Luke Teal Draft Profile

Medium Defender

#8

Luke Teal

height: 189cm

weight: 80kg

D.O.B: 20-05-2004

Leagues: AFL U18 Championships, Coates Talent League Boys

Snapshot
Analysis
Summary

SNAPSHOT: “A medium defender able to play on small and medium forwards while also providing rebound with his skill and composure.”

It has been a tricky year for Luke Teal, missing the first three weeks of the NAB League season missing some of the bigger games but returned against Calder Cannons in Round 4. He successfully had 19 disposals, and although was shaky early, he quickly got going again and by the end of the year was really hitting his straps.

Teal is a good size for a modern footballer, standing at around 190cm and playing mostly as a defender has played on a range of types but mostly small forwards with his biggest task against Harry Sheezel in Round 16. That was a good battle, with Teal finishing that game with 20 disposals and was a real weapon with his sharp kicking.

With his ability to shut down while also provide rebound, Teal could project to be like Collingwood defensive duo Brayden Maynard and Isaac Quaynor who both had a huge years for Collingwood showing those types of players to be very valuable in modern football.

Teal would finish the year only managing four games with Oakleigh Chargers but would average 17.8 disposals and five marks per game and although he has not shown to get the huge numbers like a Lachlan Cowan or Jakob Ryan, he has also had an interrupted year and has had to play more lockdown roles. Teal would also play the final game for Vic Metro against Vic Country which was his first representative game since last year where he also excelled down back.

STRENGTHS:

+ Kicking
+ Composure
+ Agility
+ Decision making
+ Consistency
+ Defensive accountability

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Strength
- Production

What sets Teal apart from many players in this years draft pool is his kicking. It is often penetrating and to a teammates advantage, and forwards are always keen to lead to Teal when he is streaming from defence. He did not get to take many kickouts, but it is certainly a role he could do well at the next level and with Teal, a club will have confidence with the ball in his hands.

Speaking of confidence with ball in hand, that describes Teal to a t. He is often level-headed under pressure, and has made a few forwards look silly this year. He would sell some candy and move around them with ease, and then deliver well by hand or foot which is another great trait for a defender at the next level.

Consistency has been a big part of Teal’s game this year with his lowest tally of 15 disposals and highest of 20, showing how dependable he is and why his coaches and teammates really missed him in the opening rounds despite Oakleigh winning all its games. A club knows what it is getting with Teal, and clubs will be put at ease knowing this.

Teal is a diligent player who unlike many rebound defenders, will do his best to man up and beat his opponent. He often does well in nullifying a contest and backing up again to try and win the ball or tackle. Teal can also play on the wing with his height and skill a key combination of traits needed in the modern game.

Averaging almost 20 disposals a game for a defender is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but when comparing it to some other defenders available in the draft it could be a detractor, there are plenty of defenders that have played well this year who play very similar roles and are a similar size to Teal. One area Teal has also struggled at times is one on one contests against stronger opponents and some added strength could really help him play on a wider range of opponents at the next level.

DRAFT RANGE: 25-50

SUMMARY:

It was not the perfect year for Luke Teal, with the early season delay and only managing the one game for Vic Metro and four games for Oakleigh, but he had showed enough to be right in the draft mix. Teal was a player to watch coming into the season so there was plenty of expectation and he did well to finish the year strong at least to remind clubs of his talent and he could be a real bargain mid-draft for a club wanting to add some quality to their defence.

Strengths

Agility

Composure

Consistency

Decision making

Kicking

Improvements

Production

Strength

AFL U18 Championships

Season	Team	K	HB	D	M	CP	UP	T	HO	CLR	I50	R50	GL	GM	K	H	D	M	HO	T	G	DC
2022	Vic Metro	4	5	9	0	5	3	5	0	1	0	3	0	1	4.0	5.0	9.0	0.0	0.0	5.0	0.0	28
Total	-	4	5	9	0	5	3	5	0	1	0	3	0	1	4.0	5.0	9.0	0.0	0.0	5.0	0.0	28

Coates Talent League Boys

Season	Team	K	HB	D	M	T	I50	R50	GM	K	H	D	M	T	DC
2022	Oakleigh Chargers	39	32	71	20	9	8	10	4	9.8	8.0	17.8	5.0	2.3	67
2023	Oakleigh Chargers	92	64	156	24	12	16	26	9	10.2	7.1	17.3	2.7	1.3	59
Total	-	131	96	227	44	21	24	36	13	10.1	7.4	17.5	3.4	1.6	126