Sam Lalor had suffered three separate injuries before he got a proper run at his top-age year. But in the space of three games -- for school, club and state -- he'd made up for lost time.
Last year he was compared to a young Dustin Martin by GWV Rebels coach David Loader, and now Lalor is soaring into top-five calculations as he continues to impress up forward.
Lalor has the strongest hips in the draft pool. He wrenches the ball out of the contest with opponents converging, and with a flick of the hips tacklers are left in the dirt. Lalor's raw power is a trait very few possess. Martin fends off would-be tacklers at will, Luke Davies-Uniacke powers out of the contest, and Christian Petracca steamrolls defenders in his path. For Lalor, it's a patented shrug that flicks opponents away as he stands tall and surveys his options.
The star cricketer -- who made the difficult decision to pursue football this year -- is a penetrating kick, has beautiful hands to find teammates in space and provides enormous appetite to tackle and impose his physicality. It's why recruiters were so keen to see him take a game by the scruff of the neck this season and truly stamp himself as a leading midfielder in the draft.
But it wasn't the engine room where he finally showed his talent. A pre-season leg concern hampered Lalor's lead-in, and it was a return game from a hip injury for Geelong Grammar against Wesley College that first wowed recruiters. Stationed up forward in the second half, Lalor booted six of his seven goals to nearly drag his side over the line.
We saw the very best of his midfield attributes a month later in the Coates Talent League (CTL) for the Rebels. In his first CTL game for the year, he enjoyed 34 disposals, eight marks and five tackles in a best on ground display through the engine room.
Still building his fitness, Lalor missed Vic Country's first game of the national championships. In their third outing on the weekend he finally exploded, kicking three goals from three one-on-ones inside 50. For his first of the day he out-marked his direct opponent at the top of the goal square. The second came just moments later, leading up at the ball carrier full-chested and clunking the ball out in front. Lalor finally put his side seven points up in the dying stages from a free kick in the pocket to cap off his sensational outing.
Sam Lalor kicked three goals against the Allies, all from F50 1v1s. The powerhouse midfielder was compared to Dustin Martin by his Rebels coach last year. You'll be hearing a lot about this kid in the lead-up to the draft.
— Jasper Chellappah (@Jasperc53) July 9, 2024
Lalor's profile drops tomorrow on @ESPNAusNZ #AFLDraft pic.twitter.com/0NTWp0rJyI
It isn't just Lalor's overwhelming power that has him a top-five draft chance. His composure and decision making is brilliant, fighting through tackles while he surveys options and executes by hand. He's a tenacious defensive presence, latching onto the ball carrier with real venom. But these were his known quantities coming into 2024.
Lalor's impressive forward craft is what has elevated him, proving a matchup nightmare with his strength and power in one-on-one situations. It's his greatest separator from the Josh Smillie, Finn O'Sullivan, Levi Ashcroft, and Sid Draper group at the top of the draft board.
It will only take one club enamoured with his forward-half upside for Lalor to be the Rebels' highest draft pick since great mate Aaron Cadman.