Paddy Dow at the AFL draft combine. The Bendigo midfielder has speed, agility, good defensive instincts, and is a ball magnet. Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Footyology’s draft rankings – No. 3: Paddy Dow
No. 3 – PADDY DOW
Victoria (Bendigo Pioneers)
Midfielder
Born: 16/10/1999
Height: 184cm
Weight: 78kg
TAC Cup stats
Disposals: 26.3
Kicks: 12.7
Handballs: 13.7
Kicking efficiency: 57%
Handball efficiency: 78%
Tackles: 3.3
Marks: 4.3
Goals: 0.6
One elite attribute: Speed. A speedster with excellent defensive instincts who takes the game on at every opportunity; small frame may see him struggle in the early days.
Best-case comparison: Adam Treloar
WHAT HE’S GOT
Speed, quickness, agility: This will be Dow’s biggest friend in the AFL. He’s got the ability to burst from a stoppage and take a bounce and tuck the ball under his arm with sustained speed.
Ball-winner: Has shown the propensity to rack up the touches, but it’s not the numbers that excite, it’s the way he accumulates. Dow is one of those players who can look like he’s in two places at the same time. Had 35 touches, seven inside-50s and six clearances with two goals in a game in August (playing with a bad shoulder).
Clearance machine: Dow’s not overly tall or broad, but he hunts the ball tenaciously and has very quick hands.
Good kicking mechanics: Dow will be a great user in the AFL; he gets low to ground, is very balanced and has a consistent motion. Sometimes his fast pace causes some errant kicks.
Goalkicker: Dow probably starts his career on a forward flank and gradually progresses into a midfield role as his engine and core strength improves.
WHAT HE LACKS
Strong frame: His hard-nosed approach, while extremely valuable, won’t be all that successful early on against the bigger-bodied AFL midfielders.
Durability: Went under the knife with an arthroscopic shoulder reconstruction.
