Walsh best since Selwood: Lyon

MELBOURNE great Garry Lyon says Carlton young gun Sam Walsh is the best first-year player since Geelong skipper Joel Selwood.

The No. 1 draft pick — a Geelong Falcons premiership player in 2017 — has enjoyed a stellar first AFL season and is arguably the clear favourite to take home this year’s Rising Star Award.

While the likes of Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide) and Sydney Stack (Richmond) have also impressed this year, Lyon said Walsh was clearly the bestperforming nominee — and that was not a “knock” on the other young players, rather it reflected just how good the Blue had been.

“There’s no knock, it’s just people want to make the case for Rozee, which is fair enough, or Sydney Stack, which is fair enough,” he said on Fox Footy’s On the Couch.

“This kid has had as good a first year as, I went back and I thought, ‘who can we compare him with to try and hit this point home?’ And the best first year that I can remember is Joel Selwood.

“He’s had every good a start to his season as Joel — and don’t forget, Joel played in a team at that stage that went on and won a premiership, Sam Walsh is playing in a team that sacked their coach.”

In 2007, Selwood won the Rising Star award on the way to playing a role in Geelong’s breakthrough premiership.

Across his first 18 matches, Walsh has spent 50 per cent of time on the wing, averaging 25.7 disposals, 10.1 contested possessions, 3.4 clearance, 4.3 score involvements and 3.3 tackles.

Selwood’s first 18 matches had averages of 19.4 disposals, 6.7 contested possessions, 3.3 clearances, 6.3 score involvements and 4.6 tackles — with 33 per cent time spent on the wing.