By BRAD McGRATH
DANDENONG Stingrays coach Graeme Yeats has backed Jason Pongracic to rebound from the disappointment of missing selection in Thursday night’s AFL draft.
The tough midfielder-forward was overlooked by all 18 clubs, with his hopes now hanging on the rookie and preseason drafts on December 11.
Yeats said the Stingrays co-captain was “pretty flat” after missing selection but believes he has the character to respond to the hit and prove the doubters wrong.
“We’re all devastated for him — if anyone deserves to be on an AFL list it is definitely Jason,” Yeats said of the Kooweerup youngster. “He’s been dominant at the top level as a junior and we all realise that there is a question mark on Jason to run at the level required but I believe he would rise to the challenge.
“He’s one of the more intelligent, driven kids that I have seen involved with and he’s one of the best leaders around the club.”
Yeats believes Pongracic, from Haileybury College, would have been a worthy second or third round draft pick and compared him to AFL draftees Mitch Hallahan (Hawthorn) and Luke Parker (Sydney).
The AFL is littered with players who missed selection on draft day only to prove the critics wrong and make it at the top level, with a recent example Brisbane’s Tom Rockliff.
“He’ll get the opportunity because of the character factor,” Yeats said. “He’s pretty flat about the situation right now but he’ll pick himself up and hopefully get that opportunity.”
Other Stingrays to be drafted were Mornington’s Lachie Whitfield, who was taken at No. 1 by Greater Western Sydney and Berwick’s Nathan Wright, who joined St Kilda.
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