CONNOR Blakely was just 10 years old when his father Mark told him the importance of keeping his feet in the contest.
Mark Blakely played 58 games for East Perth between 1983 to 1990 and, as simple as his advice was, it clearly resonated with his son.
Son Connor is rated among the top 30 prospects in this year's NAB AFL Draft, after a stellar season for Swan Districts in the WAFL.
Blakely also made the Under-18 All Australian team – the lone West Australian representative from this year's crop.
The trait of maintaining his balance, even when being tackled, is instantly recognisable in the 186cm midfielder's game.
"It's just stuck in my brain and I don't even think about slipping over now," Blakely told AFL.com.au.
Swan Districts coach Greg Harding watched the 18-year-old average 17 disposals in 15 senior WAFL games this year and feels Blakely is ready to take the next step with his football.
"It takes a lot of will and desire to want to keep your feet. He just plays at a level of intensity that supersedes most in his age group," Harding says.
Blakely's maturity is another quality that sets him apart from most of his contemporaries.
He needed every ounce of it when he relocated from Bunbury, two hours south of Perth, to the big smoke at the start of this year.
Despite having older brother Nathan – a Swan Districts' ruckman – as a calming influence in Perth, the younger Blakely had a few things to learn and his new teammates were demanding of the youngster.
Coach Harding recalls one of the few times Blakely lowered his colours during the 2014 season when he was directly opposed to 2011 Sandover medallist and Claremont star Luke Blackwell, who played 23 games for Carlton between 2006 and 2008.
Teammate Ryan Davis, who played 14 games with West Coast between 2008 and 2009, gave Blakely some "strong feedback" about how he was playing.
"He showed some real maturity to get through that situation," Harding says.
"I saw him grow from that incident and really move forward."
The midfielder's ability to win the ball around stoppages is understood to have attracted the interest of Collingwood, Geelong and the Brisbane Lions.
He also met with West Coast and Gold Coast at last week's NAB AFL Draft Combine.
Harding believes the experience of playing against former AFL players such as Jay Van Berlo, Mark McGough, Bradd Dalziell and Blackwell will be invaluable for Blakely as he takes the next step in his football journey.
"He's held his own against all those big names and that senior apprenticeship is going to hold him in really good stead," Harding says.
Harding believes, with more physical maturity, Blakely will become a class AFL midfielder.
"His composure inside the contest is pretty special for a young kid," Harding says.
