Powerade Breakthrough Player – Lachlan McNeil

By ZAC MILBANK

Woodville-West Torrens coach Jade Sheedy has earmarked teenage midfielder Lachlan McNeil as a potential 200-game SANFL player.

Poised to emerge as  Powerade Breakthrough Player, the 19-year-old has impressed the new Eagles mentor on the training track after missing out on being selected in last year’s AFL Draft period.

Measuring in at a solid 182cm and 80kg, McNeil averaged more than 20 disposals a game for the South Australia at last year’s AFL U18 National Championships.

Originally from the South Clare Football Club, McNeil averaged 18 disposals and 6.5 tackles per game for the Eagles’ Reserves last season.

”He’s a kid who has had a really good preseason – he hadn’t missed a training,” Sheedy said, adding that McNeil reminded him of former Sturt and Power midfielder Adam Thomson.

”He’s got really elite hands, he’s got some good speed and he’s tough so he’s a promising footballer.

”He’s also very instinctive so he has a lot of positives to his game. I’m not sure if he will get drafted at some point but if he wants to stick at it, I think he could be a really good 200-game SANFL footballer.”

Yet to make his Statewide Super League debut, McNeil fits the criteria to be eligible for the Powerade Breakthrough Player award, being aged 23 or under at the start of the year and having played 10 League games or less.