No commitment from Gold Coast to pair star SA teenagers, says Connor Rozee
TOP SA draft prospect Connor Rozee says he has heard the rumours but insists Gold Coast has not made a commitment to draft him alongside good mate Jack Lukosius with picks two and three at this year’s AFL national draft.
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TOP South Australian draft prospect Connor Rozee says he has heard the rumours but insists Gold Coast has not made a commitment to draft him alongside good mate Jack Lukosius with picks two and three at this year’s AFL national draft.
While the Crows believe the Suns have their sights set on taking key forward Lukosius and his Henley High School classmate Izak Rankine with their top two selections — likely to be two and three after the compensation they get for losing star forward Tom Lynch to Richmond — there has been talk Gold Coast wants to pair Rozee with close mate Lukosius.
The pair share the same manager, Ben Williams from Players Ink.
“I’ve heard the talk but I had a meeting with Gold Coast the other week and they told me not to read too much into it, so I’m not,’’ Rozee told The Advertiser from the AFL Draft Combine in Melbourne.
“That talk has been out there but there’s been no indication whether they’ll take me.
“Obviously it’s a possibility because in the draft anything can happen but I’ve got no clue at this stage.’’
Rozee — the 18-year-old North Adelaide league premiership player with the choir boy looks who plays with a hard edge — said his preference would be to stay home in Adelaide with the Crows or Power.
“That would be awesome,’’ he said.
But he said if he was to be drafted to another club, being at the same team as Lukosius would be “pretty cool too’’.
Rozee, who won the Kevin Sheehan Medal as the best player in the AFL under-16 championships two years ago when playing in the midfield, had a modest under-18 championships campaign this year when he was used in different positions for team balance.
But he had a standout SANFL league finals campaign for the Roosters at half-back.
SA under-18 coach Tony Bamford described the athletic, 185cm, 73kg Rozee, who is almost certain to be a top-10 pick, as “a jet’’.
“And we won’t see his full potential until he gets into an AFL system,’’ Bamford said.
“He's been a bit of a victim of being good in so many different positions because he can play forward, mid, outside the contest, inside, or behind the ball like he did in the finals for North.
“Sometimes those guys get shifted depending on where your weakness is and I was guilty of that this year.
“I lost count of how many times when I said I wish I had two Connor Rozee’s so I could play one here and one there.’’
Bamford said that while Rozee is not yet a big disposal winner, he is a “moments’’ player who changes games.
“He has x-factor,’’ he said.
“And I love the fact that he has a bit of nastiness about him. He’s not dumb with that and doesn’t go out and whack guys but he’s a bit of an agitator who can get under the skin of the opposition.’’
Rozee, who compares his versatility to West Coast premiership utility Elliot Yeo, even gave Lukosius a nudge or two when they briefly lined up on each other in the preliminary final while he didn’t hold back against dual Magarey Medallist and former Crow Mitch Grigg in the grand final.
“I don’t mind a bit of a scuffle here and there,’’ Rozee said.
“I’m usually calm and relaxed but I’m a different person when I cross that white line because I think I play my best footy when I play with a bit of an edge.
“In the grand final, ‘Griggy’ was getting into me a fair bit about being skinny so I was getting into him about being heavy.’’
andrew.capel@news.com.au