In the off-season circus that almost overshadows the game itself, the “potential” rules the world.
With comparables and traits analyzed by draft fans and observers, the potential for teens to be named at the draft stage is long. Every year, the unconditional fans of the 18 clubs will swear that they have left with a harvest of 300 players, you know, if all goes well.
Spoiler alert: Not all inmates reach their full potential. Even for those who do, the path from bottom to top is not uniform or paved with gold.
Different players flourish at different times. Sometimes a change of position is needed. Additional opportunities often yield impressive results. Choosing which ones will succeed is a part of science, a part of luck and a lot of hard work.
Dylan Moore slipped and slithered in the wet grass. His usual rapid runs were nowhere to be seen today. (Getty Images: Michael Willson)
This season has seen several players come out and turn that potential into real production. This column could list dozens of players, but will focus on three that should be under discussion to be part of the full Australian team currently. All three are 20 years old and have so far faced various problems in their careers.
That’s how Dylan Moore, Tom Green and Nick Blakey have risen and taken over the competition until 2022.
Giving them Moore
Stop us if you’ve heard this before.
Talented young junior, tough with the ability to find the foot, but overlooked for his height. Not Lachie Neale, not Dayne Zorko, not Caleb Daniel. In an era that emphasizes size all over the field, players who are a little lower can offer one of the best values in the draft.
Hawthorn dynamo Dylan Moore has followed the mold of some of the ones listed above and has shone for the Hawks in improvement.
When he entered the draft, Moore had an impressive junior football season finale, finally entered the Vic Metro setup and starred in the TAC Cup level. Draft observers rated his ability to both win the ball and use it effectively, able to hit his teammates and on the scoreboard with the Sherrin. An elite junior athlete, what Moore lacks at brute speed, makes up for it with endurance and repeated effort.
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After struggling to play in his first three years on a Hawthorn team desperate to fight for the flag, Moore has thrived with the additional opportunities presented to him. Moore’s play is increasingly versatile, going from a pressure and a small front ball drop to a dealer and a ball winner as well.
An inside midfielder in his early days, Moore is no stranger to applying physical pressure despite his size, sitting close to the top for 50 tackles in the last two years. He is also increasingly relied on to win sacks, especially in the front half of the field for stops.
Moore’s improvement is a little hard to detach from the overall improvement of the Hawthorn front line this year, especially his ability to score efficiently from the age of 50. Instead of having a key forward position that changes the game (or two) as they did in their recent dynasty, the Hawks have relied on each component to do their job on the day.
The location of Dylan Moore’s kicks and handballs in 2022. (Provided by: Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson)
So far this year, Moore leads Hawthorn for tackles within 50, fourth for scores and scoring stakes and is fifth for meters won.
Although this year he averaged more than one goal per game, his greatest value comes from the pressure he applies and how he distributes to teammates. This is not usually the case, but it is fundamental to the modern game.
Green rises higher than the stars
Draft sliders are also located at the top end of the draft. The best elections are valued more than anyone else, with the weaknesses amplified on the national stage.
However, that’s probably not why Tom Green slipped the order in the 2019 draft. It didn’t affect his eventual home either.
Tom Green’s ability to read the ball hard and get out of difficult positions makes him a weapon for the Giants. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
As a member of the GWS academy, Green was very attached to the Giants, making the choice more or less academic. However, in a good draft some clubs prioritized the players who would wear the club’s colors instead of those who would not, letting Green fall to pick 10.
It is as far away as possible from Moore’s story.
Green, a large midfielder with clean, creative hands and a tough edge for his game, introduced himself as a difference maker already made in the middle.
The Giants have struggled for a long time to provide enough opportunities for the large number of talented midfielders on their roster. Overall, it’s a good problem to have, but it does mean that some players take tortuous paths to their final form.
The GWS’s drive for immediate success caused the young Canberra native to play on the reserves or on the sidelines of the competition. In 2021 he occasionally started playing as a deep forward on the rebound, abandoned in goal. While his height and strength means he can fight in a contest, he is far from his strength as a player.
Despite playing big parts of the year from his best position, Green still managed to finish second in last year’s Rising Star Award. It also makes his rise this year even more impressive.
Part of what makes Green so special is his ability to predict where the hard ball will go and read it with his hands, able to make lemonade with the most acidic of hard ball lemons. He is also surprisingly creative when he has the pill in his hands, able to overcome the struggle by using his size to watch the contest.
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The Giants are the fourth-best team to score since the clearances, with Green leading the way for the Giants for both stoppage and central takeoffs.
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Green is also able to influence the game later in the possession chain if necessary, with his kicks within 50 usually directed in the right way.
In a way, he looks like redhead midfielder Clayton Oliver, both of whom are capable of really damaging the opposing sides of the center.
As new coach Mark McVeigh imposes his new strategy on the Giants, different players are seeing more time on the center rebound, like Harry Perryman. Teams run more media than those who only watch the rebound, but it’s a decent proxy for those who form. the inner ring at the stops around the ground. As a result, Green’s numbers may drop during the second half of the year.
Whatever happens from there, Green has already sealed his application to join the club of the best inside midfielders in the game this year.
Blakey finds his home
Like Green, Sydney’s Nick Blakey was a product of an NSW academy, but he had a slightly more unconventional path to the Swans. Due to his father John’s long playing career, Blakey was also eligible as a father-son team for Brisbane and North Melbourne. In the end, Nick chose the local swans.
After moving around in several different positions, it seems that Nick Blakey has found his happy place in the Swans camp. (Getty Images: Daniel Carson / AFL Photos)
Blakey’s field trip has been a similar process to finding a home, with the tall young man being thrown to the ground early in his career. Starting at the forefront, Blakey became a critical piece of Franklin’s later years. That is, until the goals and touches dried up.
The UNSW-Easts product was then tested as a liaison player, top half forward and even stays on the ball with little success. Blakey fell in and out of a troubled Sydney team, both struggling to find their footballing identities.
Blakey’s career renaissance has come after a downturn, first in the reserves and then in the senior. It makes as much sense in real life as it does on paper.
Blakey’s ability to read the ball in flight matches his size and speed perfectly, allowing him to close competitions and maintain Sydney’s defensive structure.
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But what elevates Blakey is what he is able to do with the ball in hand. Few players of his size are able to use the ball at a distance like Blakey.
The Swans are in the top four for defensive midfield loss points, with Blakey running and kicking a key starter in transition.
Following the departure of Jordan Dawson (one of the best players last year) in the offseason, Blakey has taken on a bigger role in the Swans’ counterattack.
This ability to attack from the defense is crucial to Sydney’s success and is the basis for climbing the ladder again.
The location of Nick Blakey’s marks and stitches in 2022. (Provided by: Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson)
It also means the Swans can credibly play with four higher defenders, alongside brothers McCartin and Dane Rampe.
Few attacks can beat swans in size, and these four have enough mobility to cover most smaller lines. Blakey’s great ability on the air and on the deck allows the Swans to be more flexible than most sides.
While the start of the race may have been frustrating for Blakey at the time, it has begun to bear fruit.
Posted 3 hours 3 hours agoWednesday, June 1, 2022 at 8:00 PM, last updated 2 hours ago 2 hours agoWednesday, June 1, 2022 at 8:53 PM