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Melbourne coach Paul Roos says the much-hyped Jesse Hogan would have likely vied with fellow powerhouse forward Tom Boyd for the No.1 spot in this year’s national draft.
Hogan was drafted as an under-age player in the 2012 “mini-draft” by Melbourne, making him ineligible to play in the AFL in 2013.
But he showed in the pre-season NAB Cup and in the VFL for the Demons’ affiliate Casey, where he kicked 39 goals in 14 games, that he was ready to forge an immediate impact at the top level next year.
“To have a guy of his stature that’s been involved in the footy club for 12 months and been playing in the VFL, where he played particularly well, I think he gets a jump on a the draft picks from this year,” Roos said.
“He wants to earn his spot in the side and that’s what he needs to do.”
Hogan is set to draw immediate comparisons with Boyd, who is all but certain to go to Greater Western Sydney with pick No.1 in Thursday’s national draft.
“Where would (Hogan) be in this year? Pick one, pick two, that’s what I’m hearing but that’s irrelevant for us as a footy club,” said Roos.
“He’s a hard trainer, he works hard and has got the respect of the players, so hopefully he’s there round one next year.
“If he is, it’ll be because he’s trained really well and has played well through the pre-season and he hasn’t just relied on that natural talent.”
The 195cm, 18-year-old has been compared to Matthew Pavlich and Jonathan Brown.
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