VFL side i'd say.
The astronomical rise of young ruck-forward Finnbar Maley is attracting the interest of AFL recruiters.
The 197cm 19-year-old with a basketball background has raw potential that footy watchers believe can be harnessed and developed to an elite level.
Maley burst onto the scene last year with
Northern league club Eltham, earning Team of the Year honours in just 14 games.
It saw him secure a VFL contract with Northern Bullants, where he played 13 games this season, before returning to the Panthers and tearing the NFNL Division 2 finals apart, culminating with a
best-on-ground performance in Saturday’s grand final.
Playing the majority of the game Maley finished with six goals and took a series of highlight-reel contested marks.
Finnbar Maley flies high for Eltham. Picture: Andy Brownbill
Finnbar Maley flies high for Eltham. Picture: Andy Brownbill
Eltham coach Tim Bongetti said it wouldn’t be a surprise if higher honours awaited the budding star.
“He’s getting a lot of interest from state league clubs and not just in Victoria,” Bongetti said.
“Whether he gets drafted I’m not sure but there is certainly a lot of interest in him.
“There’s obviously still a lot of work for him to do but as we saw on Saturday, his marking power is a class above.
“Against Billy Bedford, who is a very good footballer, he looked like he was out of position but he’d just throw his hands up and came down with the ball.”
If drafted, Maley would be the second Northern league player in a row picked up after playing local footy, following Tylar Young who went from Bundoora to Richmond.
In his first season at the Bullants, he had to overcome a couple of injury hiccups – including a spider bite that required surgery – but showcased his potential with a number of eye-catching performances.
Used mainly in the ruck, against bigger bodied and more experienced opponents, Maley averaged 13 disposals, 17 hitouts, 3.5 marks, three tackles and 79 ranks points per game.
Bullants coach Brodie Holland said the development he saw was off the charts.
Finnbar Maley contests the ruck against Jarryd Coulson. Picture: Hamish Blair
“A couple of (AFL) clubs have wanted to find out more about Finnbar and I know he’s caught up with one club,” Holland said.
“I’m not sure he’ll get drafted or even rookied but he’s not far away, if he can show one more really big improvement at VFL level he’d be a big chance next year.
“You never know with these ones, the guy is almost 200cm and mobile and only just started playing footy so he’s only getting better and better.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if someone puts him on a rookie list and sees if they can develop him.
“When he arrived at Bullants I
wasn’t far off cutting him because of his kicking skills but I thought I better give him more of a chance.
“He just kept improving and because of his athleticism, his jump and marking his strengths far outweighed his weakness and now his weaknesses are competent enough.”
Maley is the son of former North Melbourne Giants and Adelaide 36ers star Paul and fellow basketballer Karianne, while his sister Anneli is the 2021-22 WBNL MVP.
The rising talent returned to football after the COVID pandemic.
While asked to ruck for the majority of the season with the Bullants, he projects best as a key forward who can pinch-hit in the ruck.
“We would have loved to have had another ruckman, a seasoned ruckman, and then imagine Brandon Ryan – who just got drafted – and Finnbar Maley in the same forward line,” Holland said.
