OVERVIEW

Brendan Myers is a small utility who has shown enough to suggest he can play anywhere on the field. At 179cm he is on the shorter side for what clubs often look for, but like many talented smaller players he is more of a natural footballer with good footy smarts. He is not afraid to go in hard and win the ball at the coal face and he is strong in marking contests. Myers does have a few areas to work on such as his outside game and general athleticism, with his agility, endurance and in particular speed below average. He is a rookie prospect and tied to the GWS Giants Academy so it will be interesting to see where the Giants rate him.

STRENGTHS

• Inside game
• Versatility
• Footy smarts
• Strength overhead
• Accumulation

Myers has a number of strengths which attract clubs to him. His inside game is quite solid, he has good versatility, great footy smarts and is strong overhead. Despite being small, Myers can match many taller players in a contested marking contest one-on-one. Myers' strength also translates to his kicking with a penetrating kick which is reliable and works well with his other strengths. In short, Myers can win the contest in the air or at ground level and use his footy smarts to dispose of the ball neatly.

Another area which will have impressed Giants coaches will be his ability to step up and still find the ball at NEAFL level. He averaged 24 disposals and seven marks for the Giants' reserves and no doubt other club recruiters would have taken notice. He might not be the most athletic player, but he is that natural footballer who wins it on instinct and through pure grit. If there is a club looking for a tough inside midfielder who can also play in defence or up forward, then Myers might be that player.

IMPROVEMENTS

• Athleticism
• Endurance
• Outside game

Without a doubt his testing at the National Combine was not overly flattering. He recorded a 3.30 second 20m sprint, a 8.97 second agility test and 20.4 on the yo-yo test. It meant of those who tested he was in the bottom three for each of these tests. So it is clear that he has athletic areas in which he can tidy up and is the main reason why he is more of a rookie prospect because while he has clear natural footballing talent, he does need to work on his athleticism and endurance.

Secondly his outside game is an area in which he has been developing, but it still needs some work. He is naturally more inside than out and his lack of athleticism is a key reason why he has been predominantly inside. However it is an area he has gradually been working on and if he can build his tank and improve his speed, then there's no reason why Myers cannot still be effective on the outside.

DRAFT PROJECTION: Rookie

SUMMARY

There is no doubting Brendan Myers' athletic deficiencies are a concern for clubs. In terms of his game itself there are not a great deal of issues, but athletically he still has a way to go. We have seen in the past these players often go late or rookie which is where we expect Myers to end up. He is a natural footballer and for clubs with midfields that are crying out for competitive bulls, Myers might be the player for them. He certainly has the strength to play at the elite level sooner rather than later, but will continue to develop at a state level until his fitness improves. Myers has enough about him to suggest he is worth a punt, especially having a pre-season in an elite environment.