Blue Paddy Dow’s contested footy and running numbers show he may be dux of 2017 draft class

HIS tank has been pushed to the limit in his debut season but the stats — and experts — say the Blues have got a beauty. In fact Paddy Dow is showing why some rated him the dux of last year’s draft class.

Carlton's Paddy Dow was selected with pick 3. Pic: Michael Klein

PADDY Dow jogged to the interchange bench and was waved back onto the MCG.

Late in the Round 14 clash against Collingwood, Dow was red in the face.

But with Matthew Kreuzer (ankle) and Lachie Plowman (knee) injured, the Carlton kid was told to keep running.

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“We only had two on the bench, and so there was a couple of times I went to go off and they just said, ‘No, you have to stay on’,” Dow said.

“It was a massive grind. I was pretty sore.”

Paddy Dow chases Adam Treloar during his big day against the Pies. Pic: AAP

Dow was given one 30-second break in the final quarter. Usually, he would spend six minutes across two rotations sucking in oxygen on the bench.

“I was very knackered and worn out,” he said.

“When the siren went I was like, ‘Oh god, I don’t know how I’m going to recover’. It was definitely one of the tougher games I’d played in.”

With Dow’s energy levels already sapped, coach Brendon Bolton tasked the No.3 pick with following gut runner Steele Sidebottom.

By the time Dow handed back his GPS, he had clocked 15.4km — 700m further than any Collingwood player that day.

In the MCG rooms, Dow jumped in an ice bath for 10 minutes and was then instructed to compress any sore spots.

The next day, Dow drove to the Blues and spent another 15-20 minutes in an ice bath by himself, passing the time by flicking through his phone.

Dow was back against Port Adelaide. Pic: Michael Klein

Dow entered Round 14 still refreshed from that month’s bye. But after backing up against Port Adelaide in Kade Simpson’s 300th the next week, Bolton said the data showed he needed another spell in Round 15.

On Friday night Dow will return against St Kilda, in a match set to feature up to four of last year’s top 10 draft picks.

Of the 59 teenagers to play AFL this season, it is Dow who is averaging the most contested possessions.

Dow’s 7.4 contested possessions ranks 14th on the all-time teenage leaderboard. He has six games left to make inroads on a list topped by Toby Greene (11) and Dustin Martin (9.5).

Yet it is Dow’s footy IQ and tearaway speed which are his standout features.

“My acceleration and speed from a contest is what I’ve tried to build my game around,” the Swan Hill boy said.

Dow completed video reviews of his games in school classrooms with Geelong great Andrew Mackie last year and was developed at Geelong Grammar by Cats champion Cameron Ling.

“He’s an absolute ripping kid. One who’s never going to leave anything in the tank,” Ling said.

“He’s clever enough to see a hole (at a stoppage) and exploit it. It makes it look like he’s exploding away.”

Cameron Ling has high praise for the young Blue. Pic: AAP

Now Dow likes to conduct his game reviews with Simpson because “he sees the game so well”.

Ed Curnow nicknamed him ‘Paddy Wow’ in pre-season and while the Blues secured him at No.3, it is likely they would’ve taken him at No.1.

Other clubs including Port Adelaide rated Dow the dux of an even bunch.

Dow, 19, is yet to sit down with Blues football director Chris Judd, but has been buoyed by watching fellow emerging superstars Patrick Cripps, 23, and Charlie Curnow, 21.

Garry Lyon wondered whether Cripps and Curnow could pick Carlton up off the floor, a la Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead at Hawthorn last decade.

The Hawks’ third wheel in that draft bonanza was Jordan Lewis, and Lyon said Dow could round out the Blues’ podium.

“Crippa’s helped me out a lot this year with midfield craft, and the impact he has I’ve been trying to follow him around and take anything I can from him,” Dow said.

“And seeing what Charlie’s doing now — that could be us in a couple of years.

“Charlie’s a special player, he’s doing it in his third year and so it is possible (for us to replicate) if he can do it as a big forward.”

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Originally published as Blue Paddy Dow’s contested footy and running numbers show he may be dux of 2017 draft class