run and jump and float across the pack. So after what was probably a disappointing first three games he finished off really well. There will be a lot of interest around him no doubt."
Liam Jones
DOB: 24/2/91
State league: TAS
Club: Tassie Mariners
McCartney says: "Liam was in the Academy this year and his father, Bob, played some games for St Kilda, so he's a mad Saints fan. Liam didn't play under-18's for Tassie because he was at Scotch College and he hurt his knee at training and didn't end up playing much footy for the majority of the year.
"Liam is a fantastic mark and we played him mostly as a defender at the Academy and he'd only played a few games down back, but he was terrific. He's got great anticipation and he didn't spoil the ball much because he just got in front and marked it.
"He can tend to fall off the ball a bit when he kicks, but he's got no major dramas there. What's also pleasing is that you look at him now compared to when he came into the Academy and he's grown at least three centimetres."
Jackson Trengove
DOB: 01/11/90
State league: VIC
Club: Calder Cannons
McCartney says: "Jackson was in the Academy this year and is an outstanding young man, but unfortunately only played the one under-18 game against Vic Country because he tore his hamstring off the bone at training.
"I see him as very versatile and he's got a great leap so at a pinch he could go in the ruck, but I see him as having the ability to play most positions down the spine. The question will be how he's recovered from that injury, but all the reports have been really good.
"He's a great competitor and what sticks in my mind is during that one game at the champs he was playing at centre half-back in the third quarter when the pressure was on and he went back a couple of times into packs and just came away with the ball."
Jordan Lisle
DOB: 12/7/90
State league: VIC
Club: Oakleigh Chargers
McCartney says: "Jordan was good to watch at under-18's level because I hadn't seen a lot of him. I saw him play at centre half-back and be very good in the air, very good one on one and set up a lot of play. With him and Michael Hurley down there the opposition didn't have much of a chance, but I also saw him go forward a couple of times and kick three or four goals.
"His dad played some games at North and he looks to have good footy smarts."
Tom Lynch
DOB: 15/9/90
State league: VIC
Club: Sandringham Dragons
McCartney says: "I think Lynchy had an outstanding year from where he was coming from. He had an ACL the year before and his preparation was unbelievable throughout his time at the Academy with a real attention to detail with his training. What that allowed him to do was play his first game for us when we were on tour and because his preparation was so good he played at a good level straight away.
"I thought it might have been good to let him play at centre half-back and just let him play his way into some form, but he played at half-forward and did very well. When he does play down back I thought he read the play very well and he was good with his hands and had the ability to cut across in front of traffic.
"In one of the trial games for Vic Metro Tommy took five or six marks in the first quarter and he has great fitness and great agility. At an AFL club I could see him fitting in as a third forward type, but with his endurance he could even play through the middle."
Jack Watts
DOB: 26/3/91
State league: VIC
Club: Sandringham Dragons
McCartney says: "Wattsy is just a super talent, but before the Academy I hadn't heard much of him. What I had heard was that he was how good he was at basketball and he had a fair bit of pressure from that side of things with an AIS Scholarship offer, and he was managing basketball camps and his footy.
"Allan McConnell had a lot of talks with him and his parents in the lead-up to the under-18's because we felt something was going to give. He was training and playing footy as well as his basketball commitments and he was starting to get sore groins and there was potential for some OP-type damage. We encourage the boys to continue other sports, but just to manage their commitments.
"In the end Wattsy made what was a really tough decision, because he's very good at basketball – that he wanted to concentrate on the footy.
"I'd seen glimpses of his talent through the AIS. He's super quick, very athletic and that's the basketball background coming through. I'd seen bits and pieces, but to see him play centre half-forward in the first game of the championships and the surety of his hands and the way he controls the footy sometimes was amazing.
"He has good decision-making, but the mark he took with a minute and a half left in that game – he was three or four deep in the pack but he just clunked it and went back and kicked the goal that won the game. Allan and I were joking that what he would have liked more is if the siren had gone while he was lining up to kick; he's got that sort of confidence.
"He's a super-intelligent kid and what we found was that what we were delivering to the other kids he finds a bit boring and mundane, so you have to challenge him.
"He's a massive talent."
http://afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=69438
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