SHIFTER SAYS
AFL TALENT MANAGER KEVIN “SHIFTER” SHEEHAN ASSESSES GEELONG’S DRAFT HAUL
LACHLAN FOGARTY (Pick 22, 179cm, 75kg, midfielder, Western Jets, age 18) “I think he’s going to be a star player, no doubt about that. In April, our best kids in the country played against a VFL-listed side — this year we played the Northern Blues at Etihad Stadium — and he was in the best two on the ground. He and (Luke) Davies-Uniacke were the two stars for the Under-18s. He set the bar then and then backed it up with All-Australian. He wins his own footy, good decision maker and he’s a tackling machine.” TIM KELLY (Pick 24, 182cm, 81kg, forward, South Fremantle, 23) “He just had a brilliant year. As an 18-year-old he had some injuries. He had a good year last year and a great year this year. He’s a bit like Sam Menegola in a way in that he’s matured at 23. He was second in the Sandover Medal (WAFL), a prolific ball winner and a goal kicker as well. And his state game against Victoria was very good.” CHARLIE CONSTABLE (Pick 36, 191cm, 86kg, midfielder, Sandringham Dragons, 18) “He’s like a Patrick Cripps-type — you might liken him to Joel Corey — so he’s a tall guy. He’s able to win the contested ball, free the arms and set the play up on the outside. He averages high 20s all of the time and he’s a stoppage star, and he’s an All-Australian. To get him in the late 30s, you’d be pretty happy.” GRYAN MIERS (Pick 57, 178cm, 77kg forward, Geelong Falcons, 18) “In the top 40 I put out, I certainly had him in the 40. The game is about goals in the finish and he creates them from nothing at times. He works that hard up and down the ground, he’s got an elite tank, which was proved at the combine. He’s just got freakish ability, highlighted in that seven goals in the grand final.” ON THE CATS “I was surprised Fogarty got through to them (at 22), I think hink they’d be rapt. You’ve got two wo All-Australians, probably two wo that could have been first rounders ders and you’ve got them a bit later. ater. You’ve got the best mature- aged player in most people’s reckoning and you’ve ended up with the best small forward in terms of goalkicking ability. You’d have to say they’d come away pretty happy with their haul.”