At least four AFL clubs are circling ex-South Launceston talent Matt Hanson ahead of next month’s AFL draft.
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Hanson has come under close scrutiny since winning back-to-back Werribee club best and fairest awards.
Werribee VFL coach John Lamont favourably likened the 21-year-old inside midfielder to Hawthorn star Sam Mitchell around the same age when drafted from VFL club Box Hill.
“He was a very popular winner because he’s a really quiet bloke, but he’s proven himself to be a favourite about how he goes about it,” Lamont said.
Hanson’s standout year from playing 16 of Werribee’s 18 games, included topping the competition’s contested possession count and also starring for the VFL state side against the SANFL.
Lamont was contacted by a multitude of clubs this year that have shown interest in Hanson – but Lamont’s AFL-aligned club of North Melbourne is not one of them.
“My gut feeling through my discussions is that North Melbourne certainly rate Matt Hanson as a player, but I wouldn’t expect they’ll draft him because he’s more of what they’ve already got – they need speed,” he said.
“I’d say without being too specific that there is four clubs I’m aware that are monitoring him.”
Hanson was hoping to be drafted last season, but the Tigers’ premier onballer was left “no doubt disappointed” to being overlooked.
Lamont believed Hanson, who was in the club’s five-man leadership group in just his second VFL season, has since dramatically improved on deficiencies in his game.
“He wins his own ball and he probably tend to, in his first year, get the ball and chuck it on the boot, get it forward – and that doesn’t work in AFL footy,” he said.
“AFL clubs want to see more than that and what we’ve seen this year he has clearly improved in that area.
“Other than his ball-winning ability, he’s prepared to work hard to defend.”
But Lamont still believed his work around stoppages could be his Achilles’ heel to a club selecting Hanson.
The AFL draft will be held on November 25 in Sydney and the subsequent rookie draft on November 28.