Past #1: Jack Mahony - drafted w #34 in '17 ND - delisted end '23 - 40 NM games/17 NM goals - thx Mahns

Welcome Jack Mahony


Small forward/midfielder who uses his decision making and footy smarts to set up opportunities for his team around the goals. Excels at stoppages and provides strong on-field leadership. A veryconsistent performer for Vic Metro, he averaged 18 disposals at 72 per cent efficiency, 2.8clearances and 3.5 tackles across the 2019 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.

Foxsports.com.au: There are plenty of comparisons between Mahony and Richmond small forward Jack Higgins. The 18-year-old is smart around goal and can also push into the midfield and win the contested ball when required. He works hard to win the ball with his running patterns and has shown a tenacity to tackle hard when he doesn’t have the ball. Mahony averaged 18 disposals, 3.5 tackles and a goal during Vic Metro’s Under 18 Championships.



 
Last edited:

1574932192883.png


DRAFT ANALYSIS: “Possessing smarts and ball winning ability, Mahony has long been touted as one of the leading small midfielders in this year’s crop.”

WHILE big-bodied and athletic midfielders seem to be the in-vogue archetype for recruiters in the modern game, Sandringham’s Jack Mahony proved this year that smaller, creative types can have just as much of an impact through the engine room. Touted as a high-end prospect from as early as his Under-16 year, Mahony has consistently performed for the Dragons when available, while also proving a match winner for Vic Metro and school side, St Kevin’s. His year was cut short after undergoing surgery on his hand, but Mahony was able to recover just in time for the National Combine to serve another reminder of his talents in the run-in to November’s draft. The final on-field glimpse we got of Mahony was one which stuck in the memory, with his 19 disposals and three goals against the Allies very nearly dragging Vic Metro over the line to end a sub-par carnival. His combination of shrewd winning, spread from the contest, and crafty use going forward make him relevant in many ways, with the potential to continue as a midfielder or become a forward flanker absolutely there.

STRENGTHS:
Footy IQ
Creativity
Agility
Consistency
Work rate

IMPROVEMENTS:
Size
Explosiveness


The final quarter of Vic Metro’s clash with the Allies is enough to get the best idea of Mahony’s talents, showcasing his creativity, work rate and ability to rise for the big moments. The St Kevin’s graduate is as clever as anyone when in possession forward of centre, opting for high-risk lateral balls, pin-pointing targets on the lead, and providing well for teammates running into space. His own goal sense is also strong, able to prove as much with more exposed form up forward during the National Championships to average a goal per game. Still, much of Mahony’s best work was done at the centre bounces and stoppages, using his agility to wiggle free from traffic and work into space to release a kick. He does not win crazy amounts of ball, but is more the type of player to be effective with each touch. On the flip side, his contested possession rate is great for a player standing at 177cm and 71kg, hovering around the 40 per cent mark across all levels and proving his midfield worth. His work rate – which a 20.8 yo-yo test score does not do justice to – is also admirable, meaning Mahony can provide that run all day and possibly translate it to an outside role despite not being overly athletic.
That lack of explosiveness is Mahony’s biggest area for improvement. He would be a shoe-in for more forward time if he were a touch quicker, with his agility and smarts boding well for the small forward role. That agility is also just enough to keep him out of trouble in midfield, but Mahony could benefit from improving his speed over short bursts – highlighted by a 20m sprint time of over 3.1 seconds. He is still deceptively good overhead for his size and has the courage to contest in the air, but has the lighter build to suit more of a running type despite his inside capabilities. His odd mix of traits make him hard to nail down in terms of position at the next level, but if clubs can look past his size, he would be an elite midfield candidate. Likened to Richmond’s Jack Higgins, Mahony could do worse than to model his game on that kind of midfielder/forward.

DRAFT RANGE: 25-50
 
Last edited:









Knightmare @ChrisDoerreESPN
North Melbourne pick 34 = Jack Mahony. A well performed small forward who has looked the goods each of the past two years during the U18 Champs. Has a mature game and can contend for games next season. #AFLDraft
 
Last edited:



Mahony Talks - Jack set to make an impact at the top level
Sam Bunn


Jack Mahony entered 2019 with the eyes of the footy world firmly on his every move.

After starring for Vic Metro and the Sandringham Dragons in his bottom-age year, the East Malvern Knights product was touted as a potential first-round pick in the National Draft.

But after breaking his hand mid-year, Mahony was unable to showcase his elite ball-winning ability that drew comparisons with Richmond’s Jack Higgins (also a former East Malvern Knight) in the latter part of the season.
The similarities are clear.

Mahony possesses some of the cleanest hands in tight across the country and hunts the ball with purpose, overcoming his 178cm frame to match it with the best.

The midfielder/forward sets up teammates with ease through hand or foot and has obvious footy nous.
And learning to deal with the hype was all part of his development.

“At the start of the year everyone was a bit excited and looking into it, so I probably looked online a bit too much at the very start of the year and got caught up in it a bit,” Mahony says.

“But as the year started, I realised there was going to be a whole lot of people saying different things about you that don’t really know exactly what’s going on, whether it be schoolmates or other people online.

“I just tried to stay away from it.
“After the first three Dragons games I realised there’s probably no point looking into it so I kind of stayed away from it for the rest of the year.”

Despite his season being cut short by injury, Mahony still produced a stellar campaign, representing Australia on the MCG against VFL side Casey and again starring for Vic Metro at the National Championships.

It all started in the pre-season when the then-17-year-old spent a week training with Richmond alongside Fischer McAsey and Lachie Ash.
“It was pretty cool,” he says.

“I remember walking into first day and Shaun Grigg let us in because we were walking out the front and didn’t have a key so we couldn’t even get in the club.
“Grigg let us in and it was pretty weird walking down the hall and Jack Riewoldt’s there studding boots, he said g’day and then Dusty turns the corner and says g’day.

“It was just pretty cool to see how they all go about it. It’s a lot more relaxed than I thought. They train hard and all that but once training is done it’s like a normal club, everyone’s mates and stuffing around…they work really hard but have a lot of fun doing it as well.”

Mahony is expected to be taken tonight in the second or third round of the draft, a potential steal for the now-healthy youngster.
It’s been a huge couple of weeks in his life and will hopefully get even bigger.

“It’s pretty weird. I finished school two weeks ago and got my licence last Thursday, and then draft this week, so it’s been a pretty intense few weeks,” he says.
“I think about it a bit. I’m not really nervous, it’s just on your mind a bit.
“It’s pretty exciting but I’m sure the nerves will kick in.”
 
Last edited:
Feb 1, 2008
12,314
15,128
Thailand
AFL Club
North Melbourne
PICK 41: ADELAIDE CROWS – JACK MAHONY
Clubs:
Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
Position: Small Forward/Inside Midfielder
Size: 178cm, 72kg
Bio: There are plenty of comparisons between Mahony and Richmond small forward Jack Higgins. The 17-year-old is smart around goal and can also push into the midfield and win the contested ball when required. He works hard to win the ball with his running patterns and has shown a tenacity to tackle hard when he doesn’t have the ball. Mahony averaged 18 disposals, 3.5 tackles and a goal during Vic Metro’s Under 18 Championships.
 

tiltraise

Premiership Player
Feb 12, 2008
3,658
5,040
arden street
AFL Club
North Melbourne

#43 Jack Mahony
Sandringham Dragons | Small Midfielder/Forward
12/11/2001 | 178cm | 72kg


A smart player who knows how to find the ball and use it delicately to hit targets over short distances like very few can, Mahony is a bit of a unique option as a small utility. Predominantly used in the forward half, Mahony is still light, but can compete with players in contested situations, and with his footy IQ and creativity, Mahony rarely makes too many mistakes by hand or foot. In saying that, his size will always come into question as a sub-180cm player, with Mahony lacking that explosiveness that others have playing a similar role. He will likely become that half-forward who can rotate through the middle, mainly because of his ability to pinpoint players inside 50 with sharp 45-degree kicks in between a host of opponents. Importantly, Mahony does not try and go for too much outside his limitations and therefore is highly influential with the game he employs.
 
Back