ON THE back of arguably his best two hitouts since arriving at IKON Park, there was no better time to analyse the progression of young Blue Sam Ramsay on Carlton Coaches' Corner.
Yet to debut at AFL level, it's been an interesting ride for Ramsay, who was one of a number of first-year players across the competition whose maiden season was experienced in a hub.
While showing some exciting glimpses in reserves match scrimmages last year, a move to the midfield in the past fortnight has coincided with his best performances so far.
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“Last year, he played some really good scrimmages in patches, particularly when we went over to Perth and he played really well against West Coast and Fremantle as a midfielder,” O’Keefe said.
“He’s a great runner, he’s one of those gifted athletes where he has a big tank but also really speedy moving away from the contests.
“He’s a beautiful kick as well and he’s really starting to bring his tackle pressure into the game now too.”
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Capable of playing across any line, Ramsay has had experience across half forward, half back and on the wing, both in his time at Carlton as well as at the Calder Cannons.
But O’Keefe noted that Ramsay has played his best games as a pure midfielder, particularly on the weekend against Box Hill where he amassed 27 disposals and two goals.
“We’ve played Box Hill and Williamstown the past two weeks and he’s starting to really flourish as a pure midfielder, he plays a little bit forward but mainly through the middle,” he said.
“He covers the ground from all the way down in defence but also gets real attacking movement going forward and because he does that, he can be quite damaging by foot all over the ground.”
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In the last two weeks, Ramsay’s defensive pressure has been the standout of his game, with his 13 tackles across two games the most of any Blue.
“What he’s able to do with his tackle pressure, yes he get tackles and pressure inside the contest, but because of his speed, he’s able to move out and chase down quite a few tackles as well,” he said.
“I think he’s picked up the most tackles which is 13 across the last two games and it’s starting to become a real asset for his game.”
Having demonstrated his growth as a footballer in the last fortnight, O'Keefe said there was still plenty of room to grow for Ramsay, but he was tracking in the right direction.
“We’re working on him with his consistency by foot. He is a pure left-footer and his ability to see the quick ones and take them and move the ball, he gets the ball through the air really flat which is what we’re after as well,” he said.
“He can be really damaging for other teams.”