McMillan-Pittard's obstacle course

AT LAST month’s NAB AFL Draft Camp in Canberra, the Sydney Swans were left so impressed by potential draftee Jasper McMillan-Pittard that senior coach Paul Roos joked about the prospect of offering the teenager an assistant coaching role.

Michael Turner, regional manager of the TAC Cup club from which McMillan-Pittard will be drafted on Thursday, wasn’t surprised.

McMillan-Pittard, Turner says, is a student of the game and is sure to be one of half a dozen Geelong Falcons that will find homes at an AFL club in next week’s draft.

In Canberra, with club recruiters and coaches looking on, he sat out many physical activities because of a knee injury sustained late in the Falcons’ season.

So the Torquay youngster made it a priority to impress any club interested in talking to him.

“I thought presenting yourself at the camp to the clubs was probably more important than the testing,” McMillan-Pittard told afl.com.au.

“I just wanted to go to each club with a little bit of knowledge and show that I had interest in the club and had some questions about what would happen if I went to a club, just so I’m prepared in case it happens.”

McMillan-Pittard won’t be selected as early as teammates Ben Cunnington or Gary Rohan - both considered certain top-10 picks - but he won’t be too far behind.

That’s pretty good going for a guy who only played a handful of TAC Cup matches last season.

“I think someone’s going to have to commit pretty early to get him because he’s the one with the bullet,” Turner said.

McMillan-Pittard didn’t win a mountain of possessions this season like Cunnington, nor does he have the knack to do the uncanny from week to week like Rohan.

So what is it that has AFL recruiters licking their lips, with one club seemingly set to use a late first-round pick on the smooth mover?

It’s more the glimpses he has shown - and the rawness on display - that most appeals.

By his own admission, the 18-year-old still has “a bit of development to go”.

He’s still growing but already stands 186cm. Yet he only weighs around 72kg - meaning he’ll be one of the lighter players selected in the draft.

Likened to Andrew Mackie, McMillan-Pittard is an attacking half-back who has also played on the wing for the Falcons.

A mad Saints fan, he also models himself in part on Sam Gilbert and Nick Dal Santo.

“I follow them pretty intently so it was a bit disappointing this year - especially living down here [in Geelong],” he said.

One day he hopes to move into the midfield, like Dal Santo, where he will be able to use his deadly left boot more regularly.

Recruiters rate his kicking, along with his pace, as his main attributes.

However, unlike many lefties, the Vic Country representative isn’t too reliant on his dominant side.

Father Michael Pittard ensured his son practiced on both sides of his body since his early days.

“There are not that many left-footers who are good on their right so it’s something that I guess I’m proud to say I can do,” McMillan-Pittard said.

“Ever since I was three years old Dad would have me practising, trying to ensure I was good on both sides - both hand and foot.

“At training I’d try to use it [my right foot] the majority of the time and try to use it under a range of different circumstances, not just in kick-to-kick … I’ll go onto my left the majority of my time but it’s good knowing that if I need to get out of traffic or something, I can just swing onto my right foot and it’s not much of a problem.”

Three years ago McMillan-Pittard was a Calder Cannon but decided on a sea change, shifting down the Surf Coast with his father and step mother.

Adjusting to a new school and making new friends was difficult at first, but from a career point of view the defender seems convinced he’s kicked a goal.

“For my footy it’s been the best move,” he said.

“I don’t know what I’d be like if I was still in Melbourne but I think I’ve been able to put my head down a bit more down here and, being down by the beach, it helps with recovery and all that sort of thing. It’s definitely been a positive.”

Now, with just a few days until d-day, the lightly-framed young gun must simply play the waiting game.

He’s made one big move before - from Melbourne to Torquay - and knows it’s highly likely another is in store.

But he doesn’t mind, so long as he gets to follow his dream.

“I just want to hear my name get called out,” he said.

Log on to afl.com.au on D-day, Thursday, November 26, for the most comprehensive coverage of the 2009 NAB AFL Draft. We’ll have live chats, live audio streams, in-depth player profiles, club reaction and our famous afl.com.au Draft Tracker.