Toast Fremantle's 1st 2018 National Draft Pick: Sam Sturt [Pick #17]

Mar 25, 2014
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Welcome to the team, Sam!! Looks like a great pick up.

DockerTV highlights: http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/video/2018-11-22/draft-highlights-sam-sturt-pick-17




SAM STURT

DOB:
12-05-2000 (18)
POSITION: General forward
HEIGHT: 189cm
WEIGHT: 74kg
DRAFTED FROM: Dandenong Stingrays (Victoria)
PLAYS LIKE: Will Hayward (Sydney)

Combine Results
Height:
188.5
Weight: 73.55
Skinfolds: 41.6 (88th percentile)
Vertical Jump: 64 (66%)
Running VJ right: 91 (99%) (#1 at combine)
Running VJ left: 72 (20%)
5m sprint: 1.06 (83%)
10m sprint: 1.931 (14%)
20m sprint: 2.966 (85%)
Agility: 8.396 (85%)
Yo-Yo: 20.7 (39%)
2km: 7.08 (10%)
Kicking: 67% (59%)
Goalkicking: 47% (25%)

Sam Sturt is a general forward from Frankston South outside of Melbourne.

After some eye-catching performances for Peninsula Grammar School in the Associate Grammar Schools of Victoria competition, Sturt was added late in 2018 to the Dandenong Stingrays program.

He played the last six games of the season and played a big role in the Stingrays’ successful finals campaign.

After debuting in round 14, Sturt led the TAC Cup in score assists and tackles inside 50 and was also top five in the league for goals and score involvements in that period.

The 18-year-old has impressive speed, natural forward smarts and recovers well at ground level.

He is a terrific mark overhead, has a good leap and picks up the ball quickly in flight.

At 189cm and with ability in the air and at ground level, Sturt is a difficult match up.

He is a very talented cricketer and has never done a football pre-season due to cricket commitments, so he comes with a lot of upside.

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STRENGTHS

  • Acceleration
  • Agility
  • Vertical jump
  • Kicking
  • Overhead marking
Sturt’s athleticism – his acceleration, agility and vertical leap – is on show during each game, and he backed it up at the AFL National Draft Combine. He recorded a blistering 2.966-second 20m sprint, an 8.396 agility test and a 91cm running vertical jump, to be in the top 10, or in the case of the latter, the top player, in those areas. These traits also make him as dangerous in the air as on the ground, and he can win the ball in multiple ways. Often he will mark around half-forward leading out, and then use his precise boot to hit up a target inside 50, or take his chances going for goal. He has proven to be a neat set shot, and he has the game smarts to know when to back himself or when to pass off to a teammate. His strength overhead is another clear advantage he has, often taking marks with one grab while at top speed, which is a great sight to behold.

The fact he is a latecomer to the program means he has plenty of scope as well which is what makes him such an exciting prospect. Not too many players are such great athletes, while having the football nous and skills to back it up. It is so rare for a player to join a TAC Cup team and suddenly come into top 20 calculations, but that is exactly what Sturt has done. It does not mean he will get there, but he has gone from a diamond in the rough for some clubs, to being the most talked about prospect of the past month. He is no longer out of sight, and has dealt with the spotlight thrown upon him. At 188cm, Sturt is a nice size to play forward, and potentially clubs could use him through the midfield in times once his endurance base has grown. Overall, considering his lack of being in an elite program until late in the year, Sturt’s strengths are very impressive and his story is a feel-good one.

IMPROVEMENTS

  • Raw
  • Endurance
For all of Sturt’s strengths, there is still areas he can further develop, especially given the fact he has come from a long way back. He is still developing into himself and will have little areas to build upon and learn once he gets to AFL level. For example, with the anti-density rules in place at TAC Cup, Sturt thrives on the space to lead into, and the ability to gain distance on his opponent, something that will not always be afforded at the elite level. It is this, combined with his relative lack of versatility given he has only had the chance to play the one role that will have clubs keen to add more strings to his bow once he encounters more situations. He is a smart player, so chances are he can overcome any issues, but there are plenty of challenges for him to confront at AFL level. Finally, his endurance is the clear improvement he needs to make before he can impact at AFL level. It goes hand-in-hand with his role as a forward, and he will have to build his endurance base further.

DRAFT PROJECTION: 15-30

SUMMARY

Sam Sturt is a talented forward who is one of the best athletes in the draft crop. His strength overhead, combined with his speed, agility and vertical leap make him a danger in the air or at ground level, and his smarts and disposal by foot is top notch and once he is able to further improve his endurance and overcome any challenges thrown at him, Sturt will be a high-upside player with a long-term future.




SAM STURT'S swift rise could see this year's draft bolter finish the year as a top-20 pick.

The Dandenong Stingrays half-forward broke into the TAC Cup side only late in the year but has rushed into first-round calculations for next week's NAB AFL Draft.

Greater Western Sydney is likely to consider the 18-year-old left-footer with its third pick – No.19 overall – while West Coast (No.20 and No.22), Melbourne (No.23) and Gold Coast (No.24) have also been linked to Sturt with their selections.

Although not on the original list of players invited to the draft, Sturt has been added to the group and will be attending the event at Marvel Stadium next Thursday night when the first round is revealed.

Sturt's smarts, goal sense and athleticism shone in the Stingrays' run to the premiership, and he starred at the NAB AFL Draft Combine last month.

The 189cm prospect finished in the top 10 for the agility and 20m sprint tests, and won the vertical jump test (off his right foot) after being a late call-up to the week of testing in front of scouts.

Sturt is another who has followed the football pathway after being in Victoria's junior cricket programs for many years and being a promising batsman.







SAM Sturt could be the bolter of this year's NAB AFL Draft pool after his exciting end to the season for the Dandenong Stingrays.

The 188cm forward comes from a promising cricket background, and will trial with Cricket Victoria later this month.

However, his run of form for the Stingrays has seen 16 clubs make contact with Sturt, with some viewing him as a potential top-30 pick.

Sturt has played four games for the Stingrays and has kicked nine goals playing across half-forward, also impressing scouts at school level playing for Peninsula Grammar throughout the season.

Stingrays talent manager Mark Wheeler said the 18-year-old had been on the radar of the TAC Cup side.

"His first love was cricket and he probably dedicated a lot of his time to that, but we've kept an eye on him," he said.

"We went and watched him in round one this year playing for Peninsula and have been tracking him since then.

"We played him when we could play him given his commitments with school, and we were going to play him three weeks before he did, but he had a family holiday booked in.

"He's a good left-footer, he's hard at the ball and he has a freakish ability above his head."

Sturt's emergence was too late for him to be invited to the NAB AFL Draft Combine, but he is one of 11 Stingrays players to have been picked to test at the state combine, where his speed is expected to stand out.

Wheeler said Sturt had been juggling his cricket and football but clubs were excited by what they had seen in his small sample of under-18 appearances.

"He's definitely good enough with his cricket. He's training every Sunday at the moment at Junction Oval and is a really good batsman," Wheeler said.

"One of the clubs asked him [which he'd choose] and his response was well above his years. He said he'd given six years of dedication to his cricket and he's still there, and that he'd only given footy a bit of a go and look where it's got him.

"He hasn't done a pre-season so the upside – and that's why all the clubs are running – is great and how good can he be? It's that crystal-balling."
 
Last edited:
Oct 30, 2007
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At least I got one right...

Pick 16 Fremantle - Sam Sturt (188cm, 78kg from Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country)

Definitely not as left field as it would have been a couple of months back, but still around the top of his draft range I feel. I haven't seen as much of him as usual of the players I draft - but that's true for everyone involved here as he's only played 6 TAC Cup games. The sample size is small. But with the talk around him at the end of the season, he's one I went back and caught up on. And it's easy to see why he's considered one of the biggest draft bolters this year.

One thing I've always rated highly in draftees, particularly medium sized ones, is marking ability. If a skinny kid can take a one grab overhead mark, then it tends to translate well at the next level. Marking is something a player rarely learns to do. And Sturt looks a really good overhead mark to me. He's also got one of the best kicks in the draft, both over distance and hitting up forward 50 targets. Also killed the testing at the Combine - top 10 in the sprint and agility, and winning the running vertical.

Still has some way to go with his endurance, but most draftees do. Otherwise he's very much a potential pick, and his midfield game is largely unknown.

For Fremantle, I really wanted to add a fast and skilled medium forward at some stage. I feel it's the missing piece alongside Hogan and Lobb, while I would personally develop Cam McCarthy higher up the ground. So I did also consider Curtis Taylor, whereas Zac Butters and Ned McHenry didn't quite have the size I was after. Sam Sturt ticks nearly all the boxes, and I think could offer a similar output to Jaidyn Stephenson and Will Hayward.
 

estibador

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Mar 2, 2007
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Combine Results:

Height: 188.5
Weight: 73.55
Skinfolds: 41.6 (88th percentile)
Vertical Jump: 64 (66%)
Running VJ right: 91 (99%) (#1 at combine)
Running VJ left: 72 (20%)
5m sprint: 1.06 (83%)
10m sprint: 1.931 (14%)
20m sprint: 2.966 (85%)
Agility: 8.396 (85%)
Yo-Yo: 20.7 (39%)
2km: 7.08 (10%)
Kicking: 67% (59%)
Goalkicking: 47% (25%)
 
Oct 30, 2007
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You had him going at 22 to GWS and us taking Hill yesterday. You reckon Knightmare changes his view to suit the results (which he does) but people in glass houses and all...

I was talking about the BigFooty draft last month, hence the profile.
 

Alfonz

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Aug 23, 2005
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Absolutely thrilled with this pick. Was my first preference by a considerable margin. Thanks to Chris25 for bringing him to my attention a little while back. Then I looked him up and he seemed a lot more appealing to me than all of the likely alternatives.
 

estibador

purple haze
Mar 2, 2007
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Another Melbourne kid that we spotted underneath the noses of 10 other clubs. :rolleyes: I hope i'm wrong, but our record in this area is horrible.

Good luck to him though.

Mind you, for all we know many of them might have rated him the best available once the others were gone too. It's not like it was a silent action where we bid higher than anyone else.

Looks pretty good in those highlight vids. That left foot is every bit as good as Hill's skills, only with more penetration. Looks a competitor too with the way he closes down space and intercepts.
 

Heart Of Purple

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Mar 26, 2018
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Know nothing about him but it seems like a good pick from what those who know are saying. As long as we address the small forward need as some stage I am perfectly okay with this.
Looks quick and like he tackles well + is dangerous. Not sure how a small forward hasnt been adressed,just the fact that hes taller and can take a mark also doesnt mean he wont provide what a standard small forward would. Having said that I'd still expect to see a small forward/outside mid picked up.

If all goes perfectly, a forward line of -
Walters Hogan Bennell
Sturt Tabs/Cox Lobb
with McCarthy/other one of tabs + cox on the bench looks very promising.
 

Rion

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Apr 27, 2014
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Him being a massive bolter and all worries me but I'm all for someone of his type. Hopefully he can play round 1 and replicate something like Stephenson's efforts.
 

estibador

purple haze
Mar 2, 2007
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He is a very talented cricketer and has never done a football pre-season due to cricket commitments, so he comes with a lot of upside.

That would explain his average 2km and Yo-Yo results. Pretty exciting upside alright.
 
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