Sandringham Dragons midfielder Cam Mackenzie has relished the opportunity to move from the backline into the engine room, rocketing him up the draft order to be touted as a top ten hope in this year's draft.
The defensive mindset instilled from his time playing behind the ball has held him in good stead to be a damaging ball-winner inside and out, with his ability to read the play an intangible asset.
With his height and strength both a point of difference separating him from the rest of the pool, it has a number of clubs circling to target the highly fancied candidate who is likely to be snapped up early.
On the biggest stage in the Grand Final he stamped his class in spectacular fashion, hitting the scoreboard with two majors to add to his 26 disposals, ensuring the Dragons held the cup aloft at the end of the NAB League season.
The 18-year-old was able to learn his trade slotting into St Kilda's Next Generation Academy, where he prospered in a program aimed at developing talent in the formative years of his growth.
While the Saints would be needing to bank on Mackenzie sliding past Pick 40 to be able to match a bid, the Moorabbin club are still in contention to secure the Vic Metro midfielder with their opening selection of Pick 9 should he still be available.
State: Vic Metro
State League Club: Sandringham Dragons
Community Club: Beaumaris
Date of Birth: 21/04/2001
Height: 187cm
Weight: 80kg
Strengths
Ball-Winning Ability
Clean hands
Stoppage Craft
Decision Making
Consistency
Weaknesses
Aerobic Capacity
Draft Range
Early-Mid First Round
Potential Landing Spots
Hawthorn (Pick 6), Geelong (Pick 7), St Kilda (Pick 9)
AFL Comparisons
Callum Mills
Dyson Heppell
George Hewett
Expert comments
"He has averaged 24 disposals for the Sandringham Dragons and in three games for Vic Metro averaged 26, showing he could find the ball, win it, use it and then find it again." - Callum Twomey (AFL.com)
