recruiting staff note well
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recruiting staff note well
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/ ... 42,00.html
how did this kid slip through the net. we should be on the lookout for late developers like westhoff
HERALD SUN
IT'S hard to imagine how a young forward almost two metres tall, who can run all day, take a big mark and rarely misses a shot at goal could have escaped the attention of almost all AFL clubs last year.
And given how Justin Westhoff has burst on to the scene this year, helping Port Adelaide into today's preliminary final against the Kangaroos at AAMI Stadium, the oversight is even more surprising.
The skinny, quietly spoken 20-year-old, who stands at 199cm, was taken at pick No. 71 in last year's national draft.
But his instant impact has belied that ranking.
Despite not making his debut until Round 10, Westhoff has climbed to fourth in the club's goalkicking tally, with 33 goals from 14 games and quickly attained cult hero status.
AFL national talent manager Kevin Sheehan says the other 15 clubs will be left wondering how they ignored a player who seems a star in the making.
"To be taken at 71 and turn it around to have a remarkable year is one of the great ironies of the draft process," Sheehan said.
"You look back now and wonder why it should be that everyone missed him.
"Even Port taking him at 71, they wouldn't have had any inkling he would do this well, (or) they would have taken him earlier."
Sheehan said Westhoff had not been hidden away. He attended a state screening before the draft, at which about 20 South Australian hopefuls were tested in front of recruiters from all 16 clubs.
Only one club other than Port expressed any interest.
Sheehan, who noted retired Essendon champion James Hird was taken at No. 79 in the 1990 national draft, said Westhoff's status as a late-bloomer offers some explanation.
It was only last year that his performances for SANFL club Central District began to attract any attention.
"He wasn't on the national stage at under-16 and under-18 level," Sheehan said.
"I suppose because he's a late developer, they've got no history of being able to measure him against kids from other states.
"It's a bit of a subjective thing, how would he go against one of the players who were early picks, let's say Lachlan Hansen (selected by the Kangaroos at pick No. 3).
"It's hard to get a line through a 20-year-old compared to a 17 or 18-year-old from another state.
"There's not many 19 or 20-year-olds that have been taken in the first round."
Central District coach Roy Laird said Westhoff, who came through the club's juniors and reserves, did not blossom until given his senior SANFL debut in Round 5 last year. He booted four goals and kept his place en route to a grand final.
"Before that he played reserves footy probably for a year and, to be honest, was only just languishing in the reserves," Laird said.
"The moment we put him up to league level last year he was pretty exciting for us."
Laird described Westhoff, from the Barossa Valley town of Tanunda, as a "laconic" country lad, who was perceived as lazy until he lifted his workrate heavily last year at his teammates' urging.
"He probably would be the first one to admit that he didn't get the best out of himself at a younger age, that every grade that he's stepped up to he's taken his game to another level," Laird said.
"I think he's just one of those lads who needed the challenge of a genuine contest from an opponent and that extra level, that higher level, has brought the best out of him."
He has also displayed superb goalkicking accuracy. He started his SANFL career with 20-straight goals and has booted 33.12 in the AFL.
And once Westhoff adds some muscle to his height and endurance, Laird believes "the sky's the limit".
how did this kid slip through the net. we should be on the lookout for late developers like westhoff
HERALD SUN
IT'S hard to imagine how a young forward almost two metres tall, who can run all day, take a big mark and rarely misses a shot at goal could have escaped the attention of almost all AFL clubs last year.
And given how Justin Westhoff has burst on to the scene this year, helping Port Adelaide into today's preliminary final against the Kangaroos at AAMI Stadium, the oversight is even more surprising.
The skinny, quietly spoken 20-year-old, who stands at 199cm, was taken at pick No. 71 in last year's national draft.
But his instant impact has belied that ranking.
Despite not making his debut until Round 10, Westhoff has climbed to fourth in the club's goalkicking tally, with 33 goals from 14 games and quickly attained cult hero status.
AFL national talent manager Kevin Sheehan says the other 15 clubs will be left wondering how they ignored a player who seems a star in the making.
"To be taken at 71 and turn it around to have a remarkable year is one of the great ironies of the draft process," Sheehan said.
"You look back now and wonder why it should be that everyone missed him.
"Even Port taking him at 71, they wouldn't have had any inkling he would do this well, (or) they would have taken him earlier."
Sheehan said Westhoff had not been hidden away. He attended a state screening before the draft, at which about 20 South Australian hopefuls were tested in front of recruiters from all 16 clubs.
Only one club other than Port expressed any interest.
Sheehan, who noted retired Essendon champion James Hird was taken at No. 79 in the 1990 national draft, said Westhoff's status as a late-bloomer offers some explanation.
It was only last year that his performances for SANFL club Central District began to attract any attention.
"He wasn't on the national stage at under-16 and under-18 level," Sheehan said.
"I suppose because he's a late developer, they've got no history of being able to measure him against kids from other states.
"It's a bit of a subjective thing, how would he go against one of the players who were early picks, let's say Lachlan Hansen (selected by the Kangaroos at pick No. 3).
"It's hard to get a line through a 20-year-old compared to a 17 or 18-year-old from another state.
"There's not many 19 or 20-year-olds that have been taken in the first round."
Central District coach Roy Laird said Westhoff, who came through the club's juniors and reserves, did not blossom until given his senior SANFL debut in Round 5 last year. He booted four goals and kept his place en route to a grand final.
"Before that he played reserves footy probably for a year and, to be honest, was only just languishing in the reserves," Laird said.
"The moment we put him up to league level last year he was pretty exciting for us."
Laird described Westhoff, from the Barossa Valley town of Tanunda, as a "laconic" country lad, who was perceived as lazy until he lifted his workrate heavily last year at his teammates' urging.
"He probably would be the first one to admit that he didn't get the best out of himself at a younger age, that every grade that he's stepped up to he's taken his game to another level," Laird said.
"I think he's just one of those lads who needed the challenge of a genuine contest from an opponent and that extra level, that higher level, has brought the best out of him."
He has also displayed superb goalkicking accuracy. He started his SANFL career with 20-straight goals and has booted 33.12 in the AFL.
And once Westhoff adds some muscle to his height and endurance, Laird believes "the sky's the limit".
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- Otiman
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Westhoff was just luck. If port really rated him, they'd have taken him with their second round pick.
As for the Saints and late bloomers, you have to look no further than Andrew Thompson, Clint Jones and Michael Rix. Obviously only 1/3 has been successful (so far), but it shows we aren't afraid to go there.
As for the Saints and late bloomers, you have to look no further than Andrew Thompson, Clint Jones and Michael Rix. Obviously only 1/3 has been successful (so far), but it shows we aren't afraid to go there.
how about sam fisher, leigh montagna? Both were taken late in the draft. In fact sam is a very good example of what you can find out there. But of course for every late pick smookie you pick up 2-3 others can be flops.
FQF
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2013 trade/draft best ever?
Billings - future brownlow medallist Longer - future best ruck
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loyal in the good times and bad
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2013 trade/draft best ever?
Billings - future brownlow medallist Longer - future best ruck
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- Saintsational Legend
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as the article suggests you look at how the 19 and 20 year olds are playing rather than purely focusing exclusively on the usual 17-year-olds that every other club is looking at.Saints Premiers 2006 wrote:how can we look for late bloomers??
its nye on impossible to pick as they...haven't 'bloomed' and shown that they are potentially good afl footballers...
silly suggestion
try to find the rare player who slips through the cracks like westhoff.
and look for the ones who weren't necessarily on the national stage at 16 or 17 ... as the article also suggests
can't hurt if it turns up a player
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well if i had been recruiting for the saints, roden would be now in saints colours ...as well as andrew carrazzo, who just won the blues best and fairest.......
..roden wasn't drafted until the year after i suggested we pick him up....everyone one here said he was too small.......went on to win his second best and fairest before the tigers drafted him...i think he went pick 80 something this time around.......
...carrazzo was overlooked in the draft of his year before the cats rookie listed him......you could tell he could play...too slow posters on here yelled......
.....i would have kept our 6th pick too and drafted salopek......
...how do you think we would have gone this year with those three added to our mid-field......
...it ain't rocket surgery......
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
..roden wasn't drafted until the year after i suggested we pick him up....everyone one here said he was too small.......went on to win his second best and fairest before the tigers drafted him...i think he went pick 80 something this time around.......
...carrazzo was overlooked in the draft of his year before the cats rookie listed him......you could tell he could play...too slow posters on here yelled......
.....i would have kept our 6th pick too and drafted salopek......
...how do you think we would have gone this year with those three added to our mid-field......
...it ain't rocket surgery......
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
.everybody still loves lenny....and we always will
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