OVERVIEW

Carlton Next Generation Academy member Ethan Penrith caught the eye this year with his speed and smothering pressure in both the TAC Cup and National Under 18 Championships. Utilised at either end of the ground, Penrith has put together a consistent season and even earned a VFL debut with the Northern Blues as 23rd man. His lock-down skills mixed with line-breaking ability make him hard to miss out on the field, and he provides a range of threats that can prove useful at the next level.

STRENGTHS

• Speed
• Tackling
• Lock-down role
• Versatility

Penrith tested as the seventh fastest player in the TAC Cup with his 20-metre sprint time of 2.89 seconds at the National Combine. With that in mind, it’s not hard to see why both his rebounding and defensive pressure have been undeniable assets to whatever side he is in. A move down back as a lock-down defender for Vic Metro allowed him to showcase his impressive pressure acts, as well as his ability to turn defence into attack.

Knights coach Justin Wenke touted him as the best tackler in the TAC Cup, and his average of five per game is a solid return for a small player – seldom did you see a player attempt to take on the speedster and succeed. Another huge tick for Penrith is his ability to utilise his presence in a range of roles. While he became known for his one-on-one defending, he also thrived as a rebounding half-back/wingman and as a small forward.

With a bag of four goals under his belt and an average of a goal every second game, Penrith has proved his worth as somewhat of a coach’s dream with his versatility. His key traits are fairly obvious, but effective nonetheless, and his admirable work ethic is what allows him to use them so well across the field.

IMPROVEMENTS

• Decision making/Composure
• Clean hands
• Accumulation

While Penrith’s disposal efficiency in the TAC Cup stands at just under 70 per cent, this area of his game is sometimes what lets him down. The problem with such a speedy player is that he is forced to make decisions at the pace in which he moves, and that brings about his downfall when possessing the ball in key areas.

He often hits contests at pace, which makes it hard to always collect the ball cleanly and break away like he can often do. He looks fumbly at times, and it’s almost as if he is thinking about how to dispose of the ball before he even has it – which makes for unneeded perceived pressure. Most of the roles he plays don’t necessarily make for high-disposal returns – and his average of 12.5 disposals proves that – but a better rate of accumulation would do his game no harm, and allow him to influence the game more consistently, rather than in short spurts.

DRAFT PROJECTION: Late/rookie

SUMMARY

Overall, Penrith is an excitement machine with a rare ability to adapt his best traits to multiple roles. As a member of their Next Generation Academy, Carlton will be able to match bids on him come draft night, but he is a good chance to slip through to the rookie draft where he could prove a bargain for to whichever club yields his services.