Pick 52 Richmond - Caleb Daniel (South Adelaide)
167cm, 68 kg
Forward / Midfielder
My love for midgets seems to be growing by the year and perhaps I'm even suffering from the incredible shrinking man syndrome, but I have the highest respect for Caleb Daniel and what he's managed to achieve this year. Coming back from a lengthy stint on the sidelines he pulled on his Croweater guernsey and produced the most memorable 3 games of football I can recall at the u/18 carnival. I'll start by going over his stats, he averaged 20 disposals, 5 tackles, 4 clearances, 2 goals and still managed to achieve that feat at the freakish DE of 92%. To top it off he registered 217 Champion Data points in round 5 which must be some sort of record for a midfielder at this event.
Now I'm not one to get too carried away with feats at the carnival, particularly when it involves sub 170cm players, but Daniel has taken this form all the way to SANFL seniors and has proven he won't be a pushover when playing against men. It's remarkable to think a 68kg lightweight can make an impact in senior football but Daniel has simply risen to every challenge thrown at him. Over the course of his 11 games he managed to average 17 possessions & 3 tackles, all done at 84% disposal efficiency, but more impressive was his finals campaign where he thrived under the intense pressure of cut throat football. In his first match against the Eagles he picked up 16 touches and hit the scoreboard with 2 majors, in week two he notched up 24 touches & 3 clearances, and in week three a further 20 disposals and 4 clearances. How is it possible for such a diminutive guy to produce such quality?
Having followed the career of Boomer Harvey it's clear to me that to make it at the highest level one has to have a flawless rap sheet. When it comes to Caleb Daniel I think he ticks off every key indicator. His aerobic fitness levels are on par with Billy Hartung so there will be absolutely no problem with running out games, his speed is good having run a 2.99sec/20 metre sprint and his agility is in the top 25%. There is of course the issue with weight but I feel with some careful management that Daniel can put on the required 5 kilos to truly become strong enough to compete with the bigger bodies.
Turning to his footballing ability, everything he does is bordering on silk. His handballing is elite and he rarely misses a target or picks a wrong option, his work this year would have made Diesel proud. His kicking is well above average and for a small guy he can kick long bombs from outside the 50 metre chalk. This is also complimented by his great spatial awareness, he is exceptionally adept at weighting his kicks to avoid oncoming traffic. As a true rover he also reads the play and can hit the packs at full pace, often using his agility to zig zag his way through enemy lines.
For some spending pick 52 is overs for a guy who has to confront the tide of history when it comes to being unconventionally short. He really only has Brent Harvey as a flag bearer and Boomer is a once in a generation player. But despite this I'm going to back him in to make the grade, he's only 3cm shorter than Jake Neade who recently played in a preliminary final so that gives me some sort of hope. Wherever he lands on draft day I'll be supporting him, it may only be as a rookie but provided he finds his way onto a list I'll be content in the knowledge that midgets still have a place in our great game.
