Alwyn Davey Jr Draft Profile

Small Forward

#5

Alwyn Davey Jr

height: 181cm

weight: 77kg

D.O.B: 26-02-2004

Leagues: AFL U18 Championships, Coates Talent League Boys

Snapshot
Analysis
Summary

SNAPSHOT:“ An exciting midfielder/forward who has exciting traits which set him apart from other players in the draft pool.”

When Alwyn Davey’s twin brother Jayden went down with his second anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) the dream of playing with his brother at Oakleigh was dashed but the likelihood it can happen at another club seems high with both Alwyn and Jayden eligible under the father-son rule for Essendon.

Despite Jayden being done for the year early, Alwyn got his skates on making an early impression playing mostly in the midfield in a stacked Oakleigh midfield brigade and he would continue to improve as the games went on and was rewarded with selection for the AFL Academy who played Collingwood’s VFL side. Alwyn would go on to play every game for Vic Metro with his best game coming against Western Australia with 19 disposals, five inside 50s and two goals, and his best game for Oakleigh would come against eventual premiers Sandringham in Round 16 with a 26-disposal game.

Davey averaged 16 disposals for Oakleigh and only kicked three goals, but it was his eye catching traits and score assists that really caught the eye in those six games. He would also play plenty of good football for APS team Xavier College and would regularly hit the scoreboard with some fantastic goals.

It was a big year of footy for Davey playing every NAB League, APS and Vic Metro game possible along with his games in the Metro trials and the AFL Academy game, he would also finally put on the Essendon jumper playing for their VFL side late in the year which included a stunning long range snap goal that really showed off his class.

STRENGTHS:

+ Speed
+ Agility
+ Vision
+ Balance
+ Tackling
+ Clean Hands

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Endurance
- Production

You cannot help but get excited whenever Davey gets possession of the ball because he often does something special with it and just like his father did at Essendon. Davey is not afraid to use his speed where he has been able to burn off opponents with relevant ease. He makes running down the wings with a player hot on his trail look easy which is not unlike his uncle Aaron Davey who did the same for Melbourne countless times.

Alwyn shares plenty of attributes with his uncle but the main one he gets from his father is the ability to chase down tackle highlighted with a thrilling tackle against Eastern Ranges in Round 3 coming from nowhere to nail speedster Kai Windsor which got the crowd very excited. He does not have the endurance to do it consistently but his pressure game is amongst the best in this years draft.

One would think with his speed and tackling, that Alwyn Davey would play mostly forward but it is the midfield where Davey has shone the most using his uncanny balance and agility to escape congestion. That strength along with his ability to navigate in tight spaces is elite, and with his clean hands and vision he can be a real weapon and with his balance and surprising strength over the ball he can give himself even more time especially with his clean hands at ground level.

Davey’s production and consistency has been his main point of contention and despite having some decent enough games, he has not not matched the high output of the likes of Elijah Tsatas and Will Ashcroft. Additionally despite Davey spending more time forward than those players, his actual scoreboard output has not been as high as it could be with his finishing at goal not as crisp as his ball use inside 50.

Davey’s endurance at the end of the day is the key to lifting that production and it is an area he has worked hard on as the year. He has done well not to be burnt out with the amount of football he has played. A 6.55 2km time is respectable, but it will certainly be an area to improve in order to be a successful midfielder or forward at the next level. It would not be a surprise to see him even get some time down back as well to help ease him into AFL.

DRAFT RANGE: 15-30

SUMMARY:

Although there has not been an offical nomination yet, it would be a shock not to see Davey nominate Essendon. As a lifetime Bomber fan, he has always wanted to play for his father’s team with his twin brother, but even if that is not to be, it would take a brave club to pass up on his talent in the late first to early second area of the draft, as Davey has many unique traits that set him apart from his peers and plenty of scope for improvement. Alwyn is a great kid by all accounts and is a supportive teammate on and off the field, and any team could use those type of characters.

Strengths

Agility

Balance

Clean hands

Speed

Tackling

Vision

Improvements

Endurance

Production