BRISBANE coach Justin Leppitsch has declared Rhys Mathieson one of the steals of the draft after the midfield bull slipped to pick 39 on Tuesday night.
Leppitsch believes the 18-year-old will play senior footy next year and has the weaponry to eventually force his way into an emerging midfield group featuring Dayne Beams, Tom Rockliff, Pearce Hanley and Allen Christensen.
Stunned at how far the first-round prospect had tumbled, the Lions pounced on the most competitive player the Geelong Falcons have produced since Luke Hodge and Jimmy Bartel.
“We think it’s a bit of a steal, we rated the kid in the teens,” Leppitsch told the Geelong Advertiser.
“To get him so late was a huge pick for us, and to get four (under-18) All-Australians in a draft year is a good effort.
“Freo had the pick (38) and I thought, ‘nah, I don’t think they want him on the big deck’, and we’re all just hoping and hoping, and he slid there, so it’s exciting for the club.
“We’re rapt to have him.”
Mathieson continues the heavy Geelong flavour at the Lions, with Leppitsch joking “we might actually change our name” after the contested ball king joined Darcy Gardiner, Lewis Taylor, Trent West, Josh Walker, Jarrad Jansen and Christensen at the club.
“I was actually having a joke with ‘Walks’ and ‘Bundy’ (Christensen) the other day – who are we picking next?,” Leppitsch said.
“We seem to, every year, get boys out of Geelong, and we’ve got a good record of keeping them and doing well with them.”
Mathieson’s key priority at the Lions will be increasing his fitness base to AFL midfield levels. Although regarded as one of the leading contested ball players in the TAC Cup, and with the outgoing personality to thrive at an AFL club, the knock on him has been his aerobic power.
The Lions are likely to ease him into AFL life as a half forward, where his size and grunt make him a difficult match up for the fifth or sixth defender. Eventually, he will evolve into a bonafide midfielder.
“We’re actually starting to build a pretty good midfield that wasn’t together a lot last year with Beams and Rockliff and Hanley and so on – and getting (Ryan) Bastinac and (Tom) Bell,” Leppitsch said.
“We’ve got a good group of guys in their mid-20s, so it’s probably the most difficult position to break into for us.
“But (Mathieson) and Ben Keays are both a really good chance of playing AFL footy next year.”
