Geelong eyes move for South Australian ruck prospect Alex Dodson at national draft
Four years after trading up to draft best-and-fairest winner Max Holmes, Geelong is eyeing another big move with its eye on one of the most highly-rated athletes in the current draft pool.Matt Turner and Dan Batten
Herald Sun
November 16, 2024
Geelong could try to move up the order to land the draft’s best ruck prospect, South Australian Alex Dodson.
The Cats are understood to be keen on the Sturt big man but their first pick is not until No. 45, well after he is expected to be chosen.
So Geelong, which holds all its 2025 selections, may attempt to package a future call to land the under-18 All-Australian next week.
Richmond has been widely tipped to swoop on Dodson as a potential ruck successor to Toby Nankervis.
The Tigers have a swag of picks (18, 20, 23, 24) at the end of the first and start of the second round where they may pounce, if they take them into the draft.
Indications suggest the Cats are also in the frame to add a ruckman given Rhys Stanley turns 34 next month, Toby Conway is promising but has battled foot stress fractures the past two seasons and Mitch Edwards is a project player set to enter his second campaign.
Geelong is believed to have looked closely at Dodson, 204cm GWS academy prospect Logan Smith and 199cm West Australian Kayle Gerreyn.
The Cats are interested in SA ruck prospect Alex Dodson.
Emerging big man Toby Conway has had injury issues.
Dodson, who stands 203cm, has been compared to two-time All-Australian Brodie Grundy because of his mobility and competitiveness.
Recruiters think the youngster has huge potential after sitting out from football last season to focus on basketball.
This year, he played hoops for Australia at under-18 level, only to turn down division one college scholarship offers and a development spot with Adelaide 36ers to pursue footy.
Dodson averaged 20.8 disposals, 24.9 hit-outs and 4.6 clearances from nine under-18 games for the Double Blues, as well as 17.3 disposals and 19.7 hit-outs for SA.
Dodson reaches highest to win a hitout during the Under-18 National Championships.
AFL talent ambassador Kevin Sheehan told this masthead it was difficult to know how early top ruckmen would be taken in drafts, but he felt Dodson was a first-round choice.
“Given basketball occupied him a fair bit, he’s got so much development still in him, yet he was still fantastic this year,” Sheehan said.
“He’s competitive, mobile, a great size and can win the ball.
“He just needs time to develop physically to compete against the bigger bodies.”
ALEX DODSON'S DRAFT DOSSIER PROFILE
A mobile big man with “sky high” potential, Dodson looks set to be the first ruckman picked in this year’s draft. A dual-sport athlete, he did not play football as a 17-year-old, instead focusing on his other sporting love of basketball. He won a gold medal playing basketball for Australia at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany earlier this year and missed South Australia’s first match of the AFL under-18 national championships to attend a national under-19 basketball program at the AIS in Canberra.However, Dodson’s performances for his state in the last three games of the championships proved he is a player with a bright future ahead in the AFL. Likened to Western Bulldogs ruckman Tim English, Dodson is a good tap ruckman who then gets himself involved in the game post-hitout.
He is a nice mark overhead, has clean hands, is handy below his knees for a big man and can go forward and kick a goal. In one game for Sturt’s under-18s in late July, Dodson racked up 32 disposals (20 contested) along with 34 hitouts and 10 clearances. He has rejected multiple offers to play college basketball in the United States in favour of pursuing a football career.
SANFL U18s 125 ranking points, 20.8 disposals, 4 marks, 24.9 hitouts (7.4 to advantage), 4.6 clearances, 3 score involvements, 2.1 tackles, 0.1 goals (9 games)
2024 National Champs 114 ranking points, 17.3 disposals, 3 marks, 19.7 hitouts (6.7 to advantage), 3.7 clearances, 3 score involvements, 1.7 tackles, 0.3 goals (3 games)
If Geelong chose a ruckman next week, it would make it three in four national drafts.
The Cats selected Conway at pick 24 in 2021 and Edwards at No. 32 last November.
Geelong has taken a conservative approach with Conway, 21, because of his injury issues, which have restricted him to 23 games in all competitions in three seasons, including six at the top level.
He played five AFL matches this year.
Stanley featured in 14 games in 2024, including both of Geelong’s finals.
The Cats delisted category B rookie and ruckman Joe Furphy last month.
