He could be in the top handful of players in the league

Geelong captain Joel Selwood’s bold prediction for flying Cat Nakia Cockatoo.

NAKIA Cockatoo has the potential to become one of the “top handful of players in the league”.

That’s the bold prediction of Geelong skipper Joel Selwood, who is confident the electrifying youngster has all the attributes to make him one of the best in the AFL.

But whether or not Cockatoo actually gets there is totally up to the 21-year-old.

Cockatoo will be one of the Cats expected to step up in 2018 and fill the void left by Steven Motlop after showing glimpses of what he can offer in his 32 senior games.

“He could be in the top handful of players in the league, really,” Selwood said.

“It might take a while but he’s got all the tricks, power, you know. He runs really well. “He’s just got to want it. “He’s probably got to finetune a few things in his game and understand how good he is. It’ll make a huge difference.”

Three separate hamstring injuries ravaged Cockatoo’s season in 2017, playing just 11 games including Geelong’s preliminary final loss to Adelaide.

The Cats have tried to manage Cockatoo as best as possible, but his body is yet to deal with his explosiveness and speed.

And while his frame may not look like it, Selwood said Cockatoo was deceptively strong.

“He is as powerful as Patty (Dangerfield),” Selwood said.

“He is as strong as, for a kid coming through.

“A big part of it (is getting his body right). He’s just got to learn that is a part of footy too and he’s got to look after it (his body) a bit better.”

It’s not the first time Selwood has talked up Cockatoo, with the Cats skipper highlighting the former first round draft pick as a player to watch heading into the 2017 season.

Selwood admitted if he had the chance to play one game in another player’s body then he would pick Cockatoo, likening him to a racehorse.

“You would look at him and say ‘you’re right to go’,” Selwood said.

“You’d buy him if you were at the Gold Coast Magic Millions. He’s that beautiful horse.

“You just go ‘if I could play one game, then I’d play it in your body’. (He’s got) power, strength, jump, kicks it 60m.” now has him at 76kg.

That figure is testament to his work rate off the track and

Picture: PETER RISTEVSKI Picture: PETER RISTEVSKI Nakia Cockatoo. Geelong training at Deakin University, Waurn Ponds. Nakia Cockatoo shrugs off a tackle at training.

Picture: PETER RISTEVSKI ELITE: Nakia Cockatoo is hunted by skipper Joel Selwood at training. Selwood rates the youngster highly.

Zach Guthrie at training.