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AFTER Ryan Burton kicked five goals for South Australia early in last year's NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, he was tipped as a possible top-five draft selection in 2015.
His performance as a 17-year-old who wasn't eligible for the draft for another year-and-a-half said plenty about his talent. He was dominant in the air, kicked smoothly and precisely at goal, and carried a presence.
Unfortunately for Burton, the North Adelaide prospect has barely played since that game. He got struck down by a bad bout of glandular fever that ruled him out of the end of SA's carnival, and then returned to play school football.
It was in late August when Burton suffered the injury that has seen him be stuck on the sidelines since. Burton broke his leg in a marking contest and dislocated his kneecap. He required significant surgery, and although he was aiming to play in 2015, he wasn't able to make it out onto the field.
His long rehabilitation process makes him one of the draft's most intriguing prospects, because his talent and ability remains right among the best of the group. If not for the injury he might be in the conversation as a top-three pick.
Scroll through tapes of Burton's footy before his injury and you'll see why he was touted as such an early selection before the setback. He's a straight-kicking medium forward who can jump, twist and turn and mark really strongly on the lead.
It's easy to see Burton's footy smarts come to the fore when he plays: he knows how to nudge an opponent out of a contest, how to kick a dribbling, snapping goal, and when the game needs someone to grab the moment, he's not averse to taking it.
His exposure at senior level for North Adelaide as a bottom-ager should stick in recruiters' minds, and some also think he could be able to become a midfielder at the next level. At the moment the 191cm and 88kg prospect is a half-forward, but he believes he will transition into a midfield role when he picks up his fitness.
Burton tested at the NAB AFL Draft Combine and did well given his circumstances, recording a 3.09-second 20-metre sprint and managing 25.69 seconds in the repeat sprint (better than about half the participants).
The concern for clubs on Burton is clear. He hasn't played since August last year, and still faces a little while longer building up his training before he will be ready to play a game again. Each club will have different views on the injury and the impact it will or won't have on his career, but Burton has already proved many wrong through his recovery.
Even without the broken leg link, Burton is a bit like Western Bulldogs forward Jake Stringer. Stringer suffered his serious injury before he was drafted and there were doubts he could get back to his best, but was an All Australian this season. Burton is a similar mid-sized forward who can jump, turn players inside out and kick crafty goals.
Burton has been the hardest player for recruiters to place this year. They know his talent, but have to weigh it up against his time out of the game and how their doctors assessed his medical. Even still, he is a possible top-20 selection.
A club might get a bargain with Burton if he gets through to a selection late in the first round or early in the second. If it all comes together for him, Burton could be one of the best players of this year's draft. He's confident and has some star factor.
