2018 AFL draft: Dandenong Stingrays have a strong hand at national and rookie drafts
DANDENONG Stingrays coach Nick Cox says more than a dozen players from the TAC Cup premiers are in contention for the AFL drafts.
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HE can’t see a top-10 prospect coming from the club but new coach Nick Cox believes the Dandenong Stingrays have more than a dozen players in contention for the AFL national and rookie drafts.
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The Stingrays clinched their first TAC Cup premiership this year with a team that Cox said was noteworthy for its evenness.
It’s reflected in his assessment of the Rays’ draft hopefuls — no glaring standout but a long list.
Cox said he would “put the house’’ on Sam Sturt, Bailey Williams, Will Hamill, Sam Fletcher and Toby Bedford being drafted, and listed Riley Bowman, Zac Foot, Mitch Riordan, Jai Taylor, Matt Gahan, Lachlan Young, Campbell Hustwaite and Lachie McDonnell as “thereabouts’’.
He said he expected Sturt and Williams to be drafted between 15 and 25.
Left-footer Sturt zoomed up charts after joining the Stingrays late in the season, championed by his coach at Peninsula Grammar, former Melbourne star Brett Lovett.
He had previously focused on his cricket (he made the Vic Country squad for this season’s Under 19 national championships).
Cox said clubs had contacted him about the 188cm forward.
“I do think he’ll be our No 1 pick,’’ he said. “He came into the system late — played the last five home-and-away games and the finals — and has mounted some real interest from AFL clubs.
“I’ve spoken to a few clubs in the past couple of weeks and he’s the first player they ask me about.
“He’s got a bit of X-factor with what he does. Marks it well for his size, kicks the ball really well and, not having been in the system, there’s a lot of upside to where he can actually go. “That’s what the AFL clubs like about him. He understands the game and he’s a good kid as well. There’s plenty to like about him.’’
Ahead of the season Williams was touted as a top-10 selection, but recent “phantom’’ drafts have him going lower.
Cox said the ruckman-forward, who kicked three goals in the grand final against Oakleigh Chargers, had been judged “harshly’’.
“People say he’s a little bit inconsistent but I think he’s actually become more consistent,’’ he said of the son of former Frankston VFA ruckman Paul “Jacko’’ Williams.
“At the start of the year, if he wasn’t sitting on heads taking marks or jumping over opposition ruckmen he didn’t have much more to his game, whereas now he’s more complete. He competes more. His non-negotiables are really good. I think he’s a really good AFL commodity … 200cm, good athlete, plays forward or ruck. He’d be the second Stingray I’d be looking at it.’’
Cox said he found it difficult to split Hamill, Fletcher and Bedford.
He likened halfback Hamill to former Carlton defender Ken Hunter.
“There’s a lot of talk at the moment about (Oakleigh Charger) Isaac Quaynor and how good he is one-on-one. If you watched Will’s finals series, there weren’t many times when he got beaten, and he had this ability to run off and carry with pace.
“He had a poor nationals by his standards, but his back end of the year was very good. Good speed, kicking was a bit of an issue but he got better at that, and really brave.’’
Like Williams, Hamill’s father played for Frankston (Steve Hamill captained the Dolphins).
Fletcher is a tall midfielder and was among the best in the Stingrays’ premiership victory.
He went into the match with a shoulder problem but by half time had collected 18 possessions.
The right-footer had some injury setbacks during his time in the TAC Cup.
“Contested ball winner. I think he deserves a chance,’’ Cox said.
“There are questions marks on his kicking. But he finds the footy, wins the footy, runs a 20m sprint under three seconds.’’
The coach said Bedford had too much talent as “the modern small forward-onball type’’ to be ignored.
“His pressure acts are unbelievable, his closing speed is exceptional, he tackles well,’’ he said. “Late in the year he learned to finish off his work after earlier having question marks about his goalkicking. I can see him playing next year straight away, because he just hunts the footy even though there’s nothing of him. He reminds me of Cyril Rioli with his run-down tackling.’’
The Stingrays had Sturt, Hamill, Foot, Bowman, Bedford and Williams invited to the national combine, and Riordan, Jai Nanscawen, McDonnell, Bailey Schmidt, Steve Cumming, Taylor, Fletcher, Jamie Plumridge, Matthew Gahan and Lachie Young to the state combine.
Jake Frawley was tested at “Rookie Me’’, as were late call-ups Campbell Hustwaite and Matthew Cottrell.
Cox said there had been late interest in runaway best and fairest and co-captain Hustwaite.
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