AFL bosses amazed by athleticism of rookie Walsh

THE boss of recruitment with AFL side St Kilda has showered praise on former Young Footballer of the Year Tommy Walsh, labelling him as “different to any six foot four bloke we have seen”.

“Athletically, Tommy is a first-round draft pick,” St Kilda list manager Matthew Drain said.

“That was in our mind when we gave up (pick) 16. By trade week we knew he was coming. It was a free hit in a sense that we could get Tommy signed as a rookie.”

When the former Kerins O’Rahillys star signed on the dotted line at his home in Tralee in October, it brought a two-year pursuit by Drain and player agent, Ricky Nixon, to a conclusion.

Two months on, Walsh is immersed in training, and exciting his coaches, who are honing his skills into what looms as a promising AFL career. Drain said it was difficult to categorise Walsh if he breaks into the senior ranks, due to his unusual athleticism for someone of his height.

“He is a speed power athlete, a six foot four full-forward or full-back. With all the testing we did, we thought, ‘what have we got here?’

“You don’t get too many six foot four blokes who can run 20m in 2.8 (seconds), and have the agility he has.”

Walsh is looking forward to playing professional football. “It is a big driving factor, to wake up every day, put on your boots, and that’s your job.”