“Got captain written all over him”: Top draftee Ginbey receives high praise from former Eagles star
Reuben Ginbey, just five games into his AFL career, has been tipped to be a down the track captaincy candidate for West Coast by a club great.
In what looks like one of the strongest draft classes of recent years, Ginbey sits third in Rising Star markets on the back of his blistering start to the year with the Eagles.
The 18-year-old has attended just shy of 60 per cent of centre bounces, and with his midfield role has laid the seventh most tackles of anyone in 2023.
Ginbey’s role has partly come about due to an injury crisis engulfing the Eagles, but 1999 Coleman Medallist Scott Cummings says the West Australian’s learnings will have been off the charts.
“Reuben Ginbey is a ripper, I don’t reckon I’ve seen a guy who would have learnt more in his first five games of AFL than Reuben Ginbey,” Sportsday SA.
“He’s been tagging the best midfielders in the game and he’s such a ball-hunter that he stands side by side, arm across the chest at the stoppage, then ball hits the deck and he’s off after it.
“Clayton Oliver tore him to shreds two weeks ago but he’s learning a lot.
“He’s going to be a 12-15 year player and he’s got (future) captain written all over him.”
Ginbey – who was taken pick nine in last year’s National Draft - is one of more than half a dozen young Eagles who have been blooded in recent years as the Eagles turn to youth.
Cummings sees potential in the squad Adam Simpson is starting to build, but lamented the bad fortune West Coast has faced this year.
The club has a whopping 1384 games of experience on its injury list ahead of Round 6 with no respite in sight. Noah Long and Shannon Hurn are the most reportedly unlikely to line up this week, furthering the crisis.
Games experience named on this week's @AFL website injury list
— Swamp (@sirswampthing) April 18, 2023
1384 - WCE
1153 - SYD
934 - MELB
848 - COLL
846 - CARL
813 - RICH
772 - STK
640 - FREM
625 - ESS
611 - GEEL
579 - WBD
500 - PORT
391 - GWS
344 - HAW
206 - GCS
188 - NTH
1 - BRIS
0 - ADEL
Doubt around Noah Long (hamstring soreness) and Shannon Hurn (general soreness) for @WestCoastEagles this week.
— Ryan Daniels (@FootyRhino) April 19, 2023
Both unlikely to play. @7NewsPerth @TripleMPerth
Ginbey too copped several big knocks last weekend, yet Simpson admitted he might be forced to play the youngster given the lack of reserves.
“Elijah Hewett, who’s played a couple of games this year, he went back to the WAFL and did an ankle before he even had a possession in the 161-point loss to West Perth on the weekend,” Cumming continued of the Eagles’ youngsters.
“I like what Noah Long brings… Campbell Chesser… I think he’s going to be alright too.
“Brady Hough shows a bit, Rhett Bazzo… he’s going to be a terrific backman.
“I think they’ve gone down the right path in terms of they’ve gone to the draft last year, they went to the draft the year before and they’ll go to the draft again this year and the way they’re going, they’re going to get some really early picks.
“I’m not sure how much bad luck a coach can have… they just can’t get their senior players on the park.”
West Coast has won one of its opening five games and currently has the second-worst percentage of any team at just 74.5
A clash against Port Adelaide looms in Round 6.