Matthew McLeod-Allison

[sunsaint]

The interesting thing with McLeod-Allison positioning.

One has to wonder what we have in mind for him given he’s touted as both a forward and a mid.
The comparison with Tim Membrey seems to be apt... a forward that pushes into the middle.

Alternatively maybe he could be a good midfielder that uses his contested marking as an elite weapon.
Could be the player I always hoped Alan Murray would be if anybody still remembers him

my immediate thought was he replaces Dean Kent
he played wing link kick - pushing forward

[oldie60]

with no footy in 2020 those that have big last years in under age footy never got to show their talents. Hoping that we saw this guys as one who would have climbed the charts had he played and therefore got him as a steal. He is also young for this draft . Need to trust the guys as have got it correct in n the last couple years.

Spoke to my son who is part of the Calder Strength and conditioning and he rated him a definite second round pick. The kid is an absolute beaut, constantly asking questions to everyone at the club. He wants to get better and puts in the work. Character very vocal and passionate in the rooms. Skills good kick, mark and has played Centre Half Back as well as Wing and Forward. Now all he has to do is put on some muscle but given his attitude in a professional environment the club will sort that out. He is a bargain steal.

[Gershwin]

with no footy in 2020 those that have big last years in under age footy never got to show their talents. Hoping that we saw this guys as one who would have climbed the charts had he played and therefore got him as a steal. He is also young for this draft . Need to trust the guys as have got it correct in n the last couple years.

Spoke to my son who is part of the Calder Strength and conditioning and he rated him a definite second round pick. The kid is an absolute beaut, constantly asking questions to everyone at the club. He wants to get better and puts in the work. Character very vocal and passionate in the rooms. Skills good kick, mark and has played Centre Half Back as well as Wing and Forward. Now all he has to do is put on some muscle but given his attitude in a professional environment the club will sort that out. He is a bargain steal.

That’s good to hear oldie60.

[saynta]

with no footy in 2020 those that have big last years in under age footy never got to show their talents. Hoping that we saw this guys as one who would have climbed the charts had he played and therefore got him as a steal. He is also young for this draft . Need to trust the guys as have got it correct in n the last couple years.

Spoke to my son who is part of the Calder Strength and conditioning and he rated him a definite second round pick. The kid is an absolute beaut, constantly asking questions to everyone at the club. He wants to get better and puts in the work. Character very vocal and passionate in the rooms. Skills good kick, mark and has played Centre Half Back as well as Wing and Forward. Now all he has to do is put on some muscle but given his attitude in a professional environment the club will sort that out. He is a bargain steal.

Good, but I would have liked those ITK to have rated him a first round pick, 'cause that's where our pick was.

[Dis Believer]

with no footy in 2020 those that have big last years in under age footy never got to show their talents. Hoping that we saw this guys as one who would have climbed the charts had he played and therefore got him as a steal. He is also young for this draft . Need to trust the guys as have got it correct in n the last couple years.

Spoke to my son who is part of the Calder Strength and conditioning and he rated him a definite second round pick. The kid is an absolute beaut, constantly asking questions to everyone at the club. He wants to get better and puts in the work. Character very vocal and passionate in the rooms. Skills good kick, mark and has played Centre Half Back as well as Wing and Forward. Now all he has to do is put on some muscle but given his attitude in a professional environment the club will sort that out. He is a bargain steal.

Good, but I would have liked those ITK to have rated him a first round pick, 'cause that's where our pick was.

Let's not try and pretend that a pick in the late twenties is a first rounder, no matter how the AFL tag it......

[cwrcyn]

Yep, and our record in picking up players in the 20 to 30 draft pick range is appalling

[cwrcyn]

Hopefully this one will work out after the likes of Nathan Wright, Spencer White, Hugh Goddard, Brad Howard, etc. . Looking back over the draft, we've skipped that draft pick range a lot of times, too.

[Impatient Sainter]

I just watched a couple of Allison's 2019 Calder Cannons games. Ill preface the following with Im no recruiting expert, but I dont know what the recruiters have seen in this kid to think he is going to become a lead up tall marking forward.

His positives are he is quick and and his skills are excellent. He is very light on his feet (ala Matty Lappin) and gives off quick bullet hand passes and kicks the ball really well. He does straight line the ball on the ground and tackles well also.

But its his marking or lack thereof that worried me. He was only 17 playing Under 18's and has probably filled out since and has growing to do, but to me he looked and played like an energetic Jack Watts. I would worry that hes got the frame to develop the body to become strong enough to play as a key forward. Time is on his side.

The recruiters must have a special crystal ball and I hope he suceeds, but on the footage I have just seen I would have been looking elsewhere. And yes Im not a recruiter...

[Harves Man]

The 2020 draft came and went. It was a marathon instead of a sprint which made the draw much less of a spectacle than it normally is.

2020 is the strangest year I can remember, in every way, which makes everything the new normal.

But I’m pretty happy with who we picked and I reckon you should be as well.

Two extremely mobile high marking talls rather than choosing from a selection of rated midfield talent.

To me it says two things. Firstly, the club is pretty happy with our list and believes we are well stocked for midfield talent and secondly, the Saints went to the draft and recruited specifically on need.

Interesting that a genuine ITK on this forum described Alison as the “best steal since Dal”. Really like the sound of that. The club did its homework and rates him highly.

So, I decided to do my own homework and this my takeaway.

What impresses me about Alison is his work ethic. The kid is a self starter. He recognised the need to improve aspects of his game and worked on them until he did. He tested well at the combine improving his running noticeably.

He says he admires players like Petrie and our Roo who used their exceptional endurance to work over their opponent.

This kid can play as a high forward or in the midfield. His signature traits are his high marking and his mobility to try to be that link between offence and defence.

I like the fact we’ve gone for that type of player.

Our second choice, Tom Highmore is a player I really, really like.

I reckon he slipped to us under the radar. Interesting that we traded up to get him so it wasn’t a case of simply choosing the best available at our turn to pick.

He was a Giants academy product from Canberra just like Jack Steele, and like Steelo was a star in the NEAFL but wasn’t rated by Western Sydney.

Highmore decided to improve his prospects by moving from Canberra to Adelaide and testing himself in the strong SANFL competition and again rose to the occasion to be a dominant force in that competition.

Both Alison and Highmore are competitive beasts, strong overhead, extremely mobile and great readers of the play. They provide cover in areas where we need it, with lots of upside for improvement.

We done good.

Great post Damien and I agree with your points. I too was impressed with the way Allison has worked on his game to inprove his endurance as well as speed off the mark (and agree with your point about the wisdom of burning off your opponents, like our Rooiey did and the other bloke).

The greatest footballer I have ever seen was Anthony Lockett. He had tremendous closing/sprinting speed - it was what fooled his opponents, time after time, as they simply couldn't believe that someone that big could run so fast. But he didn't have endurance, like that other champion of the modern game - Rooiey.

If he's "the biggest steal since Dal", that's ok with me!!!

[CQ SAINT]

I just watched a couple of Allison's 2019 Calder Cannons games. Ill preface the following with Im no recruiting expert, but I dont know what the recruiters have seen in this kid to think he is going to become a lead up tall marking forward.

His positives are he is quick and and his skills are excellent. He is very light on his feet (ala Matty Lappin) and gives off quick bullet hand passes and kicks the ball really well. He does straight line the ball on the ground and tackles well also.

But its his marking or lack thereof that worried me. He was only 17 playing Under 18's and has probably filled out since and has growing to do, but to me he looked and played like an energetic Jack Watts. I would worry that hes got the frame to develop the body to become strong enough to play as a key forward. Time is on his side.

The recruiters must have a special crystal ball and I hope he suceeds, but on the footage I have just seen I would have been looking elsewhere. And yes Im not a recruiter...

I watched a few too and I agree with what you have said.
What we haven't seen is his 2 x 2020 trial games, where apparently his lead up and marking were an eye catching feature.
His growth spurt may also have been deceiving, whereas, general play and athletic abilities got him a Calder call up, he came out of the Canons 4 inches taller, he may gain another 2.
Those in the know have labelled him with strong hands and I have seen many juniors who were questionable in the marking department, just click in one season. Perhaps that season was going to be 2020 but it never came.
Sandy seems like the place we will find out. I like the idea of a rangey, 194+cm, outside playing, wingman developing into a lead up forward.
That crystal ball may actually be a magnifing glass and a longitudal study. The same type of analysis that went into Marshall, Wilkie, Long, Paton and Highmore, difference being, we are going to test the culture in our own laboratory.

[Impatient Sainter]

I just watched a couple of Allison's 2019 Calder Cannons games. Ill preface the following with Im no recruiting expert, but I dont know what the recruiters have seen in this kid to think he is going to become a lead up tall marking forward.

His positives are he is quick and and his skills are excellent. He is very light on his feet (ala Matty Lappin) and gives off quick bullet hand passes and kicks the ball really well. He does straight line the ball on the ground and tackles well also.

But its his marking or lack thereof that worried me. He was only 17 playing Under 18's and has probably filled out since and has growing to do, but to me he looked and played like an energetic Jack Watts. I would worry that hes got the frame to develop the body to become strong enough to play as a key forward. Time is on his side.

The recruiters must have a special crystal ball and I hope he suceeds, but on the footage I have just seen I would have been looking elsewhere. And yes Im not a recruiter...

I watched a few too and I agree with what you have said.
What we haven't seen is his 2 x 2020 trial games, where apparently his lead up and marking were an eye catching feature.
His growth spurt may also have been deceiving, whereas, general play and athletic abilities got him a Calder call up, he came out of the Canons 4 inches taller, he may gain another 2.
Those in the know have labelled him with strong hands and I have seen many juniors who were questionable in the marking department, just click in one season. Perhaps that season was going to be 2020 but it never came.
Sandy seems like the place we will find out. I like the idea of a rangey, 194+cm, outside playing, wingman developing into a lead up forward.
That crystal ball may actually be a magnifing glass and a longitudal study. The same type of analysis that went into Marshall, Wilkie, Long, Paton and Highmore, difference being, we are going to test the culture in our own laboratory.

I hope you are right CQ. His growth spurt and pre season games must have been the stand out? The one big asset this kid has is his attitude and drive to want to make it. Even if he becomes a tall wingmen he will add something different to the side.

[roskilde]

[kosifantutti]

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/new ... 56mwm.html

He is a cousin of Brett Allison and Peter Boustow. He should be able to take a mark.

[saintsRrising]

He is a cousin of Brett Allison and Peter Boustow.

His father Brian is a cousin of Brett Allison and Peter Boustow

[kosifantutti]

First cousin once removed.

[vacuous space]

The recruiters must have a special crystal ball and I hope he suceeds, but on the footage I have just seen I would have been looking elsewhere. And yes Im not a recruiter...

That's a perfectly reasonable conclusion to come to after taking the time to watch the kid play. I, at least, appreciate you and CQ taking the time to watch and share what you've found with us. It sure beats the days of having people on here figuratively screaming at the club for not taking a guy they heard was good, or complaining that the kid we took didn't have a picture on the AFL.com draft tracker. It may not be what we want to read, which probably makes it worth reading.

I haven't watched any of his games. Judging by his stats, I'd have needed to be convinced as well that he was worthy of a first round pick (albeit a very late one). I, eventually, realised that there were individual game stats linked on his Draft Central page. There's more on the site, but here's some basic ones:

v Tassie 7 kicks, 9 disposals, 3 contested possessions, 2 marks, 0 tackles, 2 clearances, 0 goals
v Geelong 1 kick, 5 disposals, 3 contested possessions, 0 marks, 5 tackles, 2 clearances, 0 goals
v Bendigo 5 kicks, 15 disposals, 8 contested possessions, 1 mark, 2 tackes, 1 clearance, 1 goal
v Gippsland 3 kicks, 5 disposals, 1 contested possession, 1 mark, 4 tackles, 0 clearances, 0 goals
v Murray 3 kicks, 9 disposals, 5 contested possessions, 1 mark, 1 tackle, 0 clearances, 0 goals
v Western 6 kicks, 10 disposals, 3 contested possessions, 3 marks, 4 tackles, 0 clearances, 0 goals
v Dandenong 2 kicks, 8 disposals, 4 contested possessions, 2 marks, 1 tackle, 1 clearance, 0 goals
v Bendigo 0 kicks, 5 disposals, 4 contested possessions, 0 marks, 3 tackles, 1 clearance, 0 goals
v GWV 6 kicks, 12 disposals, 4 contested possessions, 4 marks, 2 tackles, 2 clearances, 0 goals
v Dandenong (EF) 3 kicks, 4 disposals, 3 contested possessions, 1 mark, 7 tackles, 0 clearances, 1 goal

I don't know which games you got to watch, but it seems like there was a fair range between Allison's most impactful games and his least. I do think the bottom-ager part is worth noting, however. Max King, who's probably one of the most hyped key forward prospects ever, kicked 10 goals in 7 games as a bottom ager (4 of those in a singe game against Oakleigh). I don't think it's unreasonable to expect Allison would have been much more of feature of Calder games had the 2020 season actually happened. Our recruiters were in the tough position of trying to project how the kids who didn't play might go. They've done pretty well as of late, so I'll join you in being hopeful that they're right on this one.

[saintsRrising]

. I do think the bottom-ager part is worth noting, however. Max King, who's probably one of the most hyped key forward prospects ever, kicked 10 goals in 7 games as a bottom ager (4 of those in a singe game against Oakleigh).

I am not sure I understand your logic here.

King's birthdate: 7 July 2000
Allison birthdate: 29 Jan 2002

In order to be eligible for the NAB AFL Draft, players must have attained, or will attain the age of 18 years, on or before December 31, in the year of draft.

So Allison is towards the older end possible. He is currently 18 years 10 months old. He will at least 19 when he debuts.
King middle range (though due to injury it meant his actual debut was delayed)..

Coffield is 7 months younger than Clark and so no surprise that Coffield blossomed after Clark.

Our recruiters were in the tough position of trying to project how the kids who didn't play might go. They've done pretty well as of late, so I'll join you in being hopeful that they're right on this one.

Yes our recruiters have been good of late and so you have to go with their judgement.

However with that final year of football to watch they are less likely to be right and so draft picks this year are less certain and more of a lottery. Which is no slight on them, as you can only make judgements on the information that you have.

This is where I think the club has been quite cunning. 3 picks left and 2 will probably be taken from having players train with us to have a better look at them. Hopefully that may make it a little less of a lottery, and as late picks they will of course be less certain anyway and so hopefully this will give are recruiters more to base their calls on.

[saintsRrising]

PS.

Our recruiters have done an amazing job in rebuilding our list in a very short span and Libs becoming the main man has turned out to to be the right person at the right time.. I was a little sceptical about Lethlean too as while a very capable person who I definitely thought overall would be a good catch for us overall, when he joined us the role that he had been doing was quite different to what the role he joined us for, and I was also worried about Gags due to having virtually no experience in the role he was appointed for but he has done an amazing job.

However the whole football list management team has been outstanding.

[CQ SAINT]

. I do think the bottom-ager part is worth noting, however. Max King, who's probably one of the most hyped key forward prospects ever, kicked 10 goals in 7 games as a bottom ager (4 of those in a singe game against Oakleigh).

I am not sure I understand your logic here.

King's birthdate: 7 July 2000
Allison birthdate: 29 Jan 2002

In order to be eligible for the NAB AFL Draft, players must have attained, or will attain the age of 18 years, on or before December 31, in the year of draft.

So Allison is towards the older end possible. He is currently 18 years 10 months old. He will at least 19 when he debuts.
King middle range (though due to injury it meant his actual debut was delayed)..

Coffield is 7 months younger than Clark and so no surprise that Coffield blossomed after Clark.

Our recruiters were in the tough position of trying to project how the kids who didn't play might go. They've done pretty well as of late, so I'll join you in being hopeful that they're right on this one.

Yes our recruiters have been good of late and so you have to go with their judgement.

However with that final year of football to watch they are less likely to be right and so draft picks this year are less certain and more of a lottery. Which is no slight on them, as you can only make judgements on the information that you have.

This is where I think the club has been quite cunning. 3 picks left and 2 will probably be taken from having players train with us to have a better look at them. Hopefully that may make it a little less of a lottery, and as late picks they will of course be less certain anyway and so hopefully this will give are recruiters more to base their calls on.

The footage is from 2019. Allison was a bottom age player then, albeit an older bottom age player.
The next year he entered the season as an 18 yr old and looked primed to impress. I believe that is the logic at play.
Given the focus of his off season, his impressive testing and his age, and also what we now know about his pedigree on both sides, it is safe to say he may be about to blossom.

[Devilhead]

Thought I read somehwere that in the two trial 2020 games he averaged 7 to 8 marks per game - so thats some improvement on his bottom aged year

Seems to have the right attitude and a quite a bit to work with

If he grows a few extra cm then even better

[minneapolis]

First cousin once removed.

And twice replaced.

[minneapolis]

Perhaps he is a James Hird kind of player? That's what I am deducing.

[oldie60]

If you had to compare him to anyone he is similar to Justin Westoff but more speed.

[vacuous space]

I am not sure I understand your logic here.

In this context, what I mean by 'bottom-ager' is a player playing under-18s in the year they turn 17. The point I was trying to make was that you'd have expected Allison to feature more in a hypothetical 2020 Calder season and, hence, improve on the numbers above. Maybe bringing up King confused the point. There are probably far better examples of players who improved from year 1 to year 2 of under 18s. King, however, was at the forefront of my mind as somebody who went from kicking 10 goals in his first year of under-18s to nearly matching that in his only game the next year.

I hope that clarifies a little.

[cwrcyn]

One thing about him......he looks a lot like Max Hudgton at around the same age.