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Roos: Rohan looks good

Roos sees plenty in Rohan

30/11/2009 2:01 PM

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Sydney coach Paul Roos admits he entered a 'lottery' in picking up Gary Rohan in the first round of the AFL draft, conceding he doesn't quite know where the lanky red-head is best suited to play.

The teenage sensation came to the attention of every club in the AFL when he starred for Country Victoria in this year's national under-18 championship, winning the tournament's most valuable player award.

Rohan, who stands 186cm and runs the 100m in just over 11 seconds, is a late bloomer after largely escaping the attention of scouts until this year.

The Swans grabbed him with their sixth pick, with Roos now hoping potential can be turned into something more tangible.

"At 17 or 18 you don't know whether they're going to grow. Obviously they're going to put on weight but how much, you don't know," the Swans boss explained to reporters on Monday.

"It is a bit of a lottery at times but Gary's last eight months in the Geelong Falcons system really excelled."

"Gary could develop into a midfielder but we're just not sure. Obviously he's got a lot of upside and a lot of work to do but he's an exciting talent."

Roos is also thrilled about the arrival of 20-year-old wingman Lewis Jetta from the WAFL.

Jetta was ignored in the 2007 draft, spending a year hardening his light frame playing for Bunbury against heavier and older opponents in country football before returning to the WAFL with Swan Districts in 2009.

He comes to the Swans with his explosive pace intact but his toughness up a few notches.

Roos says he was surprised and delighted to get both Jetta and Rohan on the Swans' books.

"An area we identified was (a need for) outside pace and to get both those boys was a fantastic result," he said.

"We were hearing that West Coast was going to take (Jetta) at seven and we were resigned to tossing both boys up at six.

"We certainly didn't expect to get both of them, but it was a super result."

Jetta, whose cousins Neville (Melbourne) and Leroy (Essendon) both play in the AFL, said of his stint in country football: "I just tried to work hard, went back to the country and got used to the bigger bodies in the league."

"After that I went back up to (Swan Districts) and turned it on."

Rohan and Jetta were introduced to the Swans' senior group on Monday, joining fellow draftees Sam Reid, Byron Sumner and Trent Dennis-Lane at the meet and greet.

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images
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