Mitch Banner (Western Jets/Vic Metro) - Draft Profile

Height: 178.6cm
Weight: 78.7kg
Preferred foot: Right
Playing Style: Off-pack midfielder
Potential: 5.5-7.5/10

Strengths

> Very strong OH marking ability for his size outstanding – 1 grabber – plays taller than he’s listed– definite reach advantage for his height
> Massive ball magnet – seems to be in the right spots to get the footy consistently – suggests he reads the play very well
> Very strong – tackles don’t slip
> Hands and vision in traffic is quite good – has good power in the hands
> Well credentialed at TAC cup level

Weaknesses

> WAY too many blind high trajectory bombs forward to contests that are easy to defend – has very little vision when kicking -although on the rare occasion he tries to spot some up he does it with good weighting generally – can also kick the ball over distance quite comfortably. Not beyond him kicking goals from 50m
> Small – sub 180cm
> Not routinely clean below the knees

Other

> What role? - doesn’t have the skill set to be an outside midfielder/flanker – below average pace and trigger happy footskills and doesn’t read it well enough at clearances to play inside.

Overall

Players that don’t have a clear AFL role can be written off from going top 30 and Banner is in that category. He’ll be a very good state level player at worst that doesn’t have enough quality to last as a LT player at AFL. At best he’ll be a midfielder that gets a lot of touches but lacks athleticism, isn’t strong at the clearances or delivering by foot – a bit like Peter Bell. Personally I see the former more likely and doesn’t interest me as a national draft or rookie prospect.