IF YOU need a goalkicking mentor, you couldn’t ask for many better than Matthew Lloyd.

Harry Armstrong arrived at Haileybury in Year 10 with a couple of hitches in his technique. There was a high ball drop, an arc in his run-up, and a few too many steps in his approach to goal. But it was all about to be ironed out.

Lloyd, Essendon's 926-goal superstar and one of the best forwards in the game's history, was ready to take Armstrong under his wing in his long-time role as Haileybury's head coach. The youngster has subsequently graduated as one of the draft's best goalkicking prospects.

"It was unreal," Armstrong told AFL.com.au.

"The last three years, they've been unbelievable. He has taught me so much and shaped me as a footballer. It is cool to learn from him. It's pretty unbelievable, to be honest. He's done so much and he's always there as well. It's good to have him."

Lloyd had high hopes for Armstrong from the outset. Standing at 195cm, capable of hitting the scoreboard frequently and determined to launch into every marking contest he could get his eyes on, the youngster's potential was clear.

But that potential needed refining, and the Essendon great sought to mould Armstrong's game immediately. He brought structure to his training, and looked to rectify a goalkicking action that was good but not great.

"I felt he had a high ball drop and his run-up was a bit too long," Lloyd told AFL.com.au.

"We just streamlined his run into goal. He had a bit of an arc as well, so we just straightened him up and got his momentum coming through the ball. He worked hard on lowering his ball drop from hand to foot, just to limit the errors.

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"To his credit, we've had chats and I did a lot with him as a Year 10. But he has gone away and done that much work on it himself. Pre-training and post-training, he's as good as what I've seen of someone taking it upon themselves to work hard at it.

"He's gone from being a five out of 10, to a seven or an eight out of 10. It's a huge jump. His accuracy has gone from 50 per cent to 75 per cent. That's what I've seen from the change in him."

The results have been clear to see. Armstrong stamped his name as arguably the draft's best key forward prospect with a 10-goal haul for Haileybury against Melbourne Grammar back in June. It was a performance that also featured 25 disposals, catching the attention of recruiters across the country.

It was also a display that preceded a national championships campaign where Armstrong won All-Australian honours, having kicked nine goals from three matches, before helping the Sandringham Dragons to the Coates Talent League premiership with another 27 goals from 10 games.

All the while, he had Lloyd's biggest piece of advice – "to be ruthless and competitive on the field" – running through his mind every time he attacked a contest. It's that determined approach that now has Armstrong looming as a likely top-10 pick come draft night.

Indeed, ruthlessness is among Armstrong's biggest strengths. As well as being a straightshooter and athletic – he finished seventh in the agility test at the national Draft Combine – the Dragons prospect is also a fierce competitor.

"I believe that he has … nastiness is the wrong word – that's what Kevin Sheedy instilled into me – but he has the ability to be what I call a tenpin bowler. He takes down everyone with him and flies for his marks," Lloyd said.

"He takes marks that no one else will take, from what I've seen. He'll lead and re-lead, then when he's ready to launch he'll either get it, because he's got a metre on his opponent because of the work he's done off the ball, or he'll just drive his knees through and bring everyone down with him for the crumbers."

Armstrong is also prepared to work hard for his rewards, even if it means getting creative. Like the time he flew home from a Vic Metro under-16 game in South Australia early to play for his local side Ormond – which was short on players – the very next morning.

Or in his efforts to improve his 2km time trial results ahead of the combine earlier this month, where Armstrong could be seen running laps of a nearby oval carrying dumbbells in both hands.

"I did one weighted 2km time trial," Armstrong laughed.

"I was running with two 2kg dumbbells. I was looking absolutely ridiculous. I don't know, I was told that somehow it's meant to help you. I was just carrying them, but my arms got sore."

It was all worth it, though. In among the impressive resume that he's compiled throughout the season, arguably Armstrong's biggest accomplishment has been his ability to stand up in the most important games.

He kicked five goals in Vic Metro's winner-takes-all clash with Vic Country to finish the national championships, while he booted four goals in Sandringham's Grand Final victory over the Greater Western Victoria Rebels. Such decisiveness in the big games is what Armstrong has become known for.

"It's what he's given Haileybury for three years," Lloyd said.

"I was ecstatic for him that he was able to do it on the biggest stage of all for a junior footballer. To stand up against the best opposition, that's where you want to show and prove yourself.

"I was just really pleased that he could be the best forward on the ground and in the best couple of players on the ground in a game like that. We've seen him do it since he was 15 when he first joined us. But, obviously, he's developed a lot in that time.

"A confident Harry Armstrong is a tough, tough proposition for the opposition to handle."