Sam Gayfer: A high-flying forward. But where does he fit?
Sam Gayfer gives Essendon an interesting decision to consider.
He is an athletic 194cm key forward who attacks the ball in the air, follows up when it hits the ground and has an appetite for pressure. There are some similarities to Nate Caddy, particularly in how quickly he can recover from a marking contest and become involved again at ground level.
Is that an appealing combination for Essendon’s forward line? Or, with Kayle Gerreyn (should he be retained) and Archer May also developing, would the Bombers be better targeting a different type?
Before answering that, there is plenty in Gayfer’s own game worth assessing.
A weapon on the leap
Gayfer’s athleticism is obvious.
He has broad shoulders, a long reach and a willingness to throw himself at the incoming ball. When he gets a run and jump, he can make life difficult for a defender.
The Combine put a number against what the footage shows. He broke the all-time running vertical jump record with a leap of 114cm and also topped the standing vertical jump with 88cm..........
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