Promising tall youngster Sam Hayes says he is fine with a move interstate long-term should he be drafted by a non-Victorian club in the upcoming NAB AFL National Draft.
Fremantle is believed to be interested in moving on the 202.7cm forward/ruckman with their second selection of the draft, pick five, having delisted big men Jonathon Griffin and Zac Clarke last month.
With the Dockers eyeing the Eastern Ranges product to become the long-term replacement for veteran Aaron Sandilands, Hayes says he’d be more than happy with a move west.
“I’d be fine moving interstate,” he told SEN Breakfast.
“It’d obviously be a very big change moving to the other side of the country, but I’d think I’d be fine.
“I’d just embrace everything that comes my way. I think it would be a good thing.”
Hayes says that while he thinks he has plenty to give up forward, he considers his best position to be in the ruck.
“I can play forward as well but I’d like to think I did my best work in the ruck this year and last year,” he said.
“I don’t cancel out the forward craft as well but I’d like to say the ruck is where I play my best footy at.”
Uniquely for a 200cm-plus player, Hayes says he prides himself on his work on the ground along with in the air.
He also says that his running capability is the number one aspect to his game that he is currently working on.
“I’ve always prided myself on being good below my knees,” the Vic Metro under-18 national carnival representative said.
“If they can see big men doing that then I guess it can surprise them a little bit.
“I’m working on my running. That’s one thing that I am really knuckling down on at the moment.
“I know it needs to improve so I am doing a lot of that.”
Inside Football Draft profile...
SAM HAYES
09-Jun-99 | 202.7cm | 92.6kg | Eastern Ranges
“Sam is interesting because in five years time he could be the best ruckman ever or some people think he might be on the scrapheap by then. His stats are extraordinary and he’s got that much upside it’s not funny but he’s just got to understand the requirements and actually put everything into place. Tap work is good, he’s improving around the ground and he’s just got to understand the game a bit more. Just a big kid and if he could get to a place where he has a good role model as a ruckman then that would really help him. Ability wise I think he’s a first-rounder but whether a club pulls the trigger on him that early is another thing.” – Eastern Ranges coach Darren Bewick.
The 2017 Draft Preview issue of SEN Inside Football is out now. It will include 240 prospect profiles, as well as one-on-one interviews with some of this year's top hopefuls. Subscribe today!