""Simon first came under notice when he was playing for Victorian Country in the National Under 16 championships last season and he made the immediate step up to the Under 18s this year. He was actually a late inclusion in the side but he played terrifically well in the first two games of the championships before getting injured,' Sheehan said. ""The fact he got injured (shoulder) probably went a long way to helping Vic. Metro win the championship -the country side really missed O'Keefe in the ruck.""
""He is a strong pack mark and for his size he is very good below his knees. His work in the centre square is excellent for a young fellow and his second efforts are terrific for a developing player,"" Sheehan said.
Sheehan said he believed O'Keefe was the second best ruckman available in this year's draft. ""Barry Brooks (Tassie Mariners / Port Adelaide) made the All-Australian team and he was probably the top-rated ruckman and he was selected at number 15. Western Australia took another ruckman ahead of O'Keefe but he was a local player,"" Sheehan said.
""He still looks quite light because he is so tall but he certainly isn't pencil thin. He will bulk up over the next year or so I would think. He is very promising. Leon Harris (former Fitzroy player) has coached him in the Vic. Country over the past couple of years really thinks he can play. He is a real leader the way he goes about his football and he will give you first use of the ball.""
Sheehan said O'Keefe had excelled in his phscho-motor testing at the AFL draft camp. The phsycho-motor testing measures players awareness and reaction times. ""His reaction time, hand movement speed and peripheral response time scored very highly and that is a real indication of his overall awareness and they are excellent results for a big bloke. A lot of players that size don't score highly in this area so that is a very positive sign.""
