magpies snap up tall soccer prodigy
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magpies snap up tall soccer prodigy
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/p ... 66645.html
EVER willing to recruit from unconventional places, Collingwood has signed a super-tall, teenage soccer player from Gympie in Queensland who has barely played Australian football.
The AFL has just granted the Magpies permission to "pre-list" 202-centimetre Lachlan Keefe, a soccer midfielder, who will be placed on the club's rookie list — as Irish recruits are — at the end of 2008.
Having hit the jackpot with Irish prodigy Martin Clark — and with another Irishman, Kevin Dyas, also showing promise — Collingwood is confident that 17-year-old Keefe also has the capacity to learn how to play the game, virtually from scratch.
The Magpies hope they can teach Keefe to become a long-term ruckman, the position that the club has identified as a weakness in need of redress following the 2007 finals series, trading its first pick for Brisbane Lions' Cameron Wood.
Collingwood recruiting manager Derek Hine said Keefe, who is not a registered Australian footballer with any club, had played only "three or four games" with his school in Brisbane, and had not picked up an oval ball until this year.
The Magpies have taken advantage of an obscure AFL rule that allows clubs to sign a player, as if he were a free agent, provided he has not been registered in a (Australian rules) football competition for three years. The rule is almost never utilised by clubs.
It is understood that the aggressive Magpies fended off interest from other clubs, including Brisbane and Hawthorn, to sign Keefe. Their signing follows Sydney's securing, under the same rule, of a tall volleyballer/basketballer, Jake Oreal. Both Keefe and Oreal attended a Australian Institute of Sport-AFL camp in Canberra early this month.
AIS high performance coach and ex-Fitzroy coach and Geelong assistant Alan McConnell said Keefe was "absolutely" a genuine AFL prospect, despite starting from scratch.
While Keefe had been on Collingwood's radar for some months, the club was unable to sign him until the AFL was satisfied that he fitted the criteria established under the relevant recruiting rules.
So, Keefe will be listed by the Magpies in the rookie draft of 2008 and will be able to play for the club in 2009. Collingwood will have a program to develop his skills and understanding of the game before he officially becomes a Magpie.
At 202 centimetres, Keefe is freakishly tall for a soccer player — even taller than that game's best-known super-tall, Peter Crouch of Liverpool (200 centimetres) — and perhaps better suited to his new code, in which height is a greater advantage.
"He's got all the soccer traits in the way he's able to make a quick transition from attack to defence," said Hine. "We've chosen him on his potential to play the game. We've done a lot of profiling and researching on the boy, and looked at his capacity to be able to learn and develop.
"There is a certain amount of risk in it. But what we see with Lachlan is that he's very similar (to Clark and Dyas) in that he's got all the necessary physical traits."
EVER willing to recruit from unconventional places, Collingwood has signed a super-tall, teenage soccer player from Gympie in Queensland who has barely played Australian football.
The AFL has just granted the Magpies permission to "pre-list" 202-centimetre Lachlan Keefe, a soccer midfielder, who will be placed on the club's rookie list — as Irish recruits are — at the end of 2008.
Having hit the jackpot with Irish prodigy Martin Clark — and with another Irishman, Kevin Dyas, also showing promise — Collingwood is confident that 17-year-old Keefe also has the capacity to learn how to play the game, virtually from scratch.
The Magpies hope they can teach Keefe to become a long-term ruckman, the position that the club has identified as a weakness in need of redress following the 2007 finals series, trading its first pick for Brisbane Lions' Cameron Wood.
Collingwood recruiting manager Derek Hine said Keefe, who is not a registered Australian footballer with any club, had played only "three or four games" with his school in Brisbane, and had not picked up an oval ball until this year.
The Magpies have taken advantage of an obscure AFL rule that allows clubs to sign a player, as if he were a free agent, provided he has not been registered in a (Australian rules) football competition for three years. The rule is almost never utilised by clubs.
It is understood that the aggressive Magpies fended off interest from other clubs, including Brisbane and Hawthorn, to sign Keefe. Their signing follows Sydney's securing, under the same rule, of a tall volleyballer/basketballer, Jake Oreal. Both Keefe and Oreal attended a Australian Institute of Sport-AFL camp in Canberra early this month.
AIS high performance coach and ex-Fitzroy coach and Geelong assistant Alan McConnell said Keefe was "absolutely" a genuine AFL prospect, despite starting from scratch.
While Keefe had been on Collingwood's radar for some months, the club was unable to sign him until the AFL was satisfied that he fitted the criteria established under the relevant recruiting rules.
So, Keefe will be listed by the Magpies in the rookie draft of 2008 and will be able to play for the club in 2009. Collingwood will have a program to develop his skills and understanding of the game before he officially becomes a Magpie.
At 202 centimetres, Keefe is freakishly tall for a soccer player — even taller than that game's best-known super-tall, Peter Crouch of Liverpool (200 centimetres) — and perhaps better suited to his new code, in which height is a greater advantage.
"He's got all the soccer traits in the way he's able to make a quick transition from attack to defence," said Hine. "We've chosen him on his potential to play the game. We've done a lot of profiling and researching on the boy, and looked at his capacity to be able to learn and develop.
"There is a certain amount of risk in it. But what we see with Lachlan is that he's very similar (to Clark and Dyas) in that he's got all the necessary physical traits."
- borderbarry
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- st_Trav_ofWA
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so now we draft on height alone
how will this kid go when he get a bump to the shoulder from a player dives to the ground and rolls around grasping his ankle looking up to see if anyones paying attention
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how will this kid go when he get a bump to the shoulder from a player dives to the ground and rolls around grasping his ankle looking up to see if anyones paying attention
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This isn't the same rule for Irish kids. It's a completely different rule. The Saints could have signed the kid under the same rule. Anybody could have. He's quite clearly got more going for him than just his height if multiple AFL teams thought him worthy of a chance with next to no football experience at all. Interesting that he opted for Collingwood over the local team. I wonder what they offered that Brisbane wouldn't.borderbarry wrote:I cant see how or why the AFL approved the pre-drafting of a rookie from Queensland under a rule for Irish kids. Can the Saints do the same? I dont think so.
Yeah nah pleasing positive
- st_Trav_ofWA
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or it collingwood being collingwood wanting to get more media exposure by being the club who can turn a bloke whos only player the game a handful of time into anf AFL player !!saint edward wrote:yes i agree entirely they may be collingwood but there cheif recruiter is a knowledgable guy like john beveridge and if more than one club was after him he must have shown something in the games he played for his school
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- Armoooo
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Good luck to them, I admire them for exploring all avenues of recruiting, if we had the money I would hope we would be doing the exact same thing...
ROBERT HARVEY A.K.A The Great Man, Banger, Harves, Ol' Man River...
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Well spot on Plugger66 couldnt have said it better myself. We found a loophole and exploited it. Nice work me thinks. I don't think a club as professional as ours would draft a guy on height alone. They also snaffled Kevin Dyas who had better credentials then Marty Clarke but is considered a real tough nut.plugger66 wrote:But if we got him he would be a star.LTN16 wrote:What ever happened do the days of drafting someone because of there football ability![]()
This kid will be a dud
If the advantage is there you take it. 2-3 clubs were interested in the soccer player as well.
- my les foote
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- my les foote
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What's your problem?Left Foot.......low blow that.....even the mods would be appalled with that crap and most of the forum that would be considered to have normal morals and ethics.
In fact it's a losers' comment....... I know his brother well, maybe I should send him around and u guys can discuss it???
They made a big deal about giving their first draft choice number 42. (Billy Morrison?) He never played a game and the Millane family were appalled.
Don't come here expecting everybody to kowtow to a filth supporter. For some reason the moderators tolerate idiots like you who come on and abuse Saints supporters. But apparently your a "good bloke" so you can do what you like.
Win it for HIM!
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Yep sure am a good bloke ....Billy Morrison was given 42 was he??? From what I recall it was discussed to bring the jumper out of retirement. Morrison wore 31. Get your facts right. Not sure where you pulled that from.my les foote wrote:What's your problem?Left Foot.......low blow that.....even the mods would be appalled with that crap and most of the forum that would be considered to have normal morals and ethics.
In fact it's a losers' comment....... I know his brother well, maybe I should send him around and u guys can discuss it???
They made a big deal about giving their first draft choice number 42. (Billy Morrison?) He never played a game and the Millane family were appalled.
Don't come here expecting everybody to kowtow to a filth supporter. For some reason the moderators tolerate idiots like you who come on and abuse Saints supporters. But apparently your a "good bloke" so you can do what you like.
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
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- my les foote
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Wit, intelligence, charm, I'm sure your good looking by Collingwood standards as well.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/ ... m=storyrhs
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/ ... m=storyrhs
Win it for HIM!
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my les foote wrote:Wit, intelligence, charm, I'm sure your good looking by Collingwood standards as well.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/ ... m=storyrhs
Ahhhh was he given his number?? Noooooooo. The way you implied above was that he had been issued his number. Strange post Les.....thought u would have more concerns then having to dig up an article from 2003.......*pfft* And you have to feel for young Billy Morrison (the club's first selection at the 2003 draft), who MAY inherit a weighty legacy if given the No. 42.
- my les foote
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Read the article, he is a midfielder.saint edward wrote:just out of curiousity was he a goalie cause if so he would be a good jump and mark.
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