Ignoring my feeble attempts with photoshop, thought I'd share the pre-draft profile of Salopek I managed to dig up.
Should give nothing more than a brief idea of how the kid plays. It's all one person's views (albeit, very astute views), and shouldn't be taken as the one and only gospel - especially since a few things have changed over 2 offseasons.
Steven Salopek (Dandenong Stingrays)
184/81 bottom-age right-foot (dual-sided) versatile midfielder.
An inside ball-magnet who gets his own ball above and below the shoulders. A great combination of grunt and class. An outstanding talent. Will definitely be a player. Worth pick 2 or 3.
I’m not sure who to compare Salopek with. Perhaps picture (if you were around then) Gerard Healy with jet black hair and attitude.
Vanilla height but good build and he does play tall for his height, which I like in a midfielder. On the paddock, about all he lacks is a yard (although he is not a slug and seldom gets shown up for lack of pace …. at U18 level at least).
Were he born 10 days later, he'd be too young for the draft. In the first of 4 games he played last year he was only 15yo yet collected 18 possessions as a defender.
Hasn't grown much taller in the past year but has gone from a skinny 15yo/16yo defender who looked promising to a well-built “midfield” architect with enormous influence all over the ground, week by week, even when under duress.
He is a genuine footballer:
- Soft hands above and below the knee and overhead.
- Genuine footy smarts. Good vision, awareness, poise. Quick thinker. Good decision-maker. Always seems to have plenty of time.
- Reads the play well. Reads the ball well, especially at stop plays, off the pack. Just knows where to be and what to do. Can play the kick-behind-play very well.
- Good work rate. Covers ground. Presents well. Does the one-percenters.
Moves well. Doesn't mind a dash.
- Attacks the traffic. Excellent traffic management generally, but especially over the ball. Excellent at centre bounce clearances.
- Determined, courageous, and has good intensity. Physical (and verbal) presence, including ferocious tackling and blocking. Good strength, balance (Very muscley legs – is arguably a bit bow-legged). Doesn’t take eyes off the ball.
- Barely adequate pace but good agility and recovery. Can be acrobatic.
Very light feet. Not only good evasion skills generally but good at side-stepping into space to give him time.
Disposal:
- Disposal is generally very good by hand or foot, short or long, although I would rate Goddard clearly ahead. Does an occasional blooper, by hand or foot, but disposal is generally a strength not a concern.
- Right-footer who has nice kicking style with relaxed power in the legs and nice follow-through. Good depth – 50m easily. Is very good kicking to the lead. Quite proficient with the left also.
- Regularly sets up play with long quick feeds.
Not a noted goalkicker but you don't see him wandering into scoring range as much as some U18 onballers.
- Injured his shoulder (AC joint) game 2 of 2002 U18 Champs then resumed mid August but “re” injured it after half a game (20 disp, 6m in 2.5 qtrs). Carried it in subsequent games.
- Is a highly consistent ball-magnet - 7th highest average disposals in the TAC comp and was highest until injured. He never plays a “poor” game. Despite carrying a bad shoulder since resuming in August, his worst TAC game statistically was 18 disposals - the last game of year and the only time he dipped below 20. Got over 27 or more disposals 8 times out of his 12 TAC games, and 30 or more in 6 of those (including a 44).
- He is also 15th up in the number of marks per game. In this era of high possession footy, you have to be a bit careful with "marks/game" stats because so many marks these days are uncontested. However, in Steven's case, a significant proportion of his marks are contested and he is surprisingly capable and reliable, given his height, in pack marking contests.
Query:
- Pace. Is certainly not a slug but I’d describe his pace as “AFL adequate”, no better. He can chase down an opponent over a few metres by virtue of his intensity. I would not back him in a race over 30 metres though. He does run within his means - he likes a dash but seems to be judicious in choosing when to chance his running speed.
- Any likely ongoing problems from 2002 shoulder injury? (I assume not).
- Is he in danger of getting ahead of himself? Self-confidence to the point of premature arrogance. Any team harmony implications? (Just a query – I’m not too concerned). (Not that it matters but he is unlikely to become popular with opposition supporters and players).
Some interesting stats:
- Average 29 disposals in 12 TAC games (5.8 marks, 3.3 tackles, total 13goal-10). Almost 60% of disposals are kicks (standard for his type). Was averaging 34 disposals at the mid-way point of his year but persistent shoulder injury saw the last 6 games at 24 disposals.
- 25 disposals, 8 marks in his only completed 2002 U18 Championships game (SA).
Other stuff:
- All Australian 2002 U18 Championships despite playing only 1.5 games.
- 9 votes (4 games) 2002 Morrish Medal.
- 14th 2002 TAC Coaches Award (21 votes).
- Barracks for St Kilda.