THERE'S a little bit of Brent Harvey about Western Bulldogs draftee Caleb Daniel, says his – now former - South Adelaide coach Brad Gotch.
The Bulldogs pounced on the 18-year-old with their last pick in the NAB AFL Draft, with Gotch claiming the 167cm forward/midfielder had some genuine star quality.
While he lacked 'Boomer's' raw speed, Gotch told AFL.com.au Daniel's vision and football smarts were among the best he'd seen.
Click here to check out Caleb Daniel's draft profile and watch his 2014 highlights
The teenager averaged 20 disposals at 92 per cent efficiency at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and collected All Australian honours.
He played 11 senior SANFL games for Gotch's Panthers this year, including three finals.
Gotch's opinion shouldn't be taken lightly – the former Fitzroy and St Kilda rover coached Willamstown to the 2003 VFL flag before joining Collingwood and the Bulldogs and then Port Adelaide as an assistant coach from 2012-2013.
He said that at pick No.46 the Bulldogs had found an incredibly creative footballer and, after running a 16.1 beep test at the combine – an aerobically gifted player.
"I'm thinking a little bit like a Boomer Harvey. Boomer's quite quick, but Caleb's got the endurance to be able to cover the ground and get into all the dangerous spaces," Gotch said.
"It's amazing, you saw in the state championships – some of the stuff was as good as you get, just elite.
"He'd pick out targets that you don't even see and hit them.
"It's quite a remarkable trait that a few would have noticed and the Bulldogs have decided to take a punt."
The only real hit on Daniel is obvious the moment you lay eyes on him – he's not a tall man.
At 167cm he was the shortest player drafted on Thursday night and, should he debut, he would become the League's shortest since Bulldogs champion Tony Liberatore.
But Gotch said he'd seen enough to back him in at the next level and, measuring in at just 166cm himself, he knows how to handle himself against much bigger opponents.
He said Daniel's size was rarely an issue throughout 2014, even while the heat was on during the club's finals campaign.
"The key thing I thought was that he matched it with senior footballers as an 18-year-old," he said.
"We were in the top three or four teams in the competition, got through to the finals and he was very creative and held his own.
"I haven't seen him get knocked off the ball too often or not be able to tackle and get brushed aside.
"He didn't look intimidated or out of his depth – he was clearly a class above.
"He was able to tackle and pressure and do all the things that you need, so why can't he?"
