AFL Draft 2014: Touk Miller draws inspiration from marathon Mum
PICK ME: TOUK Miller doesn’t have to look too far for his source of inspiration. His Mum has competed in 17 marathons worldwide.
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TOUK Miller usually has to only look across the dinner table for his source of inspiration.
Sitting there is his mum, Ruth Kimpton, most likely fresh from an intense running session and putting the finishing touches on a nutritional and vegetable-heavy meal with its carbohydrate and protein values mapped out.
Hydration plans would be discussed, salad sandwiches would be prepared for lunches and healthy shakes substituted in for ice-creams as desert.
“Maybe once a year she’ll do a Maccas run,” said Miller, who could join Hawthorn with its first pick in next week’s draft.
MEET MILLER AND SEE HIM IN ACTION IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE
But on Sunday, the inside midfielder was instead feeding off his mum’s remarkably disciplined lifestyle in Shepparton as she completed her first half ironman (1.9km swim, 90km bike ride, 21.1km run) to sit alongside 17 marathons, ranging from Tokyo to Paris to New York and Cambodia.
“I’m pretty sure she wanted to get fit for me,” Miller explained.
“She’d be 44 and when she was younger didn’t do a whole lot of exercise and then she decided to change things and quit smoking.
“She could barely run a km when she was 33 and then all of a sudden when she was 40 she was running marathons with ease.
“Her diet and her training is probably much more elite than mine is at the moment and her mentality towards training, eating and preparing is something I definitely take out of her.”
PICK ME: VIDEO PROFILES OF TOP DRAFT PROSPECTS
The Hawks, armed with pick 31, could add extractor Miller as they combat the loss of ball hunters Brad Sewell (retired), Mitch Hallahan (Gold Coast) and with Sam Mitchell now 32, while Fremantle also holds interest.
Miller tested himself out at Shepparton on Saturday as well, swimming 2km in 32 minutes and finishing a 5km fun run in 18min 50sec.
The powerful on-baller and diehard surfer is a gifted sportsman, making his senior football and Premier Cricket debut at just 15, under Brodie Holland at Maribyrnong Park and as a wicket-keeper for North Melbourne respectively.
Holland was certain Miller was ready, recently praising his defensive game and ball-winning ability, while he remains the second youngest North Melbourne cricketer.
The dynamo averaged six tackles, five clearances and a goal for Calder Cannons this year and while a shoulder injury and orthotic problems saw his output for Vic Metro dip, he captained both sides with AFL recruiters fans of his natural leadership.
“He does everything one touch and has great hands,” one scout said yesterday.
“His best position is as that inside midfielder, but will he get pushed around in the AFL?”
Miller averaged 13 contested disposals this year — a figure in likely No. 1 pick Christian Petracca territory — with his core strength and ability to feed outside runners among the best in this year’s talent pool.
His dad, of African-American heritage, grew up in the United States and is still learning the intricacies of AFL but attends some of Miller’s games.
Miller attended his first Grand Final this year, working on the fourth level making coffees at a kiosk.
The next week he was showing off his mix of pace and endurance at the draft combine, with Miller running a 14.10 beep test, finishing the 3km time trial in 10min 19sec and zipping down the 20m sprint lane in 3.06sec.
TOUK MILLER
AGE: 18
HEIGHT: 177cm
WEIGHT: 80kg
CLUB: Calder Cannons
POSITION: Inside midfielder
SUPERCOACH AVG: 131 points
PLAYS LIKE: Dion Prestia
PREDICTED DRAFT RANGE: 25-50
IN THE MIX: Collingwood (30), Hawthorn (31), Fremantle (34)
Originally published as AFL Draft 2014: Touk Miller draws inspiration from marathon Mum
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