Club Western Australia/Subiaco/Hale School/Noranda JFC
Height 185cm
Weight 88kg
Position Midfield
Draft Range: 2nd to 3rd round selection
IN SHORT
- Ready-made body
– Can slot straight into an AFL team’s line-up from round 1 - “A raging bull”
– A powerful midfielder who isn’t afraid to throw his weight around - Spring-heeled
– Broke the AFL Draft Combine Record for the Running Vertical Jump with 103cm
AFL U18 CHAMPIONSHIPS STATISTICS
2017 WAFL RESERVES STATISTICS
2017 WAFL COLTS STATISTICS
ABOUT
Kyron Hayden first rose to prominence in 2014 after stellar performances in the National U15s Schoolboys Carnival. He won All-Australian selection, the WA State MVP and finished second to Luke Davies-Uniacke for the J.L. Williams Medal (the overall Best & Fairest for the Championships).
The following year, he was named Captain of the WA State 16s highlighting his enormous potential. However, in 2016, the Hale School student suffered the dreaded osteitis pubis, and was ruled out for the year.
But he overcame the serious injury to have a significant impact in 2017. Until round 18, he was leading the WAFL Colts Coaches Award, with starring performances against South Fremantle in round 1 (22 possessions, 7 inside 50s, 5 marks, 2 tackles and a goal), Peel Thunder in round 4 (23 possessions, 5 inside 50s, and 3 marks), East Perth in round 5 (29 possessions, 6 marks, 2 tackles and 2 inside 50s), Claremont in round 6 (24 possessions, 8 marks, 2 inside 50s and 2 tackles), South Fremantle in round 9 (22 possessions, 7 marks, 4 tackles and 3 inside 50s), and Perth in round 16 (20 possessions, 3 tackles, 2 marks and a goal). Despite only playing 14 games, he finished 3rd in the Taylor Medal (Subiaco Colts’ B&F) with 116 votes and finished fifth in the Jack Clarke Medal with 28 votes.
In round 23 against East Perth, he made his senior debut for Subiaco with the Reserves and he did not disappoint, winning 14 possessions, laying seven tackles and taking three marks. He followed up with strong outings in the Reserves’ finals campaign and was a key figure in their Grand Final victory over South Fremantle with 15 possessions, eight tackles, three inside 50s, and three marks.
He also drove his draft ranking higher at the AFL National Combine when he beat Nic Naitanui and Jared Brennan’s record in the Running Vertical Jump test, with 103 centimetres. He also jumped 82cm in the Standing Vertical Jump test, which is the fifth highest jump recorded in this test.
For our interview with Kyron, click here.
WHY PICK HIM?
He’s already been described as a “raging bull” and it is not hard to see why the comparisons have come about.
Hayden is as tough as they come, often throwing his weight around in the stoppages to win the contested possession, before finding a team-mate in open space.
As well as being a wrecking ball in tight, Hayden is a classy player with elite disposal by hand or by foot. His composure, reading of the play, two-way running and decision-making, makes him a tantalising prospect.
THE QUESTION MARKS?
If there is one knock on Hayden’s game, it is that he did not impact the scoreboard as much as he would have liked to in 2017. However, once he furthers his development in his forward craft at AFL level, he can become a serious weapon for whichever club picks him up at the draft.
THE WRAP
We’ve seen the success of Port Adelaide’s rising star Sam Powell-Pepper in his first year of AFL football, and Kyron Hayden is a big-bodied midfielder, not unlike the 2017 Gavin Wanganeen Medallist.
Like Powell-Pepper, Hayden has the build (185cm/88kg), to slot straight into an AFL team’s starting 22 and become an x-factor. He thrives in the crash-and-bash of the midfield, and often puts his body on the line to be a star in the stoppages.
His leadership, competitiveness and determination to succeed will endear him to his future coaches, team-mates and club fans.
