Former club recruiter Matt Rendell has outlined where out-of-favour Brisbane defender Alex Witherden needs to improve, saying he simply has to get tougher if he wants to succeed at AFL level.
Lions football boss David Noble confirmed their intention to keep the 22-year-old at the club in an interview on AFL Trade Radio, after he played just six games in 2020.
Rendell praised Witherden’s footskills, but said he was taking “too many soft options” which eventually led to his omission from the senior side.
“He does kick the footy very well,” he said on AFL Trade Radio’s The Late Trade.
“But Alex (Witherden) has to get tougher, he was taking too many soft options and that’s why he was taken out of defence.
“He’s a quality player and his second year was great so I think he’s still worth looking at.”
Asked by a caller whether Geelong would consider making a move for Witherden, Rendell believes the Cats should instead prioritise keeping Jordan Clark at the club.
“They have a better player on their list (than Witherden) in Jordan Clark that they have to keep,” he said.
“He’s a gun so he fits that bill, the Cats have got a habit of getting their Geelong Falcons boys back to the club so he could fit onto a wing.”
Witherden is contracted to Brisbane until the end of 2022.