STRENGTHS:

+ Clean hands
+ Follow-up work
+ Mobility
+ Size
+ Upside

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Exposure
- Forward craft

There is no denying the upside Dodson presents given how much footballing development he has missed. Not only that, but athletic 203cm talents don't grow on trees, let alone ones with clean fundamental skills and mechanics. Dodson ticks a lot of boxes in terms of what recruiters look for in rucks, and while some crystal-balling is at play, he is quality at the present, too.

Dodson is accustomed to getting his hands on the ball, and you could hazard a guess that his basketball background is a key factor behind his stoppage nous. He engages well in the ruck contest, posting against and jostling with opponents, and attempting to use his size advantage to guide the ball down to teammates before following up on his initial acts.

Quick and clean at either claiming the ball from the ruck to clear, or gathering at ground level to feed his teammates, Dodson puts up strong clearance numbers. He imposed himself among the inner circle with averages of 19.7 hitouts, and 3.7 clearances during the National Championships, and boosted those numbers to 24.9 and 4.6 in the SANFL Under 18s.

What's more, he can also have an impact in general play. Dodson's size and reach make him difficult to beat in aerial contests, as he can pluck the ball at higher points. He also roams around the ground supremely well for a player his size, sweeping behind the ball or providing a target down the line to take contested marks.

While he already performs at quite a high level, there are still elements of rawness to Dodson's game. He can add a little more strength to his frame to compete at the next level, and perhaps remove a few unforced errors from his game - especially with ball in hand. Developing his forward craft will also be useful, to gain a second position and compound his hurt factor.