Star forward Gryan Miers has backed in draftee George Stevens to push for a spot in Geelong’s team for the opening round of the AFL season.
Standing alongside the Warrnambool product at the Cats’ Community Camp in the southwest Victorian city, Miers was glowing in his praise of the well-built midfielder.
“He’s someone who’s come in, and you’d not be surprised if he’s there (in) Round 1,” Miers said.
“I’m not just saying that because George is here; I’ve been saying that the last few weeks.
“I’ve been able to play some time with George in some trial games and some training sessions, and I’ve been so impressed with his skills, his mindset, and what he’s doing to become a great player and seize the opportunity he’s got.
“I’ve been extremely impressed with George, as (with) the other draftees.
“But, he has been really standing out for me as a player that’s really ready to play AFL.”
Miers, who spends some of his spare time in Geelong’s recruiting department, has been a fan of Stevens since before the Cats selected him with pick 58.
“I did watch George a bit in the VFL last year, and some of the recruiting tips I did with him, I was stoked when we picked George,” Miers said.
“I was all for getting him on our list, so I was stoked when he did slide in the draft and we got with our pick.”
Despite the undeniable support from a senior player, team success is the focus for Stevens.
“I think I’m just trying to develop my game as much as I can and become the most well-rounded player as I can,” he said.
“Then that’ll allow me, hopefully, to fit into the team environment where I’m learning new structures and things like that.
“I’m not a big future goalsetter; I like to have these short-term goals that I continue to hopefully tick off and chip away at over the next part of the pre-season and as we go into games, and just see where it takes me.
“But I’m really looking forward to getting into it.”
X: @krockfootball
