AFL National Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan has sung the praises of projected top-10 draft pick Logan McDonald, who he says shares many of St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt’s attributes.
The West Australian forward is impressing onlookers after starring at WAFL level in recent weeks, kicking three goals in his debut game playing for Perth.
Sheehan spoke about both McDonald and the highly regarded Swan Districts defender Denver Grainger-Barras, who is also expected to be one of the top few picked in this year’s National Draft.
“There’s a pair (of players) in Western Australia that all the clubs will be talking about in the top 10,” he said on SEN's Dwayne's World.
“A kid call Logan McDonald, he’s a 196cm key forward and has some of Nick Riewoldt’s attributes. He’s got (similar) running patterns and marking ability – he’s kicked 20-odd goals in just the seven or eight matches this year.
“He played on a kid called Denver Grainger-Barras who we saw last year as a 17-year-old intercept marker playing for WA in the national championships as a bottom-ager and he’s now playing great senior (WAFL footy).
“They played on each other a couple of weeks ago, it was a great battle between two stars of the future who we think will go top 10.
“Those boys have had that chance to get into senior football and show they’re ready for the next step up.”
The lead-up to this year’s draft has been heavily disrupted due to COVID-19, which has seen no junior football played in Victoria.
It’s a different story for players based in other parts of the country, however, highlighted by both McDonald and Grainger-Barras’ starring roles for their respective WAFL sides ahead of December’s draft.