Liam Shiels (Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro) - Draft Profile

Height: 183.4cm
Weight: 79.05kg
Playing Style: Inside/Outside Midfielder
Potential: 6.5-8/10
Preferred Foot: Right

Strengths

> Footy smart and sound DM skills
> Links up well around the ground – consistent and prolific ball winner
> Hard at the footy
> Team minded and courageous (backs into packs)
> Good evasive skills – good at buying himself more time inside traffic – well balanced too
> Strong AFL ready build – and still only bottom aged – ability to break tackles
> Good disposer by hand – quick releases, good vision and power
> Powerful RF kick – can carry the ball 55m
> Ability to kick goals through the midfield (av. 1/game at TAC Cup level in 2008) –capable of kicking them from the 50m arc
> Sound aerial ability for his size – plays a bit taller than he’s listed
> Strong and prolific tackler in close (av. 5.8/game at TAC Cup level in 2008) – doesn’t have the pace to run down players though
> Clean hands

Weaknesses

> Lacks athleticism – particularly pace (occasionally does show better than expected pace)
> Below par reliability by foot – has good power, but his weighting and accuracy is hit and miss – decent scope to improve considering DM skills are sound

Other

> Outstanding 2007 U16 Carnival - very little game time in the 2008 U18 Championships
> Very bottom aged

Overall

Shiels projects as a solid vanilla midfielder that will either be (at best) very solid LT player at AFL or (at worst) a very good VFL player.