IT WAS a breakout season for Jarrod Garlett, and itdidn't happen by chance. Every morning at 5.30am, Garlett heads to thelocal beach with his grandfather for a 6km run. He's been doing it foryears, with each run getting him closer to an AFL career.
TheWest Australian enjoyed a strong year in 2014, playing well for hisstate at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and then featuring in SouthFremantle's senior WAFL team at the back-end of the season.
Garlett'scampaign ended in terrific fashion at the AFL Draft Combine, where heran a level 15.2 beep test, came second for the standing vertical jump(76cm) and finished in the top-10 for the clean hands and goalkickingtests.
Garlett is a cousin of Dayle Garlett, who quit the Hawks earlier this yearand was then delisted by the club after struggling to meet the demandsof a professional career. But Garlett is intent on getting a chance andthen making the most of it.
Garlettdoes everything with confidence. His endurance is elite, and he matchesthat with a 2.98-second 20-metre sprint, highlighting his dangerous anddamaging run-and-carry.
He also plays with anelement of risk. Sometimes Garlett can try to do too much with the ball,but generally his self-belief is a good thing: he takes players on,runs around them and goes for marks.
Hiskicking is good, he understands the game and trains hard. In four gamesfor South Fremantle's reserves side, Garlett averaged nearly fourtackles and four clearances, showing his willingness to win the ball,and then win it back.
Therearen't too many worries with Garlett's footy. After cutting his footearlier this year he returned too soon and then found he had a calfinjury, so his management in that area could perhaps lift a notch, butthere isn't any real problem.
At 180cm and68kg, he will need to add some weight before stepping up to the nextlevel, but he has already proved his discipline in the fitness side ofhis game.
A player with similarities to Sydney Swans star Lewis Jetta, Garlett's ability to stream up and down the ground should excite.
Garlett seems a likely top-20 pick. It's hard to see him lasting on the draft board much longer.
Garlett has some real pizzazz, and he knows it. Give him some room and watch him go. A real riser among this year's crop.
