AFL Draft 2014: Keenan Ramsey in line to be drafted despite having eye removed as a child

KEENAN Ramsey has coaches and recruiters in disbelief when they learn of the impediment that he hasn’t let stop him becoming an AFL contender.

17/5/14 Keenan Ramsey at Sacred Heart College oval where he goes to school. Keenan lost his eye to cancer at the age of two and is now in the state under-18 squad for the national football championships.

AFL RECRUITERS struggle to pick it. Keenan Ramsey’s coach was in disbelief when told about it after South Australia’s second trial game.

His opponents crashing in and around him on the field had no idea.

And Ramsey is certain that only having one eye would be no disadvantage in the AFL as he approaches Thursday night’s draft.

“Not at all,” Ramsey said.

“I was thinking about it the other day, I can’t even remember thinking that I did have one eye.”

When Ramsey was two-and-a-half and his mum noticed he couldn’t see, they flew from Port Lincoln to Adelaide, where specialist doctors confirmed their fears.

Ramsey had retinoblastoma (cancer of the retina) and was forced to undergo surgery to have the eye removed, helping prevent the disease from spreading.

Ramsey had chemotherapy and lost his hair but his ambition to play AFL never wavered.

He was reminded of that last month when a letter arrived at his Sacred Heart College boarding house in Adelaide.

“It was from my Year 5 teacher back at home,” the 18-year-old said.

“She sent me a little thing we must have done in class on what you want to be when you grow up. Mine said I want to be an AFL footballer and play for Port Adelaide or Sydney.”

Keenan Ramsey in action for South Australia. Picture: Deb Curtis

A passionate Power supporter — and apparent 2007 Swans fan after back-to-back Grand Finals — Ramsey has the card pinned on his wall and would love to land at Alberton with Port’s first pick, No. 57.

And after an impressive year where Ramsey played every game for South Australia as its standout key defender on the national stage, about six clubs, including Port, have shown interest.

Four interviewed the likable character at draft combine and most recruiters believe if Ramsey is passed up on Thursday, he’ll enter the December 3 rookie draft a strong chance.

“One of the things that really struck me about Keenan was when we trained he looked like an AFL footballer out there,” South Australia coach Brenton Phillips said, still miffed Ramsey was overlooked as an All-Australian.

“The way he moved and kicked the ball was AFL-like.”

But what about the prosthetic eye?

“I haven’t seen anything to suggest he’s lost sight of the ball or opponents and I’ve watched him over a number of games of footy now,” Phillips said.

“You definitely don’t pick it by watching him play from a distance, only when you get up close and are face-to-face and talking, and it’s only then if you concentrate and really hone in on it.”

Ramsey, a passionate Power supporter, would love to be drafted by Port Adelaide.

The 192cm target drifted between attack and the ruck for Port Adelaide’s SANFL reserves and was thrown all over the ground in school games.

His junior career ended with a bag of eight goals for Sacred Heart, all kicked after half-time.

Ramsey then headed to Etihad Stadium for the combine, where he nailed a perfect score (30/30) in the kicking test, ran a 13.13 beep test and 11min02sec in the 3km run.

Pitted against possible No. 1 pick Paddy McCartin in June, Ramsey kept the spearhead to two goals.

“When I got told (I’d be playing on McCartin) I thought, ‘You beauty’ because there’s no better forward in the championships,” Ramsey said.

“So to put myself on him and see how I rated was really exciting and I was really happy with how I went.

“He kicked two goals but one was on me unfortunately in the last three minutes of the game, so I thought I showed I could play on the best forwards going around.”

McCartin was unaware of Ramsey’s condition and praised his ability to read the play and lead with his voice, directing teammates around him.

Even AFL recruiters — who praise Ramsey’s aerial skills and thumping right foot — don’t see it as a big disadvantage, although some clubs have discussed the potential legal ramifications if his functioning eye suffered a blow.

Ramsey performed well on possible No.1 pick Paddy McCartin at the combine.

“What he’s been able to do is amazing and I hope he gets a chance. On football ability he deserves it and he’s a great kid,” a scout said.

An ophthalmologist with many years’ experience’ treating AFL eye injuries confirmed Ramsey was at little disadvantage because he had the eye removed so young.

He said if Ramsey had learnt to see with binocular vision and then had an eye removed it would be impossible to play AFL.

“If he’s managed to develop all those skills with one eye, then he’s developed all those skills by being very coordinated,” he said.

“If you put his head in a vice and dangled two strings and asked which string was in front of the other, he wouldn’t be able to tell you.

“But because his head is not in a vice and he can rock his head side to side, he’ll use other cues for a sense of depth.

“So if you’ve never had (binocular vision) you become very adept at judging depth by other means.”

The Herald Sun knows of a current established AFL player with amblyopia (lazy eye).

Champion Data rated Ramsey above average for intercept marks and intercept possessions when playing in defence for South Australia.

From 17 defensive one-on-one contests, Ramsey lost just four — a better percentage than the AFL average.

Switched forward for Port Adelaide Magpies, he booted a combined five goals in consecutive reserves games.

“Playing on the highly rated boys like McCartin and (WA’s Tyler) Keitel I think I showed I can definitely play at that level,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey says he swivels his head more to make up for an awareness loss and met former NBL import Eddie Shannon, who played most of his career with one eye.

Ramsey is desperate to prove his vision is no impediment at AFL level.

“He just told me to give it a go and if you give it a go you can’t do anything more than that,” Ramsey said.

But Ramsey, who has been open about his condition since childhood, is certain he is good enough — and desperate to prove it.

“It’s the only eye I’ve got, so as I’ve grown up I’ve adapted to it and there are little things that I do playing football that (help),” he said.

“I’ve shown that I can play on the best players and hopefully if I do get the chance to play on better players in the AFL I can do well against them also.

“Hopefully I get an opportunity on an AFL list and then keep improving and hopefully one day I’ll play on someone like a (Jack) Gunston and show what I can really do.”

POINTS OF VIEW

THE COACH: “After our second trial game someone did mention it to me and I said, ‘You’re kidding aren’t you?’” - Brenton Phillips

THE OPPONENT: “I was totally unaware about his eye and it’s a credit to him to be able to play such good footy, especially after overcoming those setbacks.” - Paddy McCartin

THE AFL RECRUITER: “After I knew about it I watched him closely to see if it affected how he played and I still never saw a thing.”

THE EYE SURGEON: “What you’ve never had you’ll never miss. A one-eyed person judges depth not by binocular vision, but by tilting their heads looking for shadowing and other cues.”

KEENAN RAMSEY: “I can’t remember having two eyes, so it’s always been a, ‘This is how I see and that’s is how you see’ sort of thing.”

Twitter: @SamLandsberger