Richmond assistant coach Justin Leppitsch provides ‘Roar Vision’ with an insight into the impressive development of talented, young Tiger ‘tall’ Callum Coleman-Jones throughout his first year in the AFL system.
Initial thoughts on him
“Gee, he’s a big boy . . . 200cm. Not just that, he’s got some shoulders on him as well. Hits the bag nice and hard as well . . . I think he’s going to be a good, long-term prospect for us.”
Leadership traits
“He understands the game plan really well. You can see he’s going to be a potential future leader for us.”
Forward craft
“He’s probably the most improved player on our list from where he’s come from. I remember his first training session as a forward – I don’t think he even touched the ball. Now his body positioning, ability to hold out opposition and mark the ball, is excellent. And his finishing . . . he was kicking most of his set shots out on the full, but now he’s got a really good routine and he’s very diligent. So he’s had a great growth of improvement in just a short space of time."
Modified program
“He’s been on a bit of a modified program this year, which we think has really helped him. We’ve given him a game off every three weeks, just to make sure he stays on top of things. And then he can get an extra bit of weights in and conditioning and stuff like that.”
His endurance and speed
“Endurance, really good. Speed, moderate for a big guy. Where he ends up, whether it be ruck or key forward, or a combination of both, you tend to find out in their third/fourth years. But we’re really excited by his progress.”
Ruck craft
“As I said, he hits the bag really hard, and takes the ball, generally, at its highest point. It’s hard for him at times coming up against guys in the VFL like Braydon Preuss (North Melbourne) . . . seasoned campaigners that are massive and bigger versions than what he is now. So we’ve tried not to over-expose him in the ruck. But when he has gone in there, he’s done some good work.”
Potential role at senior level
“I’ve got a feeling he could, potentially, be an A-grade-type ruckman and maybe a B-grade forward. And that’s a pretty good effort to be that . . . His around-the-ground work is such a strength of his.”
