OVERVIEW

Changkuoth Jiath (CJ) is a nominated member of Hawthorn's Next Generation Academy. That means they have first chance to grab him should he drifs to the rookie draft, it means they can take a punt on him for nothing. There have been rumours he will be taken late in the National Draft, but if he is not, then he knows he has his AFL chance at the Hawks. He is worth persisting with because he clearly has an abundance of natural athleticism and X-factor, but lets himself down with kicking - in fact the worst of any National Combine invitee at just 38 per cent efficiency. He has a long way to go and is a really raw player, but he shows signs that he has the potential to string it all together.

STRENGTHS

• X-factor
• Aerial ability
• Athleticism

Jiath's most eye-catching moments are certainly his contested marking. Unlike many, Jiath just seems to almost pause time as he gracefully takes flight over an opponent and takes a huge grab cleanly. His aerial ability is quite impressive and his work to bring it to ground when he does not mark it is also quite good. He has really good athleticism and showed that off at the National Combine. His 63cm vertical jump is nowhere near reflective of what he is capable of. He finished the 2km time trial in six minutes and 17 seconds showing a marked improvement in endurance throughout the season, but his speed and agility tests were below average, which again was a little surprising. Overall, Jiath has that X-factor about him and he has no trouble winning the ball in the air or at ground level. He occasionally works his magic across the field and his ability to run down an opponent with a great tackle is another trait he applies throughout games. He played predominantly midfield, rotating forward and becoming a high flying target. His goal kicking let him down however, booting 1.9 for the season.

IMPROVEMENTS

• Raw
• Kicking
• Consistency

Jiath's rawness is clear area of improvement, with some aspects of his game still needing a fair amount of work. Of these areas, his kicking is certainly the major area of concern, as previously mentioned having the worst efficiency by foot of all National Combine invitees. It can be frustrating at times because every now and again he would have a perfectly waited, pin-point pass to a leading forward, before rushing the next few kicks. If he can iron out his kicking consistency and nail down an action that is more effective, then he could improve astronomically. Secondly his consistency throughout games needs to improve. He will float in and out with the odd highlight, but for a midfielder he needs to find the ball more and demand the pill from his teammates. He averaged 16 disposals per game which was not too bad for a player in a low-possession team, but if you average that number you need to have a higher efficiency rate. If he can push himself to work into better positions then that is another area he can improve.

DRAFT PROJECTION: Late-Rookie

SUMMARY Changkuoth Jiath is an exciting player who has great aerial skills and is dangerous at ground level with his pressure. He lays some good tackles and has the attributes to become a solid player, but his kicking lets him down. At 38 per cent efficiency, Jiath needs to improve that considerably, especially when he is usually a shorter kick of the ball. If he can build his consistency and work on his kicking, then he could end up a bargain for nothing for the Hawthorn Football Club.