Caleb Daniel the story of this year’s AFL draft
SANFL talent boss Brenton Phillips says North Melbourne will be “licking their lips” at landing Sam Durdin with Pick No. 16 but has declared pint-sized Caleb Daniel the “story of the draft”.
SANFL talent boss Brenton Phillips says North Melbourne will be “licking their lips” at landing Sam Durdin with Pick No. 16 but has declared pint-sized Caleb Daniel the “story of the draft”.
South Adelaide midfielder Daniel was a prolific ball-winner in the under-18 national championships and impressed at league level but went into draft night with uncertainty over whether clubs would be scared off by his height — or lack of it.
But the Western Bulldogs proved they couldn’t care less when they took the 167cm Daniel with Pick No. 46.
Phillips, who coached Daniel and SA to this year’s national title, said he was thrilled the tough on-baller had been given a chance.
“He’s the story of the draft — that someone has been picked on pure talent,” Phillips said.
“His Champion Data stats and numbers were outstanding and now his next challenge is to get a game (at AFL level).”
Daniel’s SA teammate Declan Hamilton who is also off to the Western Bulldogs declared him “pound for pound” as good as any player in the draft and said if he was 6cm taller he would have gone in the top 10.
The only Croweater selected in the first round was West Adelaide’s Durdin who went to North Melbourne at No. 16.
Long touted as a first-round pick and expected to draw strong interest from the Crows who had pick No. 14, Durdin was the first of nine South Australians who had their name called out.
“I think he’s an interesting get at 16,” Phillips said.
“I always had him higher than 16 and in my view he’s better than that so absolutely North Melbourne will be licking their lips.”
Phillips said SA’s crop of nine was on par with his pre-draft expectations but he had no explanation for why only one went in the first round despite SA winning the national championship for the second year in a row.
“It’s hard to put a finger on why that’s the case, clubs pick on talent and pick blokes who will hopefully be long-term players at their football club,” he said.
“But that (total of nine draftees) was about right, I thought we’d be somewhere between 8-10 and about the same for the rookie draft.
“You’ve got to remember there were 15 father/son and academy players already taken before the draft so that brought it down to about 60 live picks.”