Daniel Venables has the X-factor that AFL recruiters are looking for, according to Western Jets coach Torin Baker.
Venables has proven worthy of draft selection after an impressive top-age year in junior football.
The Keilor product represented Vic Metro on the national stage and finished with All- Australian honours.
It’s Venables’ potential that excites the draft scouts.
“He’s got the capacity to be a dual-position player at the next level,” Baker said.
“He played a bit of midfield [in the TAC Cup], but I’d imagine he’s a player who would mainly play forward, but no doubt he’d want to be an AFL midfielder as well.
“He’ll need to keep working harder on his endurance to do that, but he’s a high-end talent.
“He’s a rare talent in terms of his explosiveness and ability to impact games when it matters, and there’s multiple examples of that.”
Once Venables is off the board – he’s tipped to be in the top-20 range – it will become a lottery for the Western Jets.
Up to six more players are in contention to be drafted, whether it be in the national or rookie drafts.
Two with solid claims are Brodie Romensky and Jets co-captain Oscar Junker after finishing first and second in the Jets’ best-and-fairest.
Romensky, a halfback-midfielder, was the Jets’ most consistent player and featured in Vic Metro’s run to the national title.
Junker, another defender-midfielder, was invited to the AFL draft combine.
Recruiters have also made inquiries about wingman Judah Dundon, co-captain Wilson Berry and talls Harrison Bult and Brock McGregor.
