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www.afl.com.auAMONG the players whose star has risen at the NAB AFL Draft Combine, few would match the ascension of Northern Knights midfielder Josh Caddy.
The 18-year-old (his birthday was last Tuesday) was always considered a prospect to go somewhere in the first round of the national daft, but now he must be considered a certainty to go in the top 10.
In playing terms, Caddy backed up his performances with the Knights with a dominant game for Vic Metro in the final match of the NAB AFL under-18 carnival against Western Australia.
At the draft combine, he’s been among the best performers in the sprinting, jumping and endurance events.
To top it off, on Thursday he etched his name into the record books when he became the inaugural winner of the clean-hands contest.
Caddy has always been known for his clean hands. As an inside midfielder, his specialty is seizing on balls in dispute and dispatching them to moving teammates. His strong build gives him extra leverage at stoppages.
“I just concentrate on keeping my eye on the footy and not thinking too far ahead,” he said.
Caddy has also been known for a strong competitive drive, a trait that was backed up by his performance in Thursday’s beep test.
It was only his red-faced determination that enabled him to push past the 14 mark, a level that enables him to be considered among the elite endurance runners.
Perhaps it was mildly surprising when Caddy recorded 60cm in the standing vertical jump, but it was close to astounding when he dipped well under the magical three-second mark in the 20-metre sprint.
Caddy twice ran 2.94 seconds, which was a fine effort considering the question marks about his speed.
“That’s always been the knock on me; people thought I might have lacked pace,” he said. “But I was pretty confident about what I could do.”
Caddy has never showcased his pace on the footy field because he’s always been busy burrowing into packs rather than breaking away from them. His aim now is to develop his ability to link up and break the lines.
“I want to develop that outside dimension,” he said.
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Last Modified on 18/11/2010 15:44
