West Coast Eagles mid-season draftee Tom McCarthy joins list of elite AFL ball winners in first season
The mature-aged defender has been a shining light since his arrival at the Eagles' nest in May.
And just eight games into what the club will be hoping is a long and decorated career, the 25-year-old has joined an elite list of ball winners.
McCarthy is inside the top 10 for most disposals over the first eight games of an AFL career, sitting equal seventh on 194 alongside Greater Western Sydney captain Toby Greene.
He is also just six disposals off Carlton star Sam Walsh and seven behind what Brownlow Medal favourite Nick Daicos produced through his first eight appearances.
Former Fremantle and Gold Coast midfielder Michael Barlow heads the impressive list, having collected 220 disposals.
Most of McCarthy's numbers - 24 disposals, five marks and an elite 510 metres gained per game - even came before his first shift in midfield, the eight-gamer showing he will be able to add a further string to his bow that already includes being one of the club's best kicks.
'I feel like I wasn't ready for it at the start, but getting out there ... I definitely feel ready now and ready to move forward with (the midfield move),' McCarthy said on Tuesday.
'It's a massive jump and it's probably the strength bit for me, I need to get a bit stronger.
'When you try and body up a few of the AFL mids, it's a bit different, you have to go about your craft a bit differently, but it's a great challenge.'
McCarthy was taught a lesson in his first quarter in midfield against the Crows, torched by star Jordan Dawson.
However, the rising star was quick to learn and ended the match as one of the best on with a game-high 29 disposals to go with two clearances as the Eagles pushed the league leaders to within nine points of a historic upset.
With co-captain Liam Duggan now missing the final two clashes of the season, McCarthy could be forced to fill the gap at half-back, but McQualter said his value in the middle may already be too great to lose.
'Yeah, it's one of our options, for sure, but probably after the way Tom played last week, we'd be pretty keen to keep him in the midfield role. He does give us a real point at difference, Tom,' McQualter said on Thursday.
'His run, work rating the way he uses the ball. So that'll be a discussion but it's probably going to be hard to wrestle to midfield coaches to get him out of there at the moment.'
Just two years ago, McCarthy was playing amateur football and working nine to five in marketing, and the explosive half-back said he still had more growth in him.
'I think from where I've grown to now is so far from where I was two years ago,' he said.
'But I reckon I've got that much more left to learn, both on the field and off the field, with diet and gym and even my footy, I know I've got lots to work on, so I'm really excited for where I can go.
'We do a bit of meditation and some breathing exercises before the game. A few of us boys get in there and do that, and that's something I never used to do, so it's new to me, but I've started doing that since my debut.
'It really helps me to calm myself down before the game and getting rid of the nerves, and something I'll probably do for the rest of my career.'
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