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2024 Draft Thread
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One of the unheraled “stars” of our VFL program is Ollie Grant. He has unearthed some very good talent and runs the VFL recruiting program on a shoestring. He IS our entire admin for the VFL.Doctor and AFL draft hope: Rising Tigers prospect Sam Davidson’s remarkable dual threat
They call Sam Davidson ‘Doc’, of course. Yet having impressed for Richmond VFL, the medical student may be parking his doctor’s coat for an AFL guernsey come November, writes PAUL AMY.
Paul Amy
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4 min read
June 12, 2024 - 12:00PM
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Sam Davidson on the burst for Richmond against Geelong in the VFL. Picture: Richmond FC
They call him “Doc’’.
Of course they do. When he’s not playing for Richmond’s VFL team, Sam Davidson is studying medicine at Monash University.
At AFL and VFL level, the Tigers have had a wretched run with injuries this year.
If asked, Davidson could have made a decent diagnosis of each of them.
“Probably, but I tend to leave that to the trained doctors and physios,’’ he says with a laugh.
“I don’t want to stick myself into that. They know a fair bit more than I do.’’
The long injury list at Punt Rd opened a door for first-year player Davidson, and he’s taken his chances with an assurance and influence that suggests he may be an AFL draft prospect come November.
The 191cm right-footer has played predominantly in the forward line, but also on the wing and even in the ruck, showing a versatility to go with his natural ability.
The 22-year-old is completing an Honours year this year, giving him more flexibility with his football. In previous years he played it around his medical placements, which explains his busy PlayHQ profile.
Picture: Richmond FC
In 2022, Davidson did his rounds at a hospital in central Gippsland and lined up with Sale City in the North Gippsland league. Last year, he played a few games for South Mildura and then a few more for Maffra in the strong Gippsland competition.
It wasn’t until his stint in the Sunraysia league, as he attended the Mildura Base Public Hospital, that he thought about playing at a higher level.
South Mildura said it had contacts in the SANFL and could arrange something. Knowing another placement would keep him in Victoria, Davidson passed on it.
But a Sale City official with ties to Richmond coach Steve Morris opened up an opportunity at Tigerland. Contact was made, a pre-season invitation was extended and he was a late signing.
“I think I was in the second group of new players to get signed,’’ Davidson says.
“They held off for a little while. I was a bit uncertain, because you never know what they’re after. I hoped I would get one (a contract) but I was never 100 per cent confident.’’
Overlooked for selection in the first two rounds, he has played every game since.
In Round 9, he kicked three goals and had 20 touches against Essendon. In Round 11, it was four goals and 17 disposals against Port Melbourne.
Tigers VFL general manager and recruiter Oliver Grant calls Davidson an exciting prospect’’.
“His running capacity and his ability to cover the ground, he’s the best at it on our VFL list and he’d give a lot of the AFL boys a fair shake as well,’’ Grant says.
“And because he’s tall, it makes him a really hard match-up.
“He can compete like a tall and bring it to ground, but he can also run an opponent off his legs and get to the other side of the ground and help spread it as well. So he’s a pretty unique player – he can hold down a key position or help us get the other team with run. He’s been one of the reasons we’ve been able to put up competitive efforts with a lot of VFL-listed players.’’
Sam Davidson contests the footy for Richmond against Jack Hayes of Sandringham in the VFL this season. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos
Davidson has taken the road less travelled to get to this point in his football. He played juniors at East Brighton Vampires and then Ormond, but he says he was never in the frame for Sandringham Dragons squads.
“I didn’t really ever get invited to any talent league stuff. I did grow quite late. I probably didn’t start growing until Year 11 or 12, and then I didn’t put size on until after I left school,’’ he says.
In his final year at St Kevin’s College, he split his time between the first and second teams. Coming out of Covid, Davidson joined the St Kevin’s Under 19s in the VAFA.
It was only then that he felt his football improving. He played 10 games in the Premier Under 19 competition and was named in the best five times.
“I reckon I’ve developed every year since then,’’ Davidson says. “I’ve got more confidence in myself and in my body.’’
He certainly had the confidence of Maffra senior coach Anthony Robbins last year. Tracking Davidson’s progress at Richmond, Robbins has not been surprised by his rise.
He saw a “pretty special footballer, tall and quick, could turn on a dime, big motor, knows where the goals are’’. Robbins recalls a conversation with Davidson in which he said he was going to ease back on his medical studies for a year and “have a real crack at my football’’.
“I said, ‘Well, make sure you do that mate, because you don’t ever want to kick yourself that you didn’t try it’,’’ he says.
“I think there’s something there … the size of his tank, his fitness level, his ball-handling. They’ve got to have a bit of footy IQ too. And he’s an intelligent young fella.’’
Picture: Richmond FC
As he did medical placements in regional Victoria, Davidson felt a connection to his country clubs. He asks CODE Sports to give them a mention: “They were my family for the last couple of years – I loved every minute of being there.’’
Davidson did hear “a couple of whispers’’ that he might be picked up in the mid-season rookie draft, “but nothing too concrete’’.
“Obviously nothing transpired in the end but you never know what can happen. Hopefully I can keep playing good footy and clubs take a bit of interest in me,’’ he says.
“I’m just enjoying it really. I can only speak for the VFL program but the culture at Richmond is awesome.
“We’ve had plenty of injuries but we’ve still been playing some really good footy. To beat Port how we did (by 49 points) was a testament to the program and all the boys involved.’’
With four goals, “Doc’’ Davidson certainly did his bit in stitching up the Borough.
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He had a couple of years of chasing high number of disposals.
Remember all the round the back handball receives?
I'd hazard that he had a low Score involvement/disposal ratio.
Same as Jagga.
So on Jagga the question is can the disposals be turned into scores?
He gets it which is a first step.
Reckon like the Kazoo he has the footy smarts to become more effective.
Yes he can for sure. The thing with Jagga is he has been the best kid for his age since age 10 and every other kid and parent has known who he is since that time. When he demands the ball other players give it to him regardless of best option or not. If he wants to run into the forward line and get in the way of the leading forward then that’s okay and probably the forwards fault!
Once he gets in an AFL program he won’t be the big man on campus and won’t get the 1-2’s he’s built his game on and will have to mould to the teams game style. Through this i feel he would automatically become more damaging as he’ll run to those positions rather than hang around getting cheapies behind the ball.
Cotch got the handball receives to instruction, after he'd won a Brownlow and Coaches Association award.
Finn O'Sullivan is the closest thing to the Chimp in this draft. He's closer to Chimp than Jagga is to Butters. Even has the simian arms.
You would think with his capability to spot talent, he would be in line for a promotion to the senior recruiting team.
How many disposals did he give to Ashcroft, Smillie, moraes etc to enable them to have score involvements?
If Josh Daicos can survive and thrive in the midfield so can the Jagga Bomb.
I'm still with Spooky on FOS but don't see the gap being as big a s he does.
Either way we will get the midfielder that we need.
I suppose a better question is, if FOS goes one, is Guy or Mick's son?
I'm still with Spooky on FOS but don't see the gap being as big a s he does.
Either way we will get the midfielder that we need.
I suppose a better question is, if FOS goes one, is Guy or Mick's son?
Definitely Guy Smiley for me.
I reckon Vontae O'Cotchin is a clear #1, then Guy, LL Cool J and Canelo Duckcroft are next. Currently.
Jagga in the next group along with Hotton, Reid, Lalor, Draper, Allan. Hotton could have pushed into the top 5 but might slip outside 10 now. The rest of that group can, and there's time for others.
Do you like Jagga better than Reid? Than Hotton? Not sure I do.
Be interested to hear who you all think are the most and least risky prospects at the top end of the draft.
Given the list situation right now, using our first pick on this year’s Paddy Dow or Tsatas would be devastating.
Given the list situation right now, using our first pick on this year’s Paddy Dow or Tsatas would be devastating.
I'm not sure Guy covers the ground well enough.
I stand by my four of Smiley, FOS, Ashcroft and the Bomb. We get one of the three after F/S.
You've gone full sicko mode on him. Yes I like him more that Reid. And Reid is my guy.
Sicko mode? On Jagga? What does that mean? I like him, just not as much as you, Leysy and Ezy do.
Guy I think gets around ok, hence his high disposal numbers. Question is his power against men, but the upside is huge.
The Bomb! Love it! That's his new name!
Just as an aside. Little doubt we finish ahead of West Coast. We will get on a run - likely starting tomorrow.
