Hopeful can have impact at both ends
HE once wrote letters to his Western Bulldogs hero Matthew Boyd and Fischer McAsey has since grown into an Aaron Naughton clone.
The son of a one-game St Kilda player, McAsey shapes as one of the best key position prospects in next week’s AFL national draft.
Like Naughton in 2017, a top-10 selection is a strong possibility.
But the comparisons to the Bulldogs young gun go well beyond that.
McAsey stands the same height at 195cm, has shown an ability to play at either end and lists marking as his biggest strength.
The top-ranked key defender at the AFL under-18 national championships, Vic Metro’s MVP averaged 97 SuperCoach ranking points — five more than Naughton averaged for Western Australia in his draft year.
“I love the way Aaron Naughton plays,” McAsey said. “He’s an unbelievable player and I’m not at his level but you look at him and aspire to play at his level, just how he can play forward and back, and have a great impact in the air at both ends.”
McAsey’s father, Chris, played one game for the Saints, in 1983, his second cousin Darren McAsey featured in 34 games for Sydney and great uncle Alan McAsey pulled on the boots for Footscray for three games in 1958.
“Dad was a good player and has quite a bit of knowledge about the game, so he’ll give me tips every now and then but he hasn’t really pushed me hard or anything,” he said.
“I find I’m pretty selfmotivated with footy already because I have a great passion for it.”
A Sandringham boy who loves the beach and an occasional surfing session, McAsey hopes to one day own a start-up business.
But a career in the AFL is set to come first for the intercept-marking specialist and sound decision maker.
Hawthorn (pick 11), Western Bulldogs (13) and Geelong (14) are all believed to be eyeing McAsey, keen to add to their key-position stocks.
“You always dream about getting drafted and being one of those names that is talked about, so to have it happen to you is quite humbling,” McAsey said.
“I’d just be happy to go to any club and be given an opportunity.”