Callum Ah Chee is a walking highlights reel. He plucks big grabs, leaps over packs, and kicks mercurial goals under intense pressure. The West Australian is one of the most talented players in the draft, but according to Gold Coast list manager, Scott Clayton, Ah Chee is much more than pure excitement.
The experienced talent identifier monitored the South Fremantle product for years before securing him with the SUNS first pick in Tuesday night’s national draft at selection No. 8.
Clayton described the lightly-framed half-forward as a grounded character with a good head on his young shoulders, and as someone who has benefited from learning the nuances of the AFL system via his brother’s journey at Port Adelaide.
“He’s an unbelievably exciting player. He’s of great character, he’s (from a) terrific family, his brother’s already in the AFL system playing really good footy at Port Adelaide,” Clayton told SUNS TV in his post-draft evaluation.
“He’s a super talent, he’s really looking forward to getting here – he was very excited to be picked by us, (he) wants to really come to the Gold Coast.
“(He’s) a forward, for his size he’s a brilliant mark, he’s a super kick, he’s so elusive – we all remember the great mark he took at the MCG during an academy game during the course of this year.
“But he’s more than that, we think he can end up going into the midfield and end up being an inside-outside player.”
Clayton explained he and his recruiting team had observed Ah Chee over a three-year period, watching him play at different levels at South Fremantle in the WAFL, as well as for Western Australia at the under 16 and under 18 national championships.
“We’ve seen him play for three years. He’s been in the AFL Academy. Probably personally, (I’ve) seen him 15 times plus and our whole staff across the board (would be) similar. So we’ve been tracking him for a long time,” he said.
Ah Chee follows fellow South Fremantle product and last year’s first round draftee Jarrod Garlett across the Nullarbor in pursuit of his football dream.
Ah Chee ticks a lot of boxes says Clayton
Gold Coast list manager Scott Clayton says new recruit Callum Ah Chee is much more than a highlights reel, although his eye-catching exploits will thrill fans.
