MCCARTHY burst onto the scene this year at colts level for South Fremantle, where he kicked lots of goals, took lots of marks and impressed a lot of people. So much so that McCarthy was named in Western Australia's state squad and played every game of the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, and was named an All Australian forward.

McCarthy, a former junior cricketer, played his best game against Vic Country in round four, when he kicked three goals, including the match-winner after the siren. Unfortunately his next game didn't end as well, when he cracked his fibula at Eithad Stadium against South Australia. It was the final game of McCarthy's season, with the recovery period ruling him out of testing at last month's NAB AFL Draft Combine. 

STRENGTHS

McCarthy's best traits were there for all to see during the championships. He's a stretchy forward: he jumps, and tries to take the mark at his highest point. And at 194cm, his highest point is higher than most. McCarthy's not overly prescriptive: he just goes and jumps at every kick aimed at his direction, he sets up his hands well, and plucks it most times. His kicking is also of a high standard. For the South Fremantle side he kicked 20 goals and only six behinds from eight games, and in the carnival he booted 12 goals and five behinds in five appearances. McCarthy also has some pizzazz about him, twisting, turning and taking things on.  

WEAKNESSES

Because he is new to this level of footy, McCarthy is a bit raw. His running patterns and leading will develop in time, and he has the intuition already. His consistency is also something he can work on, but that is another factor which can be put down to his lack of experience at state level. 

PLAYS LIKE

When he hangs in the air going for his marks, McCarthy does have a hint of Nat Fyfe in his approach. He jumps, creates his position, and then sets himself for the grab. He is a couple of centimetres taller than the Fremantle star, and will hold down a key position spot. 

DRAFT RANGE

A reasonable chance to be picked inside the top 10. Unlikely to last beyond the first 15 or so selections. 

BOTTOM LINE

McCarthy is the second-best tall in the draft. He does have a bit of mystery to him, given he has played only a limited amount of games this year, but he has a number of AFL traits.