Mark McVeigh wants speed, and Gus Teixeira has it. His highlights package is as good as anyone’s in this draft. His acceleration, creativity around goal, the ability to gather the footy at pace. There are passages that make you sit up and take notice. But one of the most appealing parts of his game happens when the opposition has the ball. He uses his speed to chase, pressure and go again. He looks like he loves the hunt. There is plenty to get excited about here. There are a

Heath Mellody’s kicking attracts plenty of attention. When he is moving through the ground and using the footy, it is easy to understand why. But the more I watch him, the more I’m drawn to what happens before and after the disposal. He scans the field. He holds his space. He puts himself where he can be used, and once he has moved the ball on, he keeps moving himself. There is a lot of intelligence in his game. It helps explain how he has been able to perform against men whi

There are players I watch because I want to understand why they are rated so highly. With Arki Butler, it doesn’t take long to see the appeal. The kicking, the awareness in traffic, the strength overhead. There is plenty to like. But the more footage I’ve watched, the more interested I’ve become in the gap between what he can do and how consistently he does it. I think there is a lot of upside here. And I mean a lot. The standard caveat on all of this. My assessment comes fro

I like Ethan Drever. I can see how he fits for us. The combination of size, speed and defensive intent is appealing. Add exceptionally clean hands and quick decisions in close, and there is a lot to work with. He can play inside. He can play outside. Whether he can consistently connect the two is the question Matt Rosa and his team will be asking. The standard caveat on all of this. My assessment comes from watching full games and full player involvement edits, rather than ju