Playing his first season of League football with Adelaide’s SANFL team, young defender Tom Doedee has already shown he has a bright career ahead of him.
Doedee was taken by Adelaide with pick No.17 in last year’s National Draft in a selection that came as somewhat of a surprise to many outside the Club. A talented junior basketballer, Doedee was a relative newcomer to football and had only played the sport for three years.
But there was no doubting the 19-year-old’s raw athleticism. Doedee ranked fifth in the agility test and ninth in the relative vertical jump at last year’s Draft Combine.
Doedee was eased through his first AFL pre-season due to an ongoing knee complaint which saw him miss Adelaide’s SANFL opener against West Adelaide in late March.
He made his Crows debut in SANFL Showdown V in Mannum and has played every game since, earning the respect of coaches, teammates and fans alike for his competitiveness, courage and consistency.
“From my first few games, I was pretty disappointed in how I was playing,” Doedee said on The Crows Show.
“Slowly I’ve been improving, and now I’m getting to the point where I’m playing some consistently good footy and getting good reviews from the coaches.
"The main thing for me is to ensure the coaches are happy that I'm playing my role in the team."
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The 187cm, 80kg backman has also shown his versatility for the SANFL Crows in defence this season. He’s battled both tall and small opponents and has rarely had his colours lowered.
“I give away a few kilos most weeks,” Doedee said.
“I do play on smalls and talls, but I try and just use my athleticism rather than my body so if I’m coming back with the flight or running up and jumping rather than just trying to get into a one-on-one.”
Doedee credits coaches James Podsiadly and Paul Thomas for helping adjust to the jump from TAC Cup competition to the demands of senior football.
“Pods and Paul Thomas have been really good,” Doedee said.
“Doing all the work with (them) about positioning during the pre-season really helped and made sure I was ready for the bigger bodies I was playing on.
“Playing on JJ and Tex at training also helps you with getting your body (positioning) right.”
Doedee is averaging 17 possessions and five marks a game and is Adelaide’s equal-leader for rebound 50ms in the SANFL this year. He’s also ranked No.9 in the League for spoils.
But the youngster knows he still has several areas where he can continue to improve his game.
“Thommo’s (been helping me out) more so with my kicking, Pods and Thommo sit in together in my game reviews and make sure I’m improving each week and continuing to work on my weaknesses.
“They’ve been a big help.”
