Colt hit Manson hints at exciting future
Emma Quayle
November 16, 2011
WAYLEN Manson wasn't meant to be the reason people watched Waratah play Wanderers in the Northern Territory league last month.
Brendan Fevola played his first fly-in game for the Tahs that day, with Daniel Motlop the opposition side's drawcard. Fev did his bit, too, kicking eight goals. But he wondered the same thing as everyone else watching: who was the tall, quick kid taking high-flying marks all day?
''It was a little bit scary. I kept getting knees in the back of the head, but he was incredible,'' Fevola said. ''Everything he did was spot on. He was kicking them from absolutely everywhere.''
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Manson finished with 10 that day, and they've kept coming: six the next week, then eight. So have the AFL clubs: four or five saw him have his first quiet day last Sunday, and others are heading up this weekend to work out whether they want him, where they're willing to pick him and how late they're willing to leave him.
The 18-year-old has timed his run perfectly - most other draftees stopping playing footy two months ago - and has everything you could want in a pre-draft cult hero: a huge leap, an ability to kick freaky goals, an ability to kick lots of freaky goals, little exposed form and an interesting background. He has also inspired some amusing rumours: that West Coast has been trying to ''hide'' him, encouraging him to go home to his desert community in the Kimberley after kicking eight goals for the Claremont colts side mid-year. That the Eagles were at it again late in the year, telling him to attend the draft combine under the name Zyrus, instead of Waylen. If that's what they've been up to, sending him to Darwin was perhaps not the best idea.
Manson has talent. He's 191 centimetres, and quick. He knows how to take marks and can do things that are hard to categorise, explain or expect. ''He can catch the ball and he knows how to lead,'' said Wayne Blackwell, who coached him at Claremont. ''From standing still to his first few steps he's really, really fast and once he gets the ball, his ability to evade is very good as well. If he gets it delivered OK and has room to run and jump he's going to be hard to match up on. He has some ability, no doubt.''
He also has plenty of work on. He has played two colts games in Perth, one reserves match and a handful of games in Darwin. He doesn't mind chasing, but it doesn't come as naturally as other things, and his kicking needs work. ''If he catches it five or six times you'd want him kicking four goals. He's got a bit of an awkward style and he's like any young kid, his work rate isn't really there yet,'' said Blackwell, who is convinced Manson wants to improve. ''He wants it in his head, I've got no doubt about that. But the attitude, the work rate, that fierce determination to make it, that's what you can only see in training and how hard he works. That's what clubs would be thinking: can he adapt to that?''
It's a big question. Manson is from Billiluna, about 180 kilometres south-east of Halls Creek. Waylen is his second name: he uses it out of respect for a deceased member of his community who was also named Zyrus. It takes several hours to get to Perth via bus and plane, let alone any further, and he has never been away for long.
Claremont was desperate to get him down at the start of the year and he came, but went back home after a few weeks of pre-season. He had another go later, playing three games before heading home again, then arrived in Melbourne for the draft combine last month in a pair of thongs. Handed a pair of runners and some boots he ran and jumped well, but decided after the repeat speed test that he was a bit too sore for the other endurance tests, jumping on a plane to Darwin and kicking 10 goals that weekend.
Everyone who knows Manson loves his cheeky nature. Last week, he told Fevola that he was going to start playing at centre half-forward and let the old man have the goal square. ''Hang on,'' said Fevola. ''Am I the old man?''
He has no't experienced a full-time football environment so the club that drafts him will need to be sure it can support him. ''He really is coming from a long way back,'' said Coffey, ''but I'd love to see him make it.'' Fevola too. ''He was telling me last week how much he wants to get drafted, so he's got the passion for it,'' he said. ''If he goes to a club that can teach him, he could be really exciting.''
