OVERVIEW

Kane Farrell has not received as much air time in draft discussions as other players despite having a good balance between athleticism and natural footballing ability. Farrell was one of the best performers at the National Combine, winning the agility test and finishing second in the 20m sprint. His endurance could be improved, but his skill, composure and ability to hit-up targets from long range is among the best in the TAC Cup. It is hard to see where Farrell falls in the draft, but based on his qualities he could be someone who could be a late bargain.

STRENGTHS

• Skill
• Athleticism
• Kick penetration
• Composure

Farrell is a really composed user of the football and each time he wins it, he looks to take an extra step or two to get clear of an opponent and move the ball forward. One thing that is immediately evident with Farrell is his ability to kick long rather than short, gaining plenty of distance in his kick. A number of times throughout the season Farrell would sidestep an opponent and take a few quick steps to burst away, before composing himself and delivering inside 50. If anything, his long kicking was far superior to his short kicking, which was prone to the odd clanger at times. His athleticism is clear to see in games and he was one of the best, if not the best, mover in the under 18s. If he is given an inch he will take a mile and really hurt teams going forward. The fact he is not being talked about more is possibly the fact that he was in the bottom side, Bendigo Pioneers, but his attributes stack up against many other highly rated players. If he can continue to build on the attributes he has, he could be a very good player at the elite level.

IMPROVEMENTS

• Endurance
• Overuse

The biggest knock I had from the times I watched Farrell closely was the fact he could overuse the ball at times. He knew he had the pace, acceleration and skills to take the game on, but at times he would take an extra bounce or look for a longer option rather than the easier man 30m away. That was all well and good, but sometimes he would get caught, or realise his longer option had been covered because he took the extra few steps, so he was forced to kick to a different target and that was where he would come unstuck. Aside from his overuse, his endurance is another area which could further improve. As it stands he has okay endurance, but it is not in the top echelon of other players in the draft crop. His 2km time trial of seven minutes and 10 seconds put him in the bottom 10 at the National Combine, and his yo-yo score of 20.8 while not bad, could be improved. It's an area that can be fixed with a big pre-season and especially in the elite environment.

DRAFT PROJECTION: Third round onwards

SUMMARY

Kane Farrell is a great value get later on in the draft if that is where he falls. He has a great combination of speed, skill and composure and is one of the few that balances between a natural footballer and an athlete. He has played through the midfield and up forward, and was one of the better players in getting the ball deep inside the forward 50. Farrell could take his game to the next level by building his tank further and tempering his use of the football to ensure he does not get run down or forced to make a rash decision by foot.