No easy ride for Brisbane No.1 pick Rayner
Brisbane Lions captain Dayne Beams says No.1 draft pick Cameron Rayner will get no favours in the run to round one.
If anything, Rayner, 18, could be under siege, with prized Lion cubs Zac Bailey (pick No.15) and Brandon Starcevich (pick No.18) in eye-catching pre-season touch.
“The No.1 pick is just a number,” Beams said.
“They’re on a level playing field once they get into the system.
“He’s got some good competition in Zac and Brandon for that midfield forward area so it’s going to be good watch them compete.”
Beams said the Lions might be able to play only one or two of the talented trio, with the speedster Charlie Cameron, forgotten forward Allen Christensen and Mitch Robinson set to lock down midfield-forward roles.
But the second-year captain is bullish about the club’s first-to-fourth-year players making the grade.
“They can do some things that are really exciting and it gives you great hope,” Beams said.Lions recruiters have nailed the past three drafts, with Eric Hipwood, Rhys Mathieson, Hugh McCluggage, Alex Witherden, Ben Keays and Jarrod Berry showing promise.
Only Victorian Josh Schache, pick No.2 in the 2015 national draft, slipped out of the den, after bouts of homesickness.
But explosive forwardmidfielder Rayner could be the pick of the litter, having drawn comparisons, at the same age, with Brownlow Medallist Dustin Martin and Melbourne whiz kid Christian Petracca.
And Beams dismissed concerns around the Western Jets product’s fitness base.
“He’ll probably play more as a forward this year. His tank will just evolve and he’ll get better with more pre-seasons,” Beams said.
“With Cam, I don’t think they were too concerned about it (fitness).”