OUR SAM PICK OF THE BUNCH
Blues to build future around ready-made Sam Walsh
CARLTON last night secured more midfield support for Patrick Cripps when it crowned Sam Walsh the club’s fifth No.1 draft pick in 14 years.
The Geelong Falcons onballer will join Cripps, last year’s No.3 pick Paddy Dow and former Giants Will Setterfield and Matthew Kennedy in a talented engine room.
Carlton co-captains Cripps and Sam Docherty presented Walsh his Carlton guernsey on stage last night.
“We’ve had (Walsh) ranked No.1 for a while,” Blues list manager Stephen Silvagni said.
The Blues have assembled the midfield they believe can help deliver the club’s 17th premiership after the emergence of Charlie Curnow and the arrival of Mitch McGovern.
Walsh’s arrival signals the time for the Blues to rise under coach Brendon Bolton as the desperation for success grows among impatient supporters.
Walsh, 18, averaged 41 disposals across 29 TAC Cup matches and earned All-Australian honours as he captained Vic Country and won the Larke Medal as the best player in the under-18 championships.
The midfielder boasts elite aerobic capacity, a critical component as the AFL considers cutting interchange rotations.
“It’s a privilege (to go No.1),” Walsh said last night.
“I’ll always try to improve and work hard.”
Talent expert Mick Ablett compared Walsh with Blues legend Chris Judd and said he would make his debut early next season.
Brownlow medallist Patrick Dangerfield trained with Walsh last summer and said he was the “next Joel Selwood”.
Falcons talent manager Michael Turner said Walsh was more impressive than the seven AFL captains his TAC Cup club has produced.
“He’s a no-risk player. He could play on a wing straight away,” Turner said.
Gold Coast secured South Australians Jack Lukosius and Izak Rankine with the next two selections. ST KILDA took 204cm spearhead Max King at No.4 and hope he and 2014 No.1 pick Paddy McCartin can form an attacking onetwo punch.
“It’s (his size) coupled with athleticism,” Saints list manager James Gallagher said.
“He moves a lot more nimbly and his ability to pick up the ball below his knees while running at speed as well is pretty exceptional for a player that size.
“We haven’t seen many of those before in the AFL. Those two factors — and then his performances as well, he kicked 8.5 in the first TAC Cup game — indicates he can put it together.”