WOOF welcomes Caleb Poulter to the Kennel

[bornadog]

Good luck to Poulter hope he plays well.

[MrMahatma]

Welcome aboard bud! Go well!

[Hotdog60]

Back in the big time: New Dog's joy after delisting devastation

Caleb Poulter couldn't hide his delight after earning a second chance in the AFL



CALEB Poulter was in Bali last October when the call he knew was coming finally arrived. His time at Collingwood was over after just two years at the AIA Centre. The Trade Period came and went. So did the delisted free agency window and the drafts. He was back to square one.

Rather than returning to South Australia and searching for a pulse in the SANFL, the 20-year-old chose to remain in Melbourne and signed with Footscray, hoping the club's track record of promoting players from its VFL program to the Western Bulldogs would provide a lifeline.

After eight months out of the system, Poulter is back inside an AFL club after being one of only two recycled players ? Quinton Narkle was the other ? to land a second chance in Wednesday night's Mid-Season Rookie Draft.
"I was obviously pretty devastated when I got delisted. I found out when I was in Bali over the phone. I went through all my exit meetings and didn't get told for sure, so I found out over there and was pretty devastated," Poulter told AFL.com.au after being picked.

"It probably took me a couple of weeks to get over it. Actually, it probably took me a couple of months. I got back into pre-season and put in the work. I was definitely shattered but I wanted to use that as a driving motivator to get drafted again."

https://twitter.com/i/status/1663848029970137088

After being selected at No.30 in the 2020 AFL Draft, Poulter played 11 games in his debut season and looked destined for another contract and a more regular spot in the Magpies' best team.

But the transition from Nathan Buckley to Craig McRae and the emergence of Josh Daicos on one wing and the return to form of Steele Sidebottom on the other, restricted him to just one appearance in 2022 and led to his departure at the end of last season.

The Mid-Season Rookie Draft was the aim when he signed with Footscray. Ryan Gardner resurrected his AFL career there and Billy Gowers landed a second chance out of the Whitten Oval. Will Hayes, Anthony Scott, Jordan Boyd, Robbie McComb, Cody Raak, Mitch Hannan and Kyle Dunkley were all recruited from the Dogs' VFL program. It made sense.
But it was far from a forgone conclusion. Poulter produced a handful of strong displays across eight games under Stewart Edge, moments on the outside that fill a need at the Western Bulldogs. But it wasn't until national recruiting manager Dom Milesi subtly reminded Poulter to nominate ahead of the deadline last week that the prospect of returning to the AFL felt possible.

"I was never too sure, to be honest," he said. "I thought if I put in the work in the first half of the year with the Mid-Season Draft coming, I would be a sniff. I went to Footscray because I knew the Western Bulldogs had a list spot open. Luckily it has worked out for me. I knew it would pay off if I did the work. I spoke to Sam a couple of weeks ago, but they didn't let on much. It was a nervous wait that's for sure."



Wednesday couldn't have taken any longer if it tried. By the time Poulter and his partner sat down to watch the coverage on AFL.com.au, the Woodville-West Torrens product was exhausted. But the wait was worth it for someone who has now lived the draft experience twice.

"It has been one of the longest days of my life," he said. "Dom rang me about 15 minutes before the pick and told me they were going to take me. I was still trying to get my head around that. it was an unreal feeling. It was probably better than the first time I was drafted I reckon. All the emotions came out. It was an amazing feeling."
The Bulldogs have won seven of their past nine games heading into the mid-season bye rounds after recovering from a winless first fortnight of 2023.

Luke Beveridge hasn't made too many selection changes of late, but with Norm Smith medallist Jason Johannisen sidelined for another couple of months with a serious hamstring strain, there is a spot available at half-back. The selection of James O'Donnell in the past month is the latest example of a coach who is prepared to think outside the box.

Poulter has signed a six-month contract at the Bulldogs and is ready to fight for a spot in a side on track for September action, but with spots available on the outside.

"I fully back myself in," he said. "I've put in the work and want to reap the rewards. I think if I can get to the club as soon as possible, get to work and earn the respect of my teammates, I know I can go a long way."

Poulter will start with the AFL program full-time on Friday morning. Not much has changed since he was last at the Whitten Oval, but so much has changed at the same time. His decision to stay in Melbourne and join an aligned VFL club has paid dividends.

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[macca]

I asked about Poulter with Collingwood friends: with the Wing position, behind Sidebottom, Daicos brothers, Hoskin Elliot. His kicking is abit iffy at times and has a lite frame . I hope the last 2 is something could be improve with the right training program.

I have a good feeling, we have a goood money ball selection here. He must be rated if he played 11 games in his first season, eventhough the Pies did not do well in Buckley's last year.

My bet is he will get a few games this year.

[GVGjr]

I asked about Poulter with Collingwood friends: with the Wing position, behind Sidebottom, Daicos brothers, Hoskin Elliot. His kicking is abit iffy at times and has a lite frame . I hope the last 2 is something could be improve with the right training program.

I have a good feeling, we have a goood money ball selection here. He must be rated if he played 11 games in his first season, eventhough the Pies did not do well in Buckley's last year.

My bet is he will get a few games this year.

Bevo confirmed today he is very likely to play soon and that he regards him as a long term prospect.

[hujsh]

Bevo confirmed today he is very likely to play soon and that he regards him as a long term prospect.

He's young. Could be good one for the future.

[GVGjr]

He's young. Could be good one for the future.

He only signed a 6 month contact which is in effect about 4 or 5 months so the club could cut him loose at the end of the season but given he's 20 the most likely scenario is he gets a one year deal if he shows something in the next few weeks.

[hujsh]

He only signed a 6 month contact which is in effect about 4 or 5 months so the club could cut him loose at the end of the season but given he's 20 the most likely scenario is he gets a one year deal if he shows something in the next few weeks.

Oh yeah obviously there's the chance he gets cut, I mean more that if things work out and he becomes a best 22 players after a year or 2 in our system he'll be 22 instead of like 29.

[Axe Man]

Caleb's draft profile. Does seem unlucky to have been delisted after only 2 years by the Pies. We have picked up a first round prospect from the 2020 draft for nothing, could prove a bargain. Hopefully he grabs his chance.

POSITION: Midfielder/Forward

DRAFT ANALYSIS: ?Poulter is a prototypical tall midfielder with a good inside/outside mix, who is also capable of impacting up forward.? ? Eli Duxson

Woodville-West Torrens and Henley High prospect, Caleb Poulter is most often utilised as midfielder who provides grunt on the inside, but also threatens to open games up with his skills on the outer. At 192cm and 79kg, he has shown he can be a formidable target either around the ground or in the forward line, which serves as another showing of his versatility. He also spent some time on the wing, further displaying his neat blend of inside and outside attributes. After steadily increasing his draft stocks since representing South Australia at Under 16 level in 2019, he burst into the 2020 season with an impressive 34 disposals, one goal, 10 tackles, seven clearances, seven marks, and six inside 50s in Round 1 of the SANFL Under 18s. Since then, he not only received opposition attention, but also caught the eye of recruiters en route to bolting into first round contention. His outstanding performance in the South Australian Under 18 All-Stars fixture only consolidated such status.

STRENGTHS:
Tackling
Penetrating kick
Presence/impact
Clean hands/disposal
Scoreboard impact
Overhead marking
Versatility

IMPROVEMENTS:
Four-quarter performance
Consistent execution by foot

Poulter has come on significantly over the last couple of years and has already shown large improvement from an impressive bottom-age season to now. He averaged 17.2 disposals, 3.4 tackles, 3.7 marks, 2.5 clearances, and 3.6 inside 50s from his 13 games at Under 18 level in 2019 and managed 11 goals. The 2020 season saw him play four games in the Reserves as a reward for his Under 18 performances, where he improved on his previous season to average 25.2 disposals, 4.7 tackles, 5.5 marks, 3.4 clearances, and 4.8 inside 50s from his 12 games.

Scoreboard accuracy, and consistently executing by foot are areas that Poulter could work on to ensure his presence up forward translates into greater scoreboard pressure. He managed to score in every Under 18 game bar one, but only managed 10.13, with five games of no goals and at least one behind a key factor. He is a lovely kick, but he tends to blaze away when within range of the goals. So, while he does the hard work in manufacturing an opportunity, conversion is still something that could increase his already big impact on games. His four-quarter consistency is not a glaring issue, but when he rotates between midfield and forward he can sometimes drift in and out of the game. In saying that, when he is on, he can turn a game on its head so if he can keep that level for longer periods, it is dangerous for an opposition team.

Poulter?s ability to damage on the inside and outside is indicative of his strengths. His tackling and clearance work allows him to get first hands on the ball, distribute it, or even go himself. His penetrating left boot is also a handy feature of his game as he has found himself linking his side between the arcs and sending them forward on many occasions. When forward, he is an awkward matchup as he is too tall for a small or medium defender, but not quite the focal point of an attack either. He is very strong overhead, credit to a sizeable vertical leap, and finds space quite easily on the lead, but is just damaging when the ball hits the ground.

Part of Poulter's terrific ability to accumulate is the various ways in which he can find the ball. He covers plenty of ground when utilised through the middle, able to float up and back to mark uncontested, or provide a target with his aerial prowess. Alternatively, he is incredibly clean with at ground level and so efficient in heavy traffic, able to win the ground balls and quickly release by hand to teammates in space. As an overall package, Poulter has an arsenal of weapons difficult to match and could be the next tall midfielder to take the game by storm once he hits the elite level.

DRAFT PROJECTION: 15-30

Poulter's rise has culminated in his standing as a first round candidate, especially after showing his class against the best his state has to offer in the All-Stars game. He has all the tools to become an ideal modern day midfielder; tall, athletic, balanced, high-impact, high-marking, and more. On top of that, he is the kind of player who will inevitably attract fans, with his style easy on the eye, flashy boots difficult to miss, and flowing mullet already a talking point. Should he slide into the second round given he remains somewhat of a prospective pick, he could well prove a steal at anywhere between picks 20-30.

Link

[GVGjr]

I remain convinced that for some players all they need is opportunities and patience and in the case of Poulter I think we are well placed to provide both.

We aren't deep in options for the positions he is best placed to fill so that will provide opportunities for him and given his age we can afford to be patient.

I don't think Collingwood got rid of him because he couldn't play and it was more that they had better options for his more natural positions.

[Grantysghost]

Especially on the back of covid.

[bornadog]

I asked about Poulter with Collingwood friends: with the Wing position, behind Sidebottom, Daicos brothers, Hoskin Elliot. His kicking is abit iffy at times and has a lite frame . I hope the last 2 is something could be improve with the right training program.

I have a good feeling, we have a goood money ball selection here. He must be rated if he played 11 games in his first season, eventhough the Pies did not do well in Buckley's last year.

My bet is he will get a few games this year.

His kicking is one of his strengths

[Rocco Jones]

I remain convinced that for some players all they need is opportunities and patience and in the case of Poulter I think we are well placed to provide both.

We aren't deep in options for the positions he is best placed to fill so that will provide opportunities for him and given his age we can afford to be patient.

I don't think Collingwood got rid of him because he couldn't play and it was more that they had better options for his more natural positions.

Totally.

I love the NBA and make a lot of comparisons to that. Basketball is a global spot and NBA is basically the best of the best. Even at such a high standard, it can be what you said. Miami are in the Finals Series with a bunch of undrafted guys.

What I would add to your comment is how they fit into a team's systems and structures.

[GVGjr]

His kicking is one of his strengths

It's also one of the concerns, looks great when it's on but it's often enough with a very low margin of error that comes back and bites.
If we can improve that a bit he will be a nice fit.

[Hotdog60]

This gives us a feather in our cap
"The Mid-Season Rookie Draft was the aim when he signed with Footscray. Ryan Gardner resurrected his AFL career there and Billy Gowers landed a second chance out of the Whitten Oval. Will Hayes, Anthony Scott, Jordan Boyd, Robbie McComb, Cody Raak, Mitch Hannan and Kyle Dunkley were all recruited from the Dogs' VFL program. It made sense."