MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 15: Sam Walsh of the Blues in action during the 2019 AFL round 13 match between the Carlton Blues and the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on June 15, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Gary Lyon has held firm on his original re-draft of the 2018 draft crop, keeping Blues young gun Sam Walsh outside of his top five players, per SEN.
Lyon ranked Gold Coast pair Ben King and Izak Rankine, St Kilda forward Max King, Bulldog onballer Bailey Smith and Port Adelaide forward Connor Rozee all ahead of the in-form Carlton midfielder.
“I’m a huge fan of Sam Walsh, these are just opinions,” the Demons great told SEN Breakfast.
“I like the two big boys, so I would be going for two King boys if I had to pick again and I like Bailey Smith ahead of Sam Walsh.
“And then it’s probably Walsh, Rozee and Rankine.
“He is a star in the making is Sam Walsh, I couldn’t be more glowing in my praise for him.
“I thought his first year was sensational, I thought he was a bit slow out of the blocks this year … but that’s what happens after you have a big year, it takes a little while to get rumbling along … he’s a star.”
Lyon supported his reason for having Smith ahead of Walsh.
“It’s just a preference. It’s just a preference thing,” he added.
“I think he (Smith) is probably a little bit more inside, and it was great that Sam Walsh went inside yesterday (Tuesday) into the centre square.
“If you said you got Sam Walsh instead of Bailey Smith, you’re not going to have a sleepless night, that’s just a preference.”