The draft stocks of Oakleigh Chargers midfielder Riley Collier-Dawkins have shot up along with his height over the past 12 months.
The on-baller has grown eight centimetres to 192cm and has drawn comparisons to midfield tall timber such as Patrick Cripps and Marcus Bontempelli.
Growth spurt: Riley Collier-Dawkins.Credit:Simon Schluter.
The growth spurt has given him the size to play a key role up forward and has elevated him into first-round deliberations.
"I have grown a fair bit and I've had to make adaptations in my game," Collier- Dawkins said.
"I've gone from that medium-type mid to a tall midfielder, almost key position size, so there have been a few things to learn there.
"I do see myself as my own player but I do look at other [similarly-sized] players and what they're good at.
"Like [Nat] Fyfe's really good in the air and [Cripps] is really clean and [Bontempelli's] disposal and versatility is something that I try to mirror in my game."
Such an intense period of growth has presented challenges as a player and in every day life for Collier-Dawkins, who joked he's had to refresh his wardrobe a few times.
What it also does is increase his upside in the eyes of AFL clubs hoping to snag the next Fyfe, Cripps or Bontempelli.
"Those boys [who have a late growth spurt] can end up great below their knees because they've spent most of their career picking the ball up at ground level," AFL talent chief Kevin Sheehan said.
"So I think it adds to their skill set … it's a massive plus.
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