Glenelg premiership defender Will Gould drops the kilos and the skinfolds after combine wake-up call
One of the best leader’s in this year’s AFL Draft pool, Will Gould, pulls out of Glenelg’s premiership celebrations and gets to work after receiving some “pretty direct instructions” at draft combine. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
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Glenelg premiership defender Will Gould – described as one of the best leaders in this year’s draft pool – has responded to questions about his fitness by shedding 6kg and slashing his skinfold levels in two weeks.
Admitting to being “a bit rusty’’ at the AFL Draft Combine, which was held just nine days after he helped the Tigers break a 33-year league premiership drought, Gould said he had been stung by some “pretty direct instructions’’ in his meeting with Sydney.
Key defender Gould weighed in at the combine at 106kg and recorded skinfold measurements of 78 after a week of celebrating Glenelg’s long-awaited flag.
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When he last weighed himself two weeks ago – after he had pulled out of the Tigers’ end-of-season trip to Darwin to focus on his body and the draft – he had dropped to 100kg and his skinfold levels were down to 60.
The Swans had told Gould – SA’s under-18 captain this year – that his skinfolds needed to be measured at 55 or below before a club would draft him.
“There was a little bit of feedback from clubs at the combine,’’ the powerful 18-year-old told The Lowdown AFL Draft Podcast.
“The Swans just said in black and white that I needed to lose a bit of weight and get my skinfolds down to about 55, they were pretty direct with their instructions to get working.
“But I knew I wasn’t going to test that great because the combine had come so soon after the granny and I was still a bit rusty.
“I had a crack and did my best in every single test but for me, what I was doing between the combine to get myself ready for the 27th (draft on November 27) was most important.
“I’m in much better form now than what I was a few weeks ago.’’
Gould, who should be a first-round draft selection, said it had always been his dream to play AFL and he showed his commitment by not joining his premiership teammates in Darwin.
“I’m really close to all those boys and seeing all their Snapchats showed me what I was missing out on but it will be put in perspective when the draft comes around,’’ he said.
“I’ll do anything I can to play AFL, so it was just a little sacrifice for the bigger picture.’’
SANFL talent manager Brenton Phillips said Gould’s testing numbers in the past few years – “the body of work,’’ he calls it – showed he had an excellent combination of speed, agility and endurance.
A Geelong supporter from Lucindale in the southeast of South Australia, the 192cm Gould appears to have polarised recruiters.
His CV is outstanding, having shone for Glenelg and SA from the under-16s up.
Whatever level he plays at, he seems to rise to the occasion.
But the fact he already is so physically mature has had some clubs questioning his upside, just as they once did with two other Croweaters – West Coast premiership captain Shannon Hurn and now-retired Fremantle great Matthew Pavlich.
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A dual All-Australian under-18, Gould’s game has been likened to Hurn’s.
“I’m a lot different to most of the kids in the draft in that I’ve been this big for a while now,’’ said Gould, a magnificent kick who took kick-in duties for Glenelg this year.
“But I’ve learnt to play on both talls and smalls and I’ve still got plenty (of improvement) to come.
“I'm a natural leader and think I’m someone who is ready to go next year, having played against men this year and AFL-listed boys in the Port and Crows teams in the SANFL, and wanting to play in round one.’’
Gould’s SA teammate Dylan Stephens, tipped to be the first SANFL player picked at this year’s draft and in contention to be selected by Adelaide at pick four, says he is one of the best leaders he’s come across.
“I’ve seen Will go about his captaincy this year (with the SA under-18s) and he is one of the best leaders in the draft pool,’’ said Norwood midfielder Stephens.
“Seeing him go about it gives me something to aspire to. He just sets such a great example on and off the field.’’