Highly-talented Norwood young gun Cam Taheny admits it’s the mental side of his game which needs to improve most
At the start of the year, Cam Taheny was SA’s top draft prospect but his stocks have fallen after an inconsistent year. He opens up about what happened and the part of his game he’s working hard to improve most
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“You started so well, what happened toward the second half of the year?”
That was the question Norwood young gun Cameron Taheny was asked by more than one AFL club as his struggles in a season, which began full of promise, became a concern.
After a promising 2018, the 18-year-old burst on to the SANFL league scene this year, booting 11.4 in the first three matches of his career.
But then a number of minor injuries and a knee complaint - one he managed for most of 2019 - saw Taheny struggle through the middle part of the season, which included an underwhelming under-18 national carnival.
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“When I rate my year, it was very up-and-down,” Taheny told The Lowdown AFL Draft Podcast.
“I still thought I played some pretty good footy in those games, I just wasn’t able to string together four-quarter performances and that was sort of the story of the year.
“It’s definitely a learning experience for me, that’s how I’ll take it.
“They (the clubs) want to know what you’ve learnt from it and what you are doing to fix that and make sure it doesn’t happen.”
The 185cm forward, who is equally as good on the ground as he is in the air, said it wasn’t easy splittig his time between three different football teams – Norwood, Rostrevor and the state under-18 side – as well as completing his year 12 studies in 2019.
But rather than make excuses for his performance, Taheny, who is a boarder at Rostrevor College after moving to Adelaide from Cleve on the Eyre Peninsular, acknowledged what went wrong.
“I’ve been working on my body language and attitudes towards games and how I deal with a particular opponent if they are winning one-on-ones,” he said.
“It’s something I’ve worked on towards the back end of the year.”
Given his talent is unquestionable – and earlier this year had him slated as SA’s top draft prospect - the admission the mental side of his game needs to improve is a big one.
“Not letting my emotions get the better of me whilst I’m out there on the field, in terms of body language in those parts of games when I might go missing,” Taheny explained of what feels he needs to be better at.
“It’s something I want to improve in the coming years, that’s for sure.”
And it’s a part of his game he’s worked on with the help of those at Norwood, in particular coach Jarrod Cotton, former captain Jace Bode and cousin – and ex-Kangaroos midfielder – Brad McKenzie.
“That feedback is something that is definitely beneficial in taking those steps to improve in those areas,” Taheny said of the wealth of experience he’s been able to draw from.
“I’ve been fortunate with the support I’ve had around me to fall back on.”
The game-breaking Croweater has spoken to 15 AFL clubs across the year - including the Crows and, more recently, Port Adelaide - but the interest of some recruiters has cooled given how 2019 has played out.
However, Taheny, who finished the year with a bang, booting four goals in Norwood’s grand final win in the reserves, is still likely to be taken somewhere in the second round of the draft and, given his potential as a player, it could prove to be a terrific selection in time.
“I’m not too sure exactly where I’ll fall, if I do (get drafted),” he said.
“Maybe around the second round or early third-round, we’ll see what happens.”
And what type of player will a club be getting?
“I don’t really have one player in particular who I model my game on,” Taheny said.
“I watch the likes of Jordan de Goey and how he plays that medium forward.
“Mitch McGovern a bit, too, he plays the similar role to me – that third tall who plays a bit taller than he actually is and is also very crafty at ground level.
“Even watching a bit of Connor Rozee this year, the role he played for Port Adelaide.
“He did a lot of damage as a forward and can probably move through the midfield in future years.”
And a move further up the ground is something Taheny has in his sights, too.
He’s proved a difficult match-up as a forward throughout his junior career and his best performances this season have come inside 50 but the booming left-footer played on a wing for South Australia and was even stationed across half-back at the under-16 championships.
“I definitely think there is a bit more versatility to my game than people actually realise.”