Academy draft prospects1:54
AFL: Fox Footy's Ben Waterworth and Riley Beveridge take a look at the academy prospects in this year's draft.
Eastern Ranges midfielder Jordan Gallucci drawing comparisons to Western Bulldogs premiership star
HALFWAY through the TAC Cup season, the Eastern Ranges were in the midst of a form slump.
They were winless for the month and in need of some inspiration.
Enter Jordan Gallucci.
After a stunning national carnival for Vic Metro that earnt him All-Australian honours, Gallucci returned to skipper his Ranges against the Western Jets to produce one of the standout performances of the season.
As Eastern Ranges talent manager Len Villani recalls, it was exactly what the side needed to get its 2016 campaign back on track.
“At that point we’d lost four or five games on the trot and were struggling just to keep our head above water,” Villani tells foxfooty.com.au.
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“We just needed someone to take the game by the scruff of the neck.”
Gallucci kicked five goals and racked up 21 touches that day, his actions inspiring his teammates to a resounding win over the Western Jets.
“It was one of the most dominant TAC Cup performances I’ve seen since Dyson Heppell play against the Calder Cannons several years back when he was playing for Gippsland,” Villani adds.
But while this game was memorable for Villani, it wasn’t at all an anomaly.
Throughout the TAC Cup, Gallucci averaged 20 disposals and kicked 1.8 goals per game. Only one midfielder — Hugh McCluggage, who is tipped to go at either Pick 1 or 2 in the this month’s national draft — averaged more goals from midfield in 2016.
Gallucci’s 1.6 goals assists per game was also the second-most of any TAC Cup midfielder, again behind only McCluggage.
But one area where Gallucci certainly has McCluggage covered is the speed stakes. Just ask AFL national and international talent manager Kevin Sheehan, who struggles to find a flaw in the young gun’s game.
“What separates him is that he’s a super athlete,” Sheehan tells foxfooty.com.au.
“He’s super quick and agile and super powerful. You see moments in games where he just has so much speed and agility that he’s away in the blink of an eye, or it might be a brilliant standing jump where he just jumps straight over their shoulders and does something spectacular.
“You can just see him at AFL level showing brilliant speed, even against the best of the best athletes at AFL level.”
It’s for these reasons Gallucci has already begun drawing comparisons with one of the most electric players in the game. This year’s Norm Smith medallist.
“He’s got some traits of a Jason Johannisen with his run, it’s that spectacular,” Sheehan says.
“When he goes past people it’s like a JJ. He’s prepared to take people on. If he sees someone in front of him, he’s prepared to run around them. That’s what you see in the blink of the eye at times, he breaks the lines with his speed.
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“He could play as the smaller defender. The way the game is now played, you want that burst from defence. He could play that role without a problem.”
But Gallucci’s skill-set is so extensive he could arguably occupy most positions.
Indeed, it’s his versatility that makes him such an attractive prospect at the draft. The superlatives are almost endless when it comes to describing the 18-year-old, who is tipped to get picked up in the opening round.
At the combine, where invitees are put through three days of gruelling testing, the Yarra Valley Grammar schoolboy was a standout.
Gallucci set a new record for the standing vertical jump at 89cm and was the quickest in the repeat sprint test. His explosiveness across a short distance was matched by his endurance, with Gallucci’s 14.5 beep test score the equal sixth best at the combine.
So is there a catch?
“He’s not as penetrating a kick as he’d like to be at times, but at other times on the run he gets great depth with his kicking,” Sheehan says.
“That’s an area he’ll improve on in the AFL environment. Chris Judd, they say they weren’t so sure about his kicking, but it’s different when you go into a full time environment. Things get corrected very quickly
“You couldn’t question his attitude, his athletic ability and his ball-winning ability, which I think are the key requirements.”
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Despite the question marks hovering over Gallucci’s ability to roost the Sherrin, he had the third-most metres gained (422m) of any midfielder at the national championships.
Even his downside has upside.
While Villani and Sheehan could barely fault Gallucci’s skills, they certainly couldn’t fault his attitude. He’s ready-made for the demanding AFL bubble, one which disposes of even the most talented of youngsters if they don’t adopt professional standards.
But the transition should be seamless for Gallucci.
“He’s a very determined and driven young man who will thrive in an AFL environment,” Villani says.
“He thrives on pressure. I think he’ll be able to adjust and play some senior footy fairly quickly.”
Top 5 draft prospects1:34
AFL: Fox Footy's Ben Waterworth and Riley Beveridge break down this years top 5 draft prospects.
Originally published as The superlative king drawing JJ comparisons