DOB: 20/12/1994
Height: 180cm
Weight: 73kg
Club: Central District/South Australia
Bio: Small midfielder who is a brilliant reader of the play and rarely fumbles. Set up many rebounds for SA in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, averaging 28.4 disposals and six marks across the five matches. Won SA's Most Valuable Player and was rewarded with All Australian honours.
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Upside: Colquhoun racked up big numbers for SA with the Croweaters keen to get the ball into his hands to make use of his good decision making and clean distribution by foot coming out of the back half. Playing that role probably inflated his numbers a bit, but it would be wrong to assume Colquhoun is a one-trick pony. He played predominantly as a winger in the reserves for SANFL club Central District and still got plenty of the ball in a consistent season for the Bulldogs who won the reserves flag. He was a leg spinner with the SA Under-17 state squad last year and has only turned his full attention to AFL this season.
"The thing with Sam is that he's just a genuine footballer and that's what a lot of clubs are looking for. His fitness base is fantastic [and] he can play as a wingman, very rarely does he get beaten - often if you look at his direct opponent Sam will either break even or beat him. Here at Centrals we play a very contested style of footy and that's something that he's developing quite well. He does run back hard to help in defence, but he is able to run forward as well. He gets into the right spots and knows where to run to get the footy." - Centrals development manager Scott Stevens.
Downside: Colquhoun will continue to develop the contested side of his game and his ability to win his own ball, which is not a huge knock given the roles that he plays, but it will help him become a more-rounded footballer.
Plays like: There was a bit of Luke Hodge in the way that Colquhoun marshalled the SA defence and used the ball well coming out of the back half during the national carnival. His ability to find a target by foot and launch counter-attacks across half-back was one of the highlights of the SA campaign.
Draft range: Colquhoun's draft stocks rose considerably after his excellent championships for SA and he is now considered a solid second-round draft pick with Port Adelaide, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs a good fit.
In his own words: "I couldn't have been happier with my performance [at the championships]. It would have been even better if the team had more success instead of coming second overall. It was a great experience for my personal development. I definitely learned a lot about the faster speed at AFL level. The championship was a huge eye-opener for me." - The Messenger
Stats from NAB AFL U18 Championships:
| Matches | Kicks | Handballs | Marks | Disposals | Disposal efficiency | Contested possessions | Tackles | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 92 | 50 | 31 | 142 | 77.5% | 26 | 6 | 1.0 |
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
