WEST Australian excitement machine Tyrell Dewar was one of the standout Sandgropers during his side’s breakthrough win at the 2022 AFL Under 18 Championships. While the Sandgropers did not have the most memorable carnival – losing to the Allies after defeats to both Victorian sides – they did finish on a high note by knocking off South Australia at Joondalup last Sunday. That performance was the subject of our Player Focus this week.

Dewar is a naturally gifted footballer who will play off half-forward and though he is more than capable of kicking outstanding goals – emphasised by his two against the Croweaters, he is the player you want with ball-in-hand going inside 50. Not the completely finished product, Dewar has serious upside for the future, and is a player who is incredibly smart, and has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Clean at ground level and a knack for still getting a rapid fire handball away while under pressure, Dewar is one to keep in mind for this year’s AFL Draft.

More of a mid-to-late draft prospect, Dewar has some eye-catching traits. The 185cm talent is only lightly built, but is not afraid to win his own touches, and spreads well around the ground. He can lower his eyes going inside 50 and look to pinpoint passes, and has outstanding acceleration that creates separation on the lead, or once the ball hits the deck. Reliable overhead, Dewar still needs to improve his defensive pressure, strength and consistency, but what he offers on an offensive front is very clear.

Medium Forward

Tyrell Dewar

Height: 183cm

Weight: 67kg

DOB: 27-03-2004

Strengths:

Acceleration

Agility

Evasion

Goal sense

Speed

Upside

X-Factor

Marking

Draft range: Late

SEASON SO FAR

AVERAGES:
Colts –  8 games | 12.9 disposals (9.8 kicks, 3.1 handballs), 3.5 marks, 0.9 tackles, 1.6 inside 50s, 0.5 goals (5 total)

Tyrell Dewar has exclusively played Colts level in the WAFL, which would not be too much of a surprise given his areas to improve on. He has that X-factor and upside that has allowed him to impact games in the forward half of the ground, slotting five majors in eight games to go with his 12.9 disposals and 3.5 marks. One who is more of a long-term prospect, Dewar will be a crucial player as the fourth placed Subiaco eye off a double chance with the second highest percentage and just four points behind the top three sides in West Perth, East Perth and Peel Thunder in the WAFL Colts/

2022 AFL Under 18 National Championships
Western Australia 15.10 (100) def. South Australia 12.10 (82)

FIRST HALF

Tyrell Dewar’s first and second quarters were very different in terms of his impact, but emphasising exactly what he has to offer at the next level. Dewar ended up with a quiet second term, but his first was explosive from the get-go, starting at half-forward and working his way up to half-back to take a mark and kick lon down the wing. He took another two-grab mark and put it out in front of Koen Sanchez to kick his second goal at the eight-minute mark of the opening term.

Dewar continued to work hard up the ground, marking loose at half-back and hitting up a target right on the boundary line with precision. At the 16-minute mark, Dewar was inside 50 when a pack flew and the smart medium forward opted to stay at ground level. He read the play perfectly, with the ball going over the back, Dewar scooping up the loose ball, taking a bounce and running in to kick a goal from the goalsquare. He had another attempted mark on the wing later in the term, but dropped it, though recovered well with a handball to a teammate while at ground level.

SECOND HALF

Again it was a case of counter-contrasting quarters. Dewar’s third term was explosive, kicking his second goal of the match late in the term where he was in the goalsquare against two opponents and instead of trying to mark it as they flew towards him, he just tapped it above their hands for him to land in the square, grab it and boot home the goal. It was a crafty, clever play from the forward who knew exactly what he had to do, and had the nous and skill to execute it.

Dewar won a number of effective touches earlier in the term with a flurry of touches in the first seven minutes between the arcs. He had a clean one-touch pickup close to the boundary line and delivered a nice handball, then won a couple of handballs under pressure with a quick kick to half-back to settle the team down from the frantic start to the second half. Despite being tackled at half-back, he was quick and clean to get the ground ball quickly, and still able to execute the handball. His last notable play of the day was in the fourth term when her competed well in the centre circle, copping contact from an opponent but still taking it cleanly and handballing it off to a teammate out of congestion. Overall, Dewar had some incredible moments, and once he can iron out that consistency, can do a lot of damage with his natural gifts.