I thought I remembered him coming to us with an injury and missing a big chunk of his first season. In fact he only played 16 games for Peel in three seasons, 9 of those in 2021.
This is a snippet from his draft profile, which mentions a knee injury before being drafted.
IMPROVEMENTS:
Speed
Athleticism
Constantly discussed across the AFL industry Valente has been unfairly tarnished as too slow to impact at senior level. While Valente is not blessed with the blisteringly quick acceleration and speed that his SA teammates Izak Rankine and Connor Rozee possess, he certainly is not slow. Nevertheless, Valente has been tirelessly working on his athleticism with fast twitch training conducted before injuring his knee in the lead up AFL Draft Combine. He’s ability to run out games and getting across the ground with ease will be tested early into his senior career, as he continues to strengthen his running capacity.
DRAFT PROJECTION: 20-35