Carlton must choose between three young stars in Sam Walsh, Izak Rankine and Jack Lukosius
One is the next Joel Selwood, the other is the next Nick Riewoldt while the third is the next Andrew McLeod. So who should the Blues take with the No. 1 pick? SAM LANDSBERGER takes an in-depth look at the options.
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SAM Walsh shoved ice in his socks to stop his feet from boiling.
The red-hot No. 1 pick favourite from Ocean Grove spent three years living in Darwin, which he remembers as a lesson in resilience.
“Some mornings you’d be playing and it’s 38C and the feet are burning,” Walsh, who was just 10 when he moved to the Top End, told the Herald Sun.
“In remote areas a lot of the boys would take off their boots when the ground got pretty hot. To play in that weather was a whole other beast alone.”
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Izak Rankine loaded YouTube clips of Eddie Betts, Cyril Rioli, Gavin Wanganeen and Alwyn Davey as he was driven to games.
“I remember rocking up straight after watching highlights, putting a guernsey on and two minutes later I’d be on the field doing the same thing,” Rankine said.
“Seeing them take a bounce down the field or kick a goal or take a hanger got me really pumped when I was little and made me the player I am today.”
Jack Lukosius laughs off the Nick Riewoldt comparisons. But AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan gushes at Lukosius’s running strengths and versatility, which he says are in the Riewoldt mould.
On Thursday night Carlton will — for the fifth time in 14 years — crown the No. 1 draft pick, choosing between the terrific three.
Gold Coast is then expected to then take the remaining pair at picks No. 2 and 3.
It is a draft rich at the top, and Sheehan reckons any of the first batch would go No. 1 most years.
So, what will the Blues do? Plump for the blue-chip midfielder they desperately crave in Walsh?
The electric Rankine, who on talent alone is a clear No. 1?
Or the 194cm goalkicker with a graceful kick in Lukosius, who booted four goals on SANFL debut in last year’s preliminary final?
If Brisbane Lions were picking, Walsh would be their man.
“I must admit I really like Sammy Walsh for a whole lot of reasons,” chief recruiter Stephen Conole told a club podcast.
“We did the American trip (with) about 10 or 11 clubs over summer and to see his work, he’s a really outstanding young boy.”
A handful of recruiters on Tuesday had Rankine in pole position and long-time Hawthorn recruiter Gary Buckenara rated Lukosius No. 1 in Monday’s Herald Sun.
Some clubs have Lukosius a rung behind Walsh and Rankine, cautious his laconic ways could resemble 2008 No. 1 pick Jack Watts.
And then there’s Carlton’s list profile. Do the Blues really need another goalkicker with Charlie Curnow, Mitch McGovern and Harry McKay on the books?
St Kilda list manager James Gallagher warned that Lukosius was more than just a key forward.
“There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind he can play centre half-back in the AFL as well,” Gallagher said.
“He has done at times through his junior career and in the seniors with the (SANFL) Eagles he spent time on a wing too.”
Still, it probably leaves Rankine and Walsh jostling for the No. 1 crown.
Walsh is the safe bet. He is the smooth-moving midfielder who would be the perfect midfield co-pilot for superstar Patrick Cripps.
“I think he’s the next Joel Selwood,” Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield said this year, having trained with Walsh last summer.
In Round 4 this year, Walsh torched Eastern Ranges with 38 disposals, nine tackles, 199 SuperCoach points and a goal.
“He doesn’t seem to play a bad game — but they’re not just good games, they’re exceptional games,” Gallagher said.
“He’s an outstanding aerobic athlete as well and the way the game is going it’s possibly becoming even more important.
“You look at the behind kick-in rule changing, interchange numbers reducing, that’s really, really important.”
And then there’s Rankine — the only dual All-Australian in the draft — who can be twice as deadly from half the possessions.
“His speed and agility is exceptional, and he’s been playing senior footy for 2 ½ years,” Gallagher said.
“I was lucky enough to play with Andrew McLeod at Adelaide for a while and there’s some similarities there.”
And Gallagher thinks Rankine could wind up joining Walsh as a midfielder.
“He’s made his name as a small forward but once he got into an AFL environment with pre-seasons under his belt he’d be able to play as a midfielder, and a pretty special midfielder,” Gallagher said.
“He wins a lot of contested ball and he’s got the ability to play different positions.
“He could play halfback eventually because he does see the game quite well and distributes the ball well as well and would give speed off halfback.”
Rankine is the rock star of the crop.
His five-goal haul against Vic Metro this year dropped jaws at Marvel Stadium and won South Australia the championships.
One of seven siblings, Rankine recently had a rose tattoo inked on his hand and has plans for more.
“I’m looking forward to getting my arm done and that,” Rankine said.
“I’m into that stuff — nose rings and ear rings and tattoos. I just like the look of it. You watch your idols like Cyril Rioli, he has a big tattoo on his chest and Chris Brown, a hip hop artist, he has a lot of tattoos.
“I also love writing music, playing guitar and rap music.”
He is also shooting to become the first indigenous player drafted at No. 1 since Des Headland (1998).
But then while Rankine has the pizzazz, Walsh has the character.
“We’ve already had seven AFL captains come through the (Geelong) Falcons and he’s probably in front of any of them at that age,” talent manager Michael Turner said.
The future captains Turner says Walsh has covered as a teen include Luke Hodge, Jonathan Brown, Travis Boak and Nick Maxwell.
“He’s a no-risk player. He could play on a wing straight away,” Turner said.
And Walsh — a family friend of the McCartins, who had Tom drafted last year and Paddy at No. 1 in 2014 — knows what to expect.
So, who will Carlton choose? The next Selwood? The next Riewoldt? Or the next McLeod?
It is such a luxurious choice that Conole wouldn’t seriously contemplate trading the No. 1 pick.
“We’d be quite happy to take one of those boys,” he said.
WHO WOULD YOU TAKE NO. 1?
CONNOR ROZEE
“I’m probably a little bit biased, but I’d take Jack Lukosius.”
IAN HILL
“Definitely Sam Walsh. Just the way he impacts the game, his leaderships skills are next level too. Just how professional he is too, it is really impressive.”
NICK BLAKEY
“Sam Walsh. He is a freak, I don’t know how he does it. He just touches the ball so much. He is always around the ball. He is a great runner and a great bloke too. He will fit in perfectly at whatever club he goes to and I hope and I’m sure he will have a successful career because he is a great kid.”
OSCAR BROWNLESS
“Sam Walsh. I might be a bit biased because I have played with him all year but I just think he is as close to a sure thing as you’ll get. You know he is going to be at the club for a long time, a very long time. He will probably captain a club at some stage. You can’t look beyond him with everything that he brings.”
BEN KING
“I’d pick Max (King). His TAC Cup game at the start of the year showed what he can do and he’s an explosive and athletic key forward and they don’t come around too often. There’s good midfielders in every draft, but you don’t come across a big man like that too often.”
MAX KING
“I’d say Ben (King). He’s a rare talent — you don’t often see someone at Ben’s height who moves the way he does. He’s a really slick mover and can really take a game by the scruff of the neck. When he’s on he’s a real game-winner.”
IZAK RANKINE
“Maybe Sam Walsh, maybe Jack Lukosius because he’s from SA, the King brothers as well … or maybe myself. There’s a few options.”
SAM WALSH
“I’d pick Jack Lukosius. His workrate, which is a big thing, gets him up and down the ground and you see it at training. He’s a smart player on the lead, his kicking is elite for a big man and I think the way he can get up and down is a massive attribute for him.”
STAT ATTACK
SAM WALSH (184cm midfielder, Vic Country)
Disposals 29.5
Clearances 4.5
Tackles 7
SuperCoach 142pts
“Sam is going to find a way to get the absolute best out of himself and he appears to be a leader. People like to follow him. They’re great attributes to bring to your club, in addition to the on-field performances you’ve seen and will probably get over the next 10 years,” St Kilda list manager JAMES GALLAGHER
IZAK RANKINE (180cm, South Australia)
Disposals 15.8
Score involvements 8.3
Goals 3.0
SuperCoach 120pts
“I was lucky enough to play with Andrew McLeod for a while and there’s some similarities there,” St Kilda list manager JAMES GALLAGHER
JACK LUKOSIUS (194cm, South Australia)
Disposals 15
Marks 7.8
Goals 2.3
SuperCoach 107pts
“His running strength is outstanding for a guy his size. What that enables him to do is get to more contests and to take more marks, so he’s able to be in the game more regularly. And when you’ve got an exceptional kick like his you want the ball in his hands.” St Kilda list manager JAMES GALLAGHER
*Averages from 2018 Under-18 championships. Source CHAMPION DATA
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