Anderson in action against Oakleigh Chargers in Round 1 this season.
(Photo: Blair Burns)
Eastern Ranges’ midfielder Cody Anderson has significantly boosted his draft stocks following an impressive month of football in the Coates Talent League.
Dubbed the ‘Beast from the East’, he has been one of the breakout players in the competition this season putting up some impressive numbers and giving opposition midfielders headaches in the engine room.
He stands at 181cm and is built like a tank. His signature blonde dreads and broad shoulders have earned him cult figure status among fans. His fantastic work rate, tackling pressure and ability to win the hard, contested ball at both ends will have potential clubs excited about the 18-year-old.
He is averaging 23 disposals per game, almost seven tackles and six inside-50s. He leads the league in total tackles and has managed to impact the scoreboard, kicking multiple goals on separate occasions this season.
Despite the impressive numbers, Anderson said there was always room for improvement and outlined the things he was working on.
“I’ve been stoked with how I’ve started the year, (but) still wanting to improve with my foot skills,” he told Scribe Sports.
His sheer size and defensive work rate are two things that set him apart from what is shaping up to be a very midfield heavy 2024 AFL draft. He is a strong two-way runner and will do the hard stuff, the shepherds, the smothers – all of the one percenters. While he is continuing to work on his outside polish and ball use, there is no doubt that he has the skillset to perform at the top level. He is ready-made to play against men with his strong stature and will continue to push his case as the season progresses.
(Photo: Baseline Footy Instagram)
Eastern Ranges fell short at the final hurdle last season losing the grand final against Sandringham Dragons by 43 points. Anderson was a key part of a stacked Ranges side boasting two 2023 top-10 picks in Caleb Windsor (Melbourne) and Nick Watson (Hawthorn).
The Healesville product first played for the Ranges as a 16-year-old back in 2022 playing seven games, averaging 16 disposals and six tackles per game. An impressive feat for a kid who was yet to even begin his bottom-aged season.
Last year, he continued this form with 13 games to his name, averaging 19 disposals, five tackles and four inside-50s. He was regarded as one of the strongest and most exciting bottom-aged players in the competition.
Coming into the 2024 season, the spotlight was on Ranges midfielders’ Christian Moraes and Josh Smillie as the big two, but Anderson slid under the radar and has now started to get the respect he deserves.
It wasn’t until the grand final rematch against Sandringham Dragons in round three where the 'blonde bull' really made a statement with a magnificent display, the best game of his season up until that point.
The inside midfielder was everywhere, laying big chase-down tackles, kicking goals and single-handedly giving his side a chance at defeating a formidable Sandy outfit. While Moraes and Smillie both put up impressive numbers, Anderson was a standout as the Ranges’ best player on the day.
The 'Beast from the East' gets a handball off in the round three clash against Sandringham Dragons.
(Photo: Blair Burns)
He finished with 28 disposals, two goals, nine tackles and eight inside-50s despite the loss.
In the weeks following this game, he continued to go from strength to strength, having great games back-to-back against the Swans (26 disposals, 11 tackles) and the Lions (33 disposals, one goal, seven tackles). He also kicked two goals from 19 disposals against Western Jets the following week.
Anderson hails from Healesville and is no stranger to playing against the bigger bodies. His senior debut came at the age of 15 in 2021.
“I’ve played all my footy there (at Healesville) for the Bloods as a young fella, still there now, love that club,” he said.
The club gave Anderson his first taste of senior footy in the Outer East Football Netball League, before he continued to excel throughout that season. He played seven games and earned himself the ‘Best First Year Player’ award - all as a 15-year-old.
He played that season of senior footy predominantly as a goal-kicking pressure forward, before moving through the midfield and accelerating his game. There is no doubt having played as a forward in the past has helped his craft around the forward-50 stoppage, as a dangerous goal scorer.
Just one of Anderson's many strong games at his home club, the Healesville Bloods
(Photo: Healesville FNC Facebook)
He became one of the best midfielders in the competition in the seasons following that, getting leather poisoning practically every week. All of these experiences pushing him towards one thing, the ultimate goal for every footy-mad teenager, getting drafted to an AFL club.
In the past couple of months, this dream has continued to become closer and closer to fruition and while there is still a long way to go until that night in November, Anderson is on the right track.
The ESPN 2024 Draft Power Rankings for this month have him projected at number 20, just sneaking into the first round.
But the humble teenager isn’t getting too far ahead of himself and will be looking towards the Under-18 Championships to continue to hone his game and impress on a bigger stage. He is part of an exciting Metro squad alongside his Eastern teammates Smillie, Moraes and Iliro Smit. Some of the other big names include Levi Ashcroft, Luke Trainor and Jagga Smith.
The 18-year-old will feature as part of the Vic Metro side at the upcoming U18 Championships.
(Photo: Blair Burns)
“It will be a great experience with the U18 champs, (we) have a really good group of blokes with a lot of talent, so it will be awesome,’ Anderson said.
Growing up as a Western Bulldogs supporter, Anderson said there was one player that he had particularly loved watching throughout his younger years.
“I model my game a bit on Tom Liberatore, Jack Viney and Jai Newcombe,” he said.
These stars have 488 games between them, best and fairests and a couple of premierships. They also carry many of the same attributes as Anderson and it’s no surprise that they are some of the toughest ball winners in the league.
Anderson is an exciting talent and will be a player to watch in the Under-18 Champs for Vic Metro, the 'Beast of the East' is only just getting started.
All photos are owned by Blair Burns and are not to be re-used without permission.
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