South Adelaide key position player Darcy Hourigan ready to take on the AFL

DARCY Hourigan grew up on a cattle farm near Strathalbyn and, at 18, the strapping Panthers youngster is ready for the AFL.

DARCY Hourigan has always been a strong kid.

Growing up on a turkey and cattle farm just outside of Strathalbyn, the 2013 AFL draft hopeful quickly learnt what a hard day's work was. He also quickly developed a strong frame.

"It was a good life growing up,'' he says

"I'd help the old man out with odd jobs and things.

"It was probably a different life to the average kid from the city."

By 15, the key position player was the size of a man and he became South Adelaide's youngest-ever SANFL league debutant, in 2011.

He has played a handful of league games since but it was at this season's national under-18 carnival when Hourigan proved is more than just a big kid.

Now 18, he bagged 16 goals - more than any other player at the carnival - prompting some judges to declare him among the best power forwards in the draft pool behind likely No. 1 pick Tom Boyd.

"I was pretty rapt with how the carnival went,'' Hourigan says.

"It was nice to kick some goals and play pretty consistent footy which was my aim coming in."

The landscaping employee showed he has a strong mark, and a clutch left foot kick, as evidenced by his crucial goal from tight in the pocket after the three-quarter-time siren against Vic Metro.

But Hourigan also went a long way to disproving the major knock on his game by showing, that at 94kg, he is mobile enough to lead opponents up the ground.

"The major focus this year for me was improving my endurance and my second efforts,'' he says.

"As a forward in AFL these days, you've got to be able to show that if you don't mark the ball you still have the ability to compete on the ground."

At 192cm, the only question that remains on Hourigan is whether recruiters will see him as tall enough to hold down a key position in the AFL.

One thing is for sure, Hourigan is doing all he can to show scouts he has plenty to offer at the next level.

"My endurance, I can definitely still improve but I believe I can continue to do that within an AFL system,'' he says.

DARCY HOURIGAN

Height: 192cm

Weight: 94kg

Club: South

Position: key forward/defender

Scouting report: A brute of lad, Hourigan can take a strong mark and has a penetrating left foot kick. At 192cm, the key will be whether recruiters see him as tall enough to play key position in the AFL

Draft tip: 45-70.

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