Cats in the frame to land an Oscar
BILLY Brownless’s son, Oscar, is emerging as a quality AFL prospect and likely Cats father-son recruit.
Yet Cats fans should not expect another high-leaping confessed “decoy forward” in the mould of his famous father.
The 186cm midfielder is a tackling dynamo with elite endurance and quick hands, fresh from a brilliant TAC Cup performance last weekend.
The Geelong Falcons onballer amassed 182 ranking points against the Calder Cannons with a 30-possession, eight-clearance, nine-tackles, two-goal masterclass.
Brownless Sr’s 441 AFL goals are the fifth-most at Geelong, yet in his final season of 1997 he had only two tackles in eight games.
Oscar is considered one of the TAC Cup’s best tacklers, ranking elite with 7.4 average tackles a game along with 21 possessions, 4.4 score involvements and 3.6 inside 50s.
He is also an elite runner, able to stop the clock at just on six minutes for the 2km time trial.
The Cats will be able to match any bids for the midfielders in live bidding in November’s national draft.
AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan said last year with his clean hands, versatility and creativity, he had plenty of “AFL traits”.
TV personality Brownless often makes light of his football feats, but his career includes an 81-goal season in 1991 and the post-siren goal in the 1994 qualifying final.
The Cats will also watch the progress of Bailey Scott, son of Robert, as he completes his final year of junior football.
Bailey Scott lives in Queensland so can play for the Gold Coast as an academy pick, Geelong (where Robert played 132 games) or North Melbourne (where he played 111).
He is considered a late first- round or early second-round pick but his manager Tom Petroro said yesterday he was nowhere near a decision his future.
Bailey Scott, a 187cm midfielder and half forward, has already started a university degree and is keen to concentrate on football rather making an early decision.
Baxter Mensch, son of former Geelong forward David, is winning big possession tallies for the Geelong Falcons but would behind Scott and Brownless as a draft prospect.
North Melbourne has already lost out on 196cm utility Nick Blakey, son of John, who, as expected, this week chose Sydney as his destination next year.
It effectively shores up Sydney’s next generation of talent after they secured fellow academy stars Isaac Heeney and Callum Mills in two of the past four drafts.
Talent manager Sheehan shared the view of rival recruiters that Blakey was the complete package as a midfielder.
The Swans will have to match a top-three bid for him at the draft, pushing their later picks further back down the draft order.
“He is a 196cm prospect who can play as a tall midfielder or marking forward or centre half-back and he’s a young leader so he’s an outstanding prospect,” Sheehan said.
“He is a beautifully balanced young player.
“He has agility, is a good mark, he has versatility and his kicking at goal is good.
“Like a lot of left footers, he swings out with that ‘ Buddy arc’ kicking for goal but he can play anywhere.”