Rookie Draft selection No. 39
Height: 190cm
Weight: 75kg
Recruited From: Redlands (QLD)
About: Represented Queensland at Under-18 level in 2010 and 2011 and was identified as a potential draftee after kicking seven goals against Mt.Gravatt. Plays predominantly a medium defender with the scope to play on the wing or in attack. His tidy foot skills and ability to spoil are both assets of his game. Performed well in the finals for Redlands in the NEAFL.
Derek Hine says: Adam was a really well credentialed player coming through the Under-18s for Queensland and probably plateaued a bit after the National Draft but his year with Redlands has been very good. Started forward, predominantly playing that fifth-sixth role, and was able to hit the scoreboard particularly in a game against Mt.Gravatt where I think he kicked seven or eight goals on that particular day. Then they moved him down back where he played that sweeping role across half back, playing on some really well credentialed players for both Gold Coast and Brisbane.
The pleasing thing from our side of things for Adam was there was a real cross-section of players he was playing on, both talls and smalls. He's an elite kick, he's a right footer, so that complements our group in terms of the depth of his kicking and his ability to use the football. The really pleasing thing is he's able to play on both talls and smaller players, so that was a real focus for us and he's already 193cm which gives him an ability to play on both smalls and talls. We see him predominantly playing wing-half back and if he can develop into that role, particularly on a wing, it gives us real power across there with Clinton Young, with one being a right footer and one being a left footer.
So that was the thinking behind Adam, and even if you look at the Queensland boys, we really feel that because of the environment they've come through they're probably two years behind in their development.
In his own words
On his draft day experience
I was just actually lying in bed watching TV. I'd had a bit of breakfast and had a mate that just called me up and I thought he wanted a game of golf but it turns out that he was congratulating me, so I found out from a good mate of mine at the footy club. I was pretty surprised at the time and it still hasn't sunk in, I guess.
I was actually watching Fox Sports News and I saw down the bottom it had some light coverage on the draft and I actually thought it was tonight, so I though, 'oh s***, it could get pretty serious pretty soon if the penny drops my way'.
I called Derek about 20 minutes ago and had a chat to him. The plan is to come down tomorrow morning and take it all in from there. Other than that I'm a bit unsure as to what's going to happen but as far as I know I'll come down tomorrow.
On his pre-draft expectations
I had my wits about myself and I had a meeting with Derek and I thought it went well, but other than that, it's all just a learning experience. I didn't expect too much and anything else was a bonus. I thought about it here and there but I never really thought I'd make the dream come true!
On returning to the NEAFL after missing out in the 2010 and 2011 National Drafts
It probably took a lot of stress off me. I sort of thought the last two years of playing state footy you're under a lot of scrutiny to perform and deliver what you're meant to do in getting picked up as Queenslanders like to say, you want to get as many as they can drafted each year, but knowing that I'd talked to a few clubs a couple of years ago, I went back and enjoyed my footy a lot more. Played with a lot of good mates at the club and just wanted to be successful as a club and I didn't really think about playing individual roles so, yeah, I just really enjoyed my footy and sort f went in leaps and bounds from there and started getting a bit more of the footy and playing a lot better because I was just enjoying it, I guess.
On bagging seven goals in a match for Redlands early in the 2012 season
That was in round two out of Mt.Gravatt. I just found the ball pretty easily and I think I took a good mark early in that game and I just grew in confidence and from there, you know, I just kicked a bag, which I don't do very often. I was injured the next week and then a few things went down with a couple of backmen and I got shafted down back. It was probably a lot better than I went down back, I enjoyed it down there a lot more and I'd probably be lost if I went up forward at the moment. It was a good move, it was for the best.
On how he describes himself as a footballer
A creative half back who pushes forward and delivers into the forward line with a nice, penetrating kick and doesn't mind to take a few contested marks, so a silky smooth user of the footy, I guess. I don't have a big frame or anything so I have to work around to my advantages. I modelled myself a bit on Michael Barlow, I suppose, because I really liked the way he went about his footy and where he came from was also the way that I'd gone through in my pathway in footy. Not getting picked up as an 18-year-old I just had to work harder once I missed the opportunity.
