NEW RICHMOND midfielder Luke English believes his Perth teammate Sydney Stack will "thrive" at Punt Road should the Tigers take a chance on the overlooked teenager next month.
Stack, 18, is set to train with the Tigers from December 1 after being passed on in last week's NAB AFL Draft and NAB AFL Rookie Draft, with the hope of joining the club under the new supplement list rules.
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The midfielder's talent is unquestionable but he has admitted to an unstable upbringing in Western Australia, where he grew up around violence.
He was left out of Western Australia's first game in the mid-year NAB AFL Under-18 Championships because he failed to meet training standards, before he came back into the side and earned All Australian honours for the rest of his carnival.
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English might only have been at Punt Road himself for two days but he believes his former state-level teammate will benefit from the support the Tigers can offer.
"He's obviously a ripping footballer, an All Australian and really handy around the club," English said on Tuesday.
"He's a real hard player. You can back him in to do the one-percenters and shepherd for you, so I think he's just a team player and just real hard at getting the contested footy.
"I think he'll really thrive in an environment like this, it's such a supporting environment so I think it will be really good, and also for me to see another familiar face around the club."
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Stack can't officially train with the Tigers until after December 1, when he and ex-Saint and Sun Mav Weller will be eligible to join the club as rookies under the new rules.
Meanwhile, English – a hard-running ball-winner – says he's feeling no ill effects of the glandular fever that saw him miss the last month of the WAFL season.
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The 18-year-old started running two weeks before testing at the October NAB AFL Draft Combine in Melbourne, where he still managed to impress in the running assessments.
English finished equal second in the Yo-Yo test and fifth in the 2km time trial despite only recently overcoming the debilitating virus.
"It's all behind me. I had to spend two weeks in bed, just doing nothing so that was pretty frustrating, coming closer to draft when I wanted to get my fitness up," he said.
"But I'm all good now and my body feels great."
English is currently the only West Australian from this year's draft crop to land at Punt Road but he's been allocated fellow statesmen Ben Miller and Liam Baker as his "buddies" to help him find his feet.
Compared to Brownlow medallist Matt Priddis, English can find the ball on the inside and out and works hard to dig the ball out of contested situations.
He also stands out for the helmet he's worn for the past three seasons, which he has no plans to pack away now he's at an AFL club.
"In 2015 I had a concussion before a state carnival, so I was told to wear it for that," he said.
"I wore it that week and I got so comfortable with it, I just kept playing – I think it gives me a bit more confidence going in.
"I'm pretty happy wearing it but I wouldn't be too fussed if I had to get rid of it."
