Essendon ruckman Sam Draper is a player to keep an eye on this season, according to Garry Lyon.
Lyon understands that Drarper, who stands at 203cm, has been training the house down throughout the pre-season and will be key to the Bombers’ fortunes in 2021.
The 22-year-old was described as a “competitive beast like no other” who could elevate himself into the elite ruck category by season’s end.
“The elite ruckmen in the competition, it goes Nic Naitanui, Max Gawn and then Brodie Grundy, you can order them however you want,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.
“There’s a bloke who’s training better than all of them, who is ripping the joint to shreds, who might just announce himself and put himself into that category by season’s end and his name is Sam Draper.
“That’s what I’m hearing from multiple sources and that he’s pivotal to what happens at Essendon. I’m told he's a competitive beast like no other.
“He’s got a pre-season under his belt and his influence reigns at Essendon and that he is going to be the ruckman who is going to burst onto the scene.”
Draper inked a four-year contract to stay at the Bombers in 2019 after rejecting St Kilda’s advances despite having never played an AFL match.
The South Australian made his debut last season and has eight senior games under his belt.