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Snapshot
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Analysis
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Summary
SNAPSHOT: “The younger brother of two Dockers, Aiden O’Driscoll is a zippy and diminutive winger with the capability to impact the game on the scoreboard.”
A familiar surname to many, Aiden O’Driscoll is the younger brother of Fremantle’s Nathan and Emma. Though he features on the wing as his brother does, he is very much his own unique player.
Coming into the season off of a stellar bottom age campaign for Perth in the WAFL Colts and Wesley in the PSA, O’Driscoll split his time between the two once again this year. A standout performer for Wesley, he seldom features away from the wing, though has proven himself an asset when playing up forward.
Featuring in all four games for Western Australia, O’Driscoll’s numbers don’t do justice to the impact he has proven he can have on the wing. With over a quarter of his disposals going inside 50, he was assertive and offensive with his approach.
His season concluded with a heartbreaking Grand Final loss in the WAFL Colts competition – a game he lit up in the first quarter with the opening two goals, before his side narrowly went down by 11 points.
STRENGTHS:
+ Agility
+ Endurance
+ Speed
+ Scoreboard impact
+ Work rate
IMPROVEMENTS:
- Consistency
- Contested game
One of the most impressive athletes in this year’s draft, O’Driscoll’s running abilities would have many coaches excited about what he could become. The sole member of the National Combine invitees to post a sub one second five metre sprint in the preseason, O’Driscoll’s runs regularly begin with a sharp burst of speed to break away from his opponents.
Over 20 metres he managed a time of 2.87 seconds in the preseason, one of only four National Combine invitees to clock under 2.9 seconds. These numbers are no surprise when you watch O’Driscoll play. It’s a common occurrence to see him on his own in acres of space, and it’s no wonder how he loses his man so easily with acceleration like that.
His speed is backed up with a large tank for endurance running. A capable two way runner, O’Driscoll does have a tendency to be seen more on attack than defence, an area he could look to improve on. Though, his fitness allows him to have an impact across the entire ground throughout the game and assist in transitioning the ball from defence to attack in the blink of an eye.
Being as quick and nimble as he is, O’Driscoll is very capable of taking on opponents with a sharp turn, or combining with his teammates to force defenders to cover two men where he can turn an inch of space into an opening.
In terms of impact on the game, O’Driscoll regularly finds his name on the scoreboard, having managed 14 goals across 20 WAFL Colts games in his three-year career at the Demons. The finals run that led Perth to the last game of the season brought the best of his goalkicking out, managing four goals in three games off the wing, including the opening two goals of the Grand Final.
As far as room for improvement is concerned, O’Driscoll’s consistency not just week to week, but often quarter to quarter within one game could be bettered. At his best, he is one of the most dangerous looking players on ground, though he can have a tendency to go quiet for extended periods of a game. As a lightly framed winger, his contested game too can leave something to be desired.
DRAFT RANGE: 40-60
O’Driscoll has proven himself to be capable of great things in his junior career, showing elements of an Errol Gulden style winger with his ability to impact the scoreboard regularly. If a club does opt to take him, they will be hoping he can prove his elder siblings right in saying he is the best player in his family.
AFL U18 Championships
| Season | Team | K | HB | D | M | CP | UP | T | HO | CLR | I50 | R50 | GL | GM | K | H | D | M | HO | T | G | DC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Western Australia | 28 | 21 | 49 | 22 | 14 | 33 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7.0 | 5.3 | 12.3 | 5.5 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 57 |
| Total | - | 28 | 21 | 49 | 22 | 14 | 33 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7.0 | 5.3 | 12.3 | 5.5 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 57 |
