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Colin Wisbey's Assessment of Blight:

Date Posted: 11:25 29/11/08 Sat
Author: Colin Wisbey
Author Host/IP: c122-107-137-21.eburwd5.vic.optusnet.com.au / 122.107.137.21
Subject: Blight profile

Jarrad Blight (Swan Districts)

189/73 bottom-age right foot (has other foot if necessary) HBF/ wing / utility.

*STYLE LIKE: J Corey / Bassett?

*MY RANKING (not meant to reflect appropriate draft pick to use): 11

*PROBABILITY OF AFL CAREER: Definite. Ready year 2.

- Within an AFL team list, could prove capable of SUSTAINING a ranking of 5-10.

*HURT FACTORS (Offensive/Defensive/Negative): M-H / M-H / L-M

*TRADEMARK:

- Gather on the run, carry 30-40m out of half back through the corridor, then roost long and direct, not necessarily well-balanced on his feet, and the kick probably being a high floater but of very good depth ... then run on immediately.

*MAIN SELLING POINTS:

- All-round package of attributes
- Ethic / intensity
- Versatility
- Improvement trend

*MAIN QUERY:

- Kicking efficiency
- Power and balance.

*SUMMARY ASSESSMENT, RECOMMENDATION:

- Attractive 189cm all-round package. Slim but is defined by his ethic both ways, his athleticism .... and his disposals often being worth 90m. No huge flaw. Versatile.

- I likened his style to Joel Corey / Bassett, depending on whether Blight's role at a given time was on-ball or providing run out in of defence. However, if your memory is good enough, imagine a taller Mick McGuane and you'll have a fair picture of how Blight goes about his game and how he moves, albeit without the aggro and natural balance. (Even some similarities in physical appearance, FWIW). Runs hard, likes a big grab, and likes to take them on and carry the ball and then roost it.

- Although 189cm, he's always been fairly skinny. Despite being undersized and underweight, he has played much of his under-age footy in big man roles, mainly CHB and ruck, but I see him as a HBF, "wing" or (down the track) a run-with. Was his team's best player, playing wing, in his single Reserves game. As an indication of what you are buying, he took them on and ran almost the length of the ground to kick a 20m goal in that Reserves game.

- He still needs footy development around the edges but his improvement trend is very encouraging and you don't get many chances to draft a versatile 189cm type who works hard both ways, gets his own ball, and who happens to fairly frequently be a 90m player.

- I ranked him at 11. That somewhat flatters his track record. His CV is not as impressive as some who follow him in my rankings but I believe he is made for the modern game, has a healthy improvement trend, has relatively few flaws, no showstopper flaw, and has various readily identifiable AFL roles that would suit him. Quite a few highly touted names follow him in my rankings but IMHO they can't lay claim to the same collection of appealing factors.

I would definitely be prepared to draft him myself and be prepared to use a pick around my ranking number if necessary (depending on need and who else was available). I suspect he will go around late first round, maybe early 2nd round. He's certainly not a smokey (there were encouraging signs even in '06 U16s) but it is mainly in the 2nd half of '08 that he's forced people to really sit up and take serious notice so he's been somewhat of a sleeper until then.

*DISPOSAL:

- He can certainly roost the pill a long way when he gets onto it (and he usually does) but his kicks usually have a long hang-time (lack power) and, especially on the run (which he often is), need to be more accurate. I've heard him described as "a great kick" but I disagree. Quite a few of his kicks definitely have great depth and high hurt factor so he is not a poor kick per se, just not reliable enough. I think he is capable of becoming a fairly reliable kick with frequent high hurt factor.

His kicking style needs a few significant but addressable changes. At the moment it is fairly extravagant, loose action and his load-up time is too slow/long. He needs to get his action more economical for AFL tempo. Major current faults are loose (usually early) release and sometimes very high take. His accuracy would benefit from less extravagant arms actions (currently his right arm flings back, usually dragging his left arm across and impacting his opportunity to stay square and kick through the ball). His ball grip should also be looked at.

- Kicks to feeds ratio is currently too high (15K/20D) and that's been his pattern virtually every game. (see below). He must mix it up more and become less predictable. Although he does the occasional mongrel / wobbler, most of his kicks that are inaccurate / ineffective are not faults of kicking technique but are due to his tendency to want to kick for depth instead of being prepared to seek out a shortish option frequently enough. i.e. it is more an issue of him needing to modify his mind-set.

- Very good by hand - accuracy, hurt factor, power, distance, quick hands.

*DECISION-MAKING, SMARTS:

- When the natural (or only) disposal choice under various degrees of pressure is to feed, he shows very good vision, quick hands, spots quickly and almost always feeds accurately to the right option, with the right timing, and often high hurt factor. However, he needs to be more selective when kicking, both in when to kick instead of feed, and when to kick for depth instead of shorter. When he has time to kick, he most often chooses to kick (virtual torpedoes) for depth instead of lowering his vision. When such kicks come off, they have huge hurt factor, especially in this era of flooding, but when they don't come off, the opportunity has been lost to set up a team mate who was somewhat closer to him. Many of his mistakes in this regard were not blatantly obvious as his team was so good that his team-mates often won the resultant ball anyway. At AFL level though, he will pay a price more often.

Other than that, he regularly (even under great pressure) displays very good vision, poise, looks for options, picks the right option and thinks his way through situations. Awareness very occasionally fails him but he does some left-field quick-thinking clever things and has good evasion.

- Very good at getting his own ball at CBs (centre bounces). Does some nice feeds from there but is not an instinctive CB clearer. On the other hand, he doesn't let an opponent get away with cheap clearances if he can help it (and is even fairly adept at stealing the pill).

- Quite good evasion / ability to create space.

*HANDS:

- Fairly reliable all levels, including ball control

*OVERHEAD MARKING:

- Fairly good overhead. Takes many really nice grabs (including occasional screamers) and from all positions, including across the face or with the flight. I say " fairly good" because, although his hands are quite reliable, his judgement of flight is fairly often astray (often tends to underestimate the flight, especially when in front) and he is not a natural at keeping his feet / balance body on body. He tends to "almost" take a lot of contested marks.

*ATHLETICISM:

- At this stage, he is not well "held together"; in racehorse terms, he is currently a gangly yearling - he's all long limbs and they are not routinely smoothly coordinated. He needs to steady and balance up more, both when kicking and when on the run generally.

He currently lacks power and balance in various aspects. (Yes, he can do a long kick or a very long feed or carry the ball but disposal depth and ground coverage don't necessarily equate to power and balance). Currently skinny (including legs). Once he adds another 10kg, I expect he will furnish into a nice athletic build for AFL and have quite good power in his running and kicks, have the strength to make more tackles stick, and be able to keep his feet / hold his ground better (although he is not naturally well-balanced, regardless of his skinniness). Those things are not at that standard yet though.

- Pace: Recorded as 1.03 / 2.99 at WAC '08 and median 1.10 / 3.06 at '08 DC His DC medians are more representative of his on-field pace up to about 15m but, although his times splits suggest otherwise, he has very good pace over a distance longer than that. He is not as quick as his WAC times suggest (I am dubious of those WAC times anyway).

- Excellent endurance, partly good natural endurance but mainly his willingness to push himself hard and his mental toughness to be able to keep doing it. He makes maximum use of it in both directions. Covers a heap of ground. Low 14's beeps WAFL '08, DC'08. Good 10.95 3km.

- Very good leap.

- Quick reflexes.

*INTENSITY, ETHIC:

- One of his major strengths. Has all the 1%ers covered in terms of intent and works very hard both ways. Main query at this stage is that he can have trouble making a tackle stick but that should improve as he bulks up.

- Runs and runs and runs - to present an option, to chase, to pressure, to support, and to get to plays. Prepared to sprint 50-60m just to help a team mate or pressure an opponent who is miles away running for/with the ball through space (i.e. more than just conventional chasing) - and he does that almost every game.

- Courageous, frenetic. Good temperament and mentally tough. (e.g. When he cops a shirt-front or hanger or gets crunched from behind, he just jumps straight up and gets on with the game).

- Attacks his marks and his spoils are generally effective.

- Good at 3rd man up.

*CONSISTENCY:

- Likely to be consistent. He should be versatile enough to throw around if he is temporarily struggling in one role. Has a wide range of attributes so (e.g.) if an opponent is a bit slippery for him, chances are Blight will be stronger than his opponent overhead or, if an opponent is too strong overhead, chances are Blight will be able to run him around or perhaps have greater pace. Even on a quiet day, he always has the capacity to cause some damage via his run and the hurt factor of his good kicks.

- Was a bit up and down for first part of '08 but very consistent after that and kept improving right up to and including his last game. Statistically, averaged 21d in his 21 '08 Colts games but, after R6, his quietest Colts game was 15d and 12 of those 16 games were at least 20d.

*AFL VERSATILITY:

- Should be quite versatile. HBF or "wing" would probably suit him best. Has displayed good ability to shark centre bounce hit-outs (or the spills) as a First Dibs type so might be a chance in that role down the track but he lacks a natural inside mid's ability to convert inside possessions into effective clearances so I'm a little sceptical. However, I do think a run-with role would probably suit him eventually - he'll have the tank, he's a handy 189cm and he'd be able to find his own ball and cause damage of his own. Although only 189cm, could at least pinch hit at CHB or FB - on the right opponent (!). Could pinch hit as HFF but is more a straight ahead type than a natural forward.

*CSI (COMPARATIVE SCOPE for IMPROVEMENT):

- No special factors. Been through the system from U16 Champs to Reserves over 3 years. Bottom-age but only by 3 weeks. However, his recent improvement trend suggests he is only now starting to reach towards a new level of performance.

*SOME STATS:

- Stats summary '08 WA :
Averaged 21 disposals in 21 Colts games. Total goals 8-9 .
15 kicks per 20 disposals.
At least: 20 disposals in 13 games, 25 in 6 games, 30 in 2 games, 35 in 1 games.
- Mid-way trend ... % change in disposals was + 24%.

*OTHER STUFF:

- Colts all '08 except 1 Reserves game late '08.
- Swan Districts Colts B&F '08.

Interesting wrap up of Jarrad Blight...he sounds like he could have alot of upside.

http://wadraftprofiles.bl...light-swan-districts.html