2013 Draft Profile: Trent Dumont

Trent Dumont (Norwood)

Height: 185 cm
Weight: 87 kg
Position: Inside Midfielder
Player Comparison: Ollie Wines
Strengths: Contested ball winner, ready-made, endurance
Weaknesses: lacks the hurt factor, no outside capabilities

Trent Dumont is a ready-made AIS academy inside midfielder who has slid somewhat over the past few months. The slide isn’t his fault- his form has been solid and consistent, yet it seems there’s more versatile and well rounded players who have bobbed up.

Dumont is the second best pure inside midfielder in the draft, behind Matt Crouch. He’s very strong in the clearances and applies plenty of defensive pressure around the ball. His tackle numbers are encouraging for teams who want to implement a defensive game style.

Winning possession is easy for Dumont, even though he is constantly up against big bodies in the SANFL. He is consistently playing in the seniors which is a credit to him- but the question is how much more improvement does he have left in him?

The answer- well, not much. His skills can definitely be improved over time. If he wants to become a top flight footballer, he will need to develop his kicking and also his offensive awareness. He has good vision when it comes to in tight situations, but he lacks the lateral vision and flair to break the game open. Having said that, Dumont is a decent kick- but it lacks the hurt factor. He’s the kind of guy who will average mid 70’s for disposal efficiency, but at the end of the day, not many of those will be rebound 50’s or silky passes inside 50.

One thing that is really impressive is his handballing in tight spaces. He has quick, clean hands which more often than not will find an outside player. Dumont has the tank to cover the ground for long periods, but he’s not exactly gifted athletically. Even the elite slow inside midfielders like Brad Sewell are getting found out in the modern game, so for Dumont to take his game to the next level, he’ll need to add a new string to his bow.

That string could be pushing forward. He’s not a great overhead mark, but his weight should allow him to bully smaller midfielders. With his defensive capabilities, he could become a tagging inside midfielder who can drift forward and hurt his opponent on the scoreboard.

Whilst he may be flawed, Dumont is a physical beast who should make an immediate AFL impact. Dumont would be suited to either clubs contending for a premiership, or younger sides with light frames. This is why in the Bound For Glory News Phantom Draft, he was selected by Richmond to take over the likes of Shane Tuck and Daniel Jackson and assist the younger bodies in Trent Cotchin and Nick Vlastuin. He would be considered a steal here and with his natural characteristics, Dumont could well become a very impressive AFL player.

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