Rory Laird believes Adelaide draftee Max Michalanney could be ready for AFL football early in his first season.
After being taken with pick No. 17 in the National Draft, the father-son product from Norwood has impressed in his first pre-season.
An athletic defender that can play tall and small at 191cm, Laird was impressed with Michalanney’s performance in Adelaide’s practice match win over West Coast last Friday.
Having competed well playing on star forward Liam Ryan - who was kept to one goal and 10 touches - Laird was asked whether Michalanney was set for a Round 1 debut.
“I reckon he’d be very close,” Laird replied SEN SA's The Run Home.
“He sort of played on Liam Ryan a bit on the weekend which is a nice eye-opener in one of your first AFL tryouts and he played really well.
“He blanketed him a few times, he had one with him where he was completely one on one with him inside 50 and got it done.
“He just plays footy, he doesn’t seem really quick or powerful but you watch him play and he’s got these quick feet, he just reads it and just seems to get it done.
“Good luck to the match committee because it’ll be a pretty tight process I’d say.”
Having paid close attention to the first-round pick in his first summer at the club, Laird says Michalanney is a natural that is keen to learn.
“He’s great, he’s very attentive and he loves footy,” Laird said.
“He just tries to lap it all up I guess, but at the same time you watch him play and he seems to take it all in.
“He’s very calm and he’s just a natural footy player.”
Coming off his own two-goal, 32-disposal performance against the Eagles, Laird hopes his form continues into the season proper after putting on size and completing the entirety of the pre-season.
“I feel great,” Laird said.
“I didn’t miss any of the pre-season, I did all of it.
“I sort of put on a bit of size, I put on a kilo or a kilo and a half.
“I just thought the last couple of years I wasn’t getting pushed around, but I just find there’s a lot more grappling (in the midfield) and it’s a lot more physical than what I was doing at half back.
“I had a bit of an emphasis on that over the summer, so I feel great and I don’t have any injuries - this time last year I had a broken hand, so I’m in a better position now.
“Hopefully I take some pre-season form into Round 1.”
Laird will hope to impress again when Adelaide face GWS at Giants Stadium in a Round 1 clash on March 19.