Jayden Short – Deck of DT 2022

Name: Jayden Short
Team: Richmond
Position: DEF
Price: $783,000
Bye round: 12
2021 average: 93.4
2021 games played: 22
Predicted average: 98
Draft range: Top 5 Defenders

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Why should I pick him?

With Houli retiring this simply opens the door for Short to be the key rebounder off half back for the Tigers. We got a taste of this role from him towards the back end of 2021 when Houli missed the last 7 rounds.  Over that period we saw Short hit 100+ 3 times with nothing under 85. His average over that time was 97. There is no reason he can’t replicate this across the entire season. In the rounds where Houli did play he still averaged 91.  This shows us that he is more than capable of lifting that average by 5 or more points when he has the role all to himself.

We have seen what he can do now and the knowledge that he boosted his scoring by 20 points last season it should add some faith to your selection.  Add to this the knowledge that he averaged 18 points more than his previous best which came in 2018 and all things point to a stellar year for Jayden. It shows us that he is coming into the prime of his career and it is now that we need to pick him.

Not only did he lift his possessions from the previous season but he loves to kick the footy.  In 2021 we saw Short have an average of 19.3 kicks per game to just 5.9 handballs.  This is exactly the sort of game we like to see from our players.  Add to that an average of 6 marks per game and this just spells some big scoring for the season ahead. With Houli gone I can’t see this changing a great deal as the Tigers like to get that ball into players like Dusty, Riewoldt and Lynch quickly so that they can beat their opponent one on one and kicking it is going to get it there faster.

 

Why shouldn’t I pick him?

Taking the number one spot in defence for the Tigers will now put the focus of any forward taggers from opposition teams squarely on Short. We all know that teams now like to have that running rebounder that Short is going to play and if he gets too much of the footy early in a game, opposition coaches won’t hesitate at sacrificing a small forward to run with him.

Whilst his average was good without Houli last season, he was on his own in the backline for less than half the year and he will now have the pressure of being the main rebounder for the entire season. The question that I have is, can he keep up that scoring for the whole season?  I think he can, but it is certainly a question that needs to be asked.

Anytime we see a big jump in the stats and scoring of a guy we have to ask ourselves the question, are we going to see him repeat that the following year?  It is always a test and for Jayden, this won’t be any different. He will need to deliver this week in and week out if the Tigers are going to climb back into the top 4 in 2022. Once again, nothing says he can’t do this but it is going to be a tough season for him as the key focus for all 22 games.

Deck of DT Rating.

King

Short is a player on the rise and with Houli stepping down it is his time to shine. I have had short in draft and in classic over the last season or two on and off and I like what he has given me. I think that he is more than worth a spot in your team and should relish being the number one guy. At 26 years of age he is hitting his prime and should be taking games on and leading the footy out of the backline for the Tigers.

In Draft you can confidently pick him as your D1 and I expect he will be off the board early. I think people will look at his role before they look at his average from last year so don’t wait if he is on the board and you want him.

 

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