Player Watch #36 Joel Amartey

[Kennedy Parker]

Joel Amartey
Joel Amartey has shown strong form in the ruck and as a key-position player at both ends of the ground since being drafted to the Sydney Swans as a rookie ahead of season 2018. The Ghanaian-Australian produced arguably his best performance of the 2019 season against Sydney University in Round 6, which saw him collect 42 hit-outs and a goal. In season 2020, he made his AFL debut against Brisbane Lions in Round 17 after producing some strong individual performances in scrimmage matches, and impressed with eight hit-outs and two inside 50.

Joel Amartey
DOB: 02 September 1999
DEBUT: 2020
DRAFT: #28, 2017 Rookie Elevation
RECRUITED FROM: Beaumaris (Vic)/Mentone Gram (Vic)/Sandringham U18

Joel Amartey | AFL

Follow Joel Amartey's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[momentbymoment]

Will be a downer and say don't put too much expectation onto him. He is still a rookie pick and is definitely a project player.

He could be all of those things mentioned in this thread, he could also be an Abe Davis type.

Are you telling me not to see him as the second coming of Adam Goodes???!!!

Damn

 

[RUNVS]

Are you telling me not to see him as the second coming of Adam Goodes???!!!

Damn

Adam Goodes is still alive

 

[caesar88]

or he could be that link man on the wing or Patrick Cripps like in the midfield/HF.
Exciting times

Now that's an unfair comparison. No one is as tall as Patrick Cripps

 

[Superstar swan]

Definately looks promising but raw. Id be interested to see what position the club has in mind for him...when do the rookies start training?

 

[SwansProudly]

Definately looks promising but raw. Id be interested to see what position the club has in mind for him...when do the rookies start training?

Already training
http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/video/2017-11-27/draftees-settle-in

 

[Weasely]

Like i care that he missed a shot after the siren

Wouldn't trust a single Swan besides Hewett to do that anyway

Good luck to him, sounds like he's got a bit of x-factor about him so worth the chance

This makes Gary Rohan sad...

 

[momentbymoment]

Already training
http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/video/2017-11-27/draftees-settle-in

I like the look of all 3 draftees.
A few good rookies as well.

Interesting times ahead.

 

[Superstar swan]

Aliir looking ripped in the background of that video

 

[Superstar swan]

Is it just me or do the kids get skinnier every year, swear we were bigger in my colts days

 

[Cadsky]

Joel comes across as a bit of a cult figure to me. If he makes it, he will have a lot of fans.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Uh oh,

basketballer

Yes but also has a soccer background. One A Goodes had a soccer background and he proved a handy player.

 

[sataris]

Yes but also has a soccer background. One A Goodes had a soccer background and he proved a handy player.

I'd wager almost everyone on planet earth has a soccer background.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

I'd wager almost everyone on planet earth has a soccer background.

Nah, doubt that. Of current AFL players there would be several who would have played soccer and shown potential. J Selwood of course could still play soccer for Italy, having been tutored by Greg Luganis and other great divers.

 

[Wolftone]

http://websites.sportstg.com/team_i...02777916&client=1-3020-111708-437836-25836244

These stats are not brilliant but he was playing as a ruckman for all these games. I don't think he is tall enough to be a full time ruckman at an AFL level though.

He does seem to be athletically gifted though

20m sprint:

Nick Hind (Essendon VFL) 2.92 seconds
Alex Boyse (Essendon VFL) 2.98
Oskar Baker (Aspley) 2.98
Dylan Landt (Calder Cannons) 2.99
Dane Hollenkamp (Geelong Falcons) 3.01
Seb Williams (Sandringham Dragons) 3.01
Doulton Langlands (Murray Bushrangers) 3.02
Joel Amartey (Sandringham Dragons) 3.03
Connor Nutting (Gold Coast Academy) 3.04
Harrison Gunther (Glenorchy) 3.04
Mark Baker (Northern Knights) 3.04


Standing vertical jump:

Jy Lane (Murray Bushrangers) 83cm
Alex Boyse (Essendon VFL) 79
Oskar Baker (Aspley) 73
Tom Boyd (Murray Bushrangers) 73
Joel Amartey (Sandringham Dragons) 72
Connor Nutting (Gold Coast Academy) 71
Seb Williams (Sandringham Dragons) 70
Dylan Landt (Calder Cannons) 68
Nick Hogan (Gippsland Power) 68

Running vertical jump:

Jy Lane (Murray Bushrangers) 100cm
Kai Owens (Sandringham Dragons) 93
Joel Amartey (Sandringham Dragons) 90
Connor Nutting (Gold Coast Academy) 88
Cooper Stephens (Geelong Falcons) 87
Dylan Landt (Calder Cannons) 86
Aaron Darling (Dandenong Stingrays) 85
Alex Boyse (Essendon VFL) 84
Nick Hogan (Gippsland Power) 84
Nick Hind (Essendon VFL) 84
Seb Williams (Sandringham Dragons) 84

https://www.afl*******************/tag/joel-amartey/

We won't know for two years if he is going to grow enough to be a ruckman. He's still growing. Sam Naismith was 200cm when he first played for our reserves as an Academy top up. He grew 6cm, his parents say he is 208 not 206 as the club website says, between then and the end of the season. The club believe he will grow considerably more. people generally stop growing around 20.

All that aside I have only seen the footage of the TAC Cup and for a young bloke who has only played 30 games his tap ruck work was superb. He seems to be able to direct the ball to his mids at will. He jumps over the opponents quite easily and is able to spin in the air to change his body position to get best angle to tap the all down. I think Dean Cox will love working with this young bloke. He has natural ability. His numbers might not have been as good as they might have been had he not been a late comer to real footy.

A development player but heaps of athletic ability and natural ball skills to work with

 

[Wolftone]

Like i care that he missed a shot after the siren

Wouldn't trust a single Swan besides Hewett to do that anyway

Good luck to him, sounds like he's got a bit of x-factor about him so worth the chance

Or Jake Lloyd or Will Hayward. Lloyd has wonderful numbers from set shots it is the ones on the run he misses and Hayward also gets many more then he misses but is better on the set.

 

[Wolftone]

Hmm 3 mins of tap highlights for a bloke who is too small to be a ruck at afl level

Don't get negative yet. Naismith grew 6cm in his 18th year. There is hope yet as he only needs to grow 2cm to match some of the new players. The days of the Dinosaur may actually be gone.

 

[momentbymoment]

Is there an Amartey Train?
If not, I'm officially starting one today. Climb on board. This bloke is gonna be a star!!

 

[Opts]

Very happy, like the taps out into space
http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/video/2017-11-27/joel-amartey-highlight-reel

From the highlight reel I'm impressed with his ability to tap the ball to the advantage of his teammate. The trouble is that it is a highlight reel and doesn't show the times that he didn't.

 

[Neverwas]

We won't know for two years if he is going to grow enough to be a ruckman. He's still growing. Sam Naismith was 200cm when he first played for our reserves as an Academy top up. He grew 6cm, his parents say he is 208 not 206 as the club website says, between then and the end of the season. The club believe he will grow considerably more. people generally stop growing around 20.

All that aside I have only seen the footage of the TAC Cup and for a young bloke who has only played 30 games his tap ruck work was superb. He seems to be able to direct the ball to his mids at will. He jumps over the opponents quite easily and is able to spin in the air to change his body position to get best angle to tap the all down. I think Dean Cox will love working with this young bloke. He has natural ability. His numbers might not have been as good as they might have been had he not been a late comer to real footy.

A development player but heaps of athletic ability and natural ball skills to work with

Couldn't agree more, my eyes lit up when I saw this kid. Lots and lots of upside.

Sent from my SM-T805Y using Tapatalk

 

[scaryness]

Nice article on how he ended up a Swan

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-12-03/swans-rookie-puts-gf-miss-behind-him

 

[mtooler]

Can see how much our thinking has shifted so quickly from Galloway to Amartey.

 

[Swansujelly]

early early days, but plenty to work with, and if he's still growing..could be an astute pickup.

 

[SwansProudly]

Will be exciting to see Joel develop

 

[magic.merkin]

I grew 2.5 inches in the summer after year 12. So add that into the personal experience pot.

Also do clubs xray for growth plates pre/post draft? They could still be open.

 

[Swansujelly]

I grew 2.5 inches in the summer after year 12. So add that into the personal experience pot.

Also do clubs xray for growth plates pre/post draft? They could still be open.

Funny how it works, i was 6'3 at 16 and stopped.