AFL draft 2021: Bryce Watson profile, video highlights, stats, position, comparison

Who are WA’s top draft prospects? Get to know the state’s brightest talent in our draft profiles series, with highlights, stats and information on 20 of the leading draftee contenders. Here, we look at Bryce Watson, one of WA’s best defensive draft prospects with great closing speed and an ability to read the play. Club: Swan Districts From: Chittering JFC Date of birth: 28/1/2003 (age 18) Height: 183cm Weight: 71kg Position: Defender AFL player comparison: Luke Ryan (Fremantle) Strengths: Footy IQ, reading of the play, foot skills Question mark: Is he coming from too far back? 2021 averages: 17.1 disposals, 3.7 marks, 2.0 tackles per game (WAFL colts) THE QUOTE THE WEST AUSTRALIAN’S JORDAN McARDLE SAYS: Watson is a well-rounded defender who’s shot into draft calculations with a big year for colts premiers Swan Districts. The silky-skilled 183cm talent bounced back from an injury-interrupted bottom-aged campaign to impress across half-back. He reads the play well, used it with class by foot, has got good pace and isn’t afraid to take the game on. Swans premiership coach John Armstrong and WA Football Commission State talent manager Adam Jones are both massive fans of his. From national under-19s carnival matches to a draft combine invite and a successful WAFL finals series, Watson has ticked a lot of boxes as he looks to realise his AFL dreams. WAFC STATE TALENT MANAGER ADAM JONES SAYS: “Internally he’s very highly rated so hopefully he finds his way onto a list. He’s got a very good all-round game for a defender. “He’s got electric speed and his closing speed is outstanding. He reads the game really well and he’s a very good marker overhead. “The last month his kicking and decision making dropped off a little bit but that’s usually a really strong aspect of his game, so that might be just a little bit of fatigue. “But we think he’s got a lot of AFL traits and could be a player who can play on dangerous smalls down the track with his speed and ability to read the game.” Expected draft range: Later rounds / rookie / undrafted