WILLEM Drew's emergence at AFL level as bona fide inside midfielder has come as no surprise to those who watched him dominate grassroots level as a teenager.
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The three-time Hampden league premiership player, now 22, is preparing for his first finals series for Port Adelaide.
Drew will crucial to the Power's chances against Geelong's in Friday night's qualifying final showdown at Adelaide Oval.
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Koroit coach Chris McLaren said Drew, who played all 22 home-and-away games, averaging 18 disposals, looked comfortable in the Power's star-studded midfield alongside Ollie Wines and Travis Boak.
McLaren said Drew brought his teammates into the game and was a tackling machine who would relish the added intensity of finals.
"It's great for everyone in Koroit. Everyone will be looking forward to AFL finals with their own teams but no doubt everyone will be tuning into Port Adelaide too," he said.
"Being able to watch him play well has been really great.
"It is awesome the way the results (fell) on the weekend which allows him to play a home final (in week one) with some crowd.
"I was speaking to him over the weekend and he was really looking forward to it."
Injury has ruined two of Drew's five seasons (2020 and 2018) at Alberton Oval.
He played 10 games in 2019 and has become a best-22 regular this season.
McLaren said Drew was the ideal inside midfielder - strong, fearless and skilful.
"His tackling and his pressure has always been awesome; he was doing that at 15 and 16 when he was playing in flags with Koroit," he said.
"Whether it's his role or he's more confident but he's winning more of the ball as well (now for Port Adelaide).
"It takes a long time as a young player to build trust that you're going to make the right decisions and you're not going to make mistakes with the ball.
"It looks like, watching on TV, that his teammates are trusting him more and more."
McLaren said Drew's quick hands and football IQ had added to the Power's onball strength.
"At every stoppage he goes to he's generally engaging and marking the best opposition onballer," he said.
"He keeps swapping and changing with whoever is in there.
"He is probably going to mark (Joel) Selwood, (Patrick) Dangerfield and (Cam) Guthrie (on Friday night) so it's no easy task for him but he's going a great job."
The Saints encouraged NAB League club GWV Rebels to use Drew as an inside midfielder in his draft year.
They saw his potential from a young age.
"When he was at Koroit and we'd be doing revision of games and 'Wiggsy' (Adam Dowie) would be saying 'look at Willem, he's in the right spot'," McLaren said.
"And we'd hang shit on him 'here's Willem in the right spot again, of course he is'.
"He has always read the game really well and situation really well."
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Justine McCullagh-Beasy
Sports journalist with an interest in feature reporting. Email: justine.mc@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Sports journalist with an interest in feature reporting. Email: justine.mc@austcommunitymedia.com.au
