Blake Howes was taken at pick 39 in the 2021 AFL Draft by Melbourne, he was recruited from Sandringham Dragons.
He plays as a midfielder/forward type, he currently stands at 190cm, 79kg.
Full Draft coverage: 2021 AFL Draft: All the Picks
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Melbourne National Recruiting Manager Jason Taylor provided an update post-draft on Howes.
“He has played behind the ball as a half-back and you speak to his coaches and the people who have been involved with him and they think that is potentially his best position.
“Having watched him live on the wing on occasions this year, I felt his last two games there he really started to get going. I’d like to think we’d put him on the wing and in the midfield and see him develop there initially.” Taylor said.
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2022 AFL Fantasy: Miller Bergman
Howes averaged 15.7 Disposals, 4.0 Marks & 3.1 Tackles in the NAB League in 2021.
Fantasy Impact: Blake Howes will add versatility to the Melbourne list, he can play as a tall forward but has the capability to play through the midfield & halfback.
He’s an athletic type, provides high pressure on the opposition & also has a strong marking ability along with excellent disposal skills.
The short term fantasy prospects for Howes may be limited, he likely needs time to develop & adapt to what is a very strong Melbourne list coming off the 2021 premiership.
The longer term prospects could be quite appealing, if he develops his primary position as a ball winner across half-back or a wing then his scoring output could be noteworthy. Inconsistent scoring would be a concern if he is set for a key forward type role, watch with interest his role at the lower level.
Howes is likely a pass at Round 1 in season long fantasy, it will be tough to break into the Melbourne team unless significant injuries surfaced.
He’s a pass in single season draft leagues, he’s an option to select just beyond the early picks in dynasty leagues but ahead of expected ADP. There could be decent upside here, but it will likely be a long term payoff.
2021 AFL Draft Top 10
1. Jason Horne-Francis (Nth Melbourne)
2. Sam Darcy (Western Bulldogs)
3. Finn Callaghan (GWS Giants)
4. Nick Daicos (Collingwood)
5. Mac Andrew (Gold Coast)
6. Josh Rachele (Adelaide)
7. Josh Ward (Hawthorn)
8. Jye Amiss (Fremantle)
9. Josh Gibcus (Richmond)
10. Neil Erasmus (Fremantle)
Full Draft coverage: 2021 AFL Draft: All the Picks
Article by: @aflratingsPete
Source: AFL Melbourne
Image credit: Melbourne
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