Glenelg’s unheralded Reid Kuller comes from the clouds to emerge as AFL draft smokey
Unheralded young Glenelg talent Reid Kuller has come from the clouds to emerge as AFL draft smokey. And the Mt Gambier product will be among the players strutting their stuff at the state AFL Draft combine on Saturday.
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Reid Kuller was largely unheard of until this year.
While most draft prospects are on the radar of AFL clubs years before they become eligible to be selected — and have dossiers compiled on them — Kuller was putting in the hard yards away from the limelight in the south-eastern city of Mount Gambier.
“He was in the wilderness,’’ Glenelg under-18s coach Kieron Hicks said.
“He hadn’t been exposed to high level football and was a player not too many people knew much about.
“But he kept working hard and now he’s starting to get his rewards.’’
The 18-year-old has emerged as one of this year’s biggest draft smokeys.
Prior to this season, Kuller had played only one under-18s match for the Tigers — in the final round of 2018.
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The hard-at-it, inside midfielder had represented the club at under-age country championships but was a late bloomer who did not play for it at under-16 level.
Kuller decided to stay in the country until being talked into wearing the black and yellow for the last game of 2018.
This year, he bit the bullet.
Studying Year 12 at Mount Gambier High School, Kuller decided to regularly make the nine-hour, 870km round trip from Mount Gambier (part of Glenelg’s country recruiting zone) to Adelaide in the hope of taking his football to the next level.
He estimated that he drove to Adelaide with family members 30 times during the season for training and games.
Often, he would drive home straight after a match, making for long days and nights.
But it was worth the effort.
Overlooked for the SA under-18 team, Kuller won Glenelg’s under-18 best and fairest award despite playing just eight games.
“He polled maximum votes in nearly every match he played,’’ Hicks noted.
And he shone in his eight matches at reserves level, including starring in the elimination final loss to Central District with 25 disposals, six clearances and eight tackles.
Kuller was flying under the radar no more, with three clubs nominating him to test at the SA Draft Combine at Prince Alfred College on Saturday.
He already has been interviewed by Fremantle and Melbourne.
Hicks believes he has something special.
“Reid is an untapped talent with a terrific upside,’’ Hicks said.
“He’s impressive in a lot of areas, with a super left-foot kick, clean hands in close and great vision, having the ability to find options that others don’t, and he’s a good tackler.
“He also works just as hard defensively as he does offensively.
“The fact that he hasn’t been exposed to a SANFL club full time and that he’s done most of his work off his own back shows how much upside he could have.’’
Kuller, 180cm and 78kg, models his game on a pair of star South Australians — Brisbane’s Lachie Neale (a fellow southeast product from Glenelg) and the Western Bulldogs’ Caleb Daniel.
He likes to think he has Neale’s ball-winning ability and Daniel’s cleanness and vision.
“I’d describe myself as a hardworking player who will do whatever it takes to help my team out,’’ said Kuller, who played in West Gambier’s senior grand final loss to North Gambier last month.
“I do believe I have a lot of improvement in me because after staying in the country for so long I haven't really had that much exposure to a high-level football program.’’
Kuller will be interviewed by AFL clubs at the combine but will not test physically after last week undergoing minor ankle surgery to repair a syndesmosis injury.
SA DRAFT COMBINE INVITEES: Jy Farrar, Tom Hutchesson (Adelaide), Brad Close, Reid Kuller, Jordan Moore, Luke Partington (Glenelg), Harrison Magor (North Adelaide), Henry Crauford, Cole Gerloff (Norwood), Damon Freitag (South Adelaide), Lachlan Burrows, Oliver Grivell, Anzac Lochowiak, Mihail Lochowiak, Jed McEntee (Sturt), Elliot Dunkin (West Adelaide), Luke Beecken, Trent Burgoyne, Jamie Coff, Lachlan Hoile, James Rowe (Woodville-West Torrens).