STRENGTHS:

+ Aggression
+ Production
+ Ruck craft
+ Strength

IMPROVEMENTS:

– Kick consistency
– Speed

Gippsland Power has had a knack of developing key position options over the last couple of years, and following in Max Knobel‘s shoes comes Lachlan Smith. Though he is not the quickest player going around, the readymade 202cm and 101kg ruck is strong and clever at the stoppages. His ruck craft is one of his strengths, often getting first hands to it, and his form for the Power was then put to the test against the best in the Country at the Under 18 National Championships.

He averaged 2.7 clearances to go with his 18.7 hitouts, and while he is not a huge accumulator, can still get involved between the arcs. An aggressive ruck who is not afraid to throw his weight around or carry the ball, Smith is a player who could still tidy up some execution areas such as kicking and decision making, but what he does well is in his primary ruck position which is what clubs will look at for the future. Look for him to be a late or rookie chance.

DRAFT RANGE: Late/Rookie