IN a promising week for the state’s brightest prospects, NSW/ACT’s most talented Under 16s girls were selected in the state side, while the Under 18 Academy Series wrapped up with 17 players making the Allies squad for the National Under 18 Championships.

Seventeen make Allies squad

Players from the GWS GIANTS and Sydney Swans academies make up more than one third of the entire Allies side, after 17 players were named in the squad yesterday for the upcoming National Under 18 Championships. Among them is first round talent Nick Blakey and AFL Academy member Mathew Walker, as well as GIANTS Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Under 18 Academy Series Kieren Briggs. The final selection came after the Under 18 Academy Series concluded, with Tasmania having the most nominees in the team with 11. Despite notching up four out of five wins, the Swans had six nominees to the GIANTS’ 11.

GWS GIANTS Academy (11) 

Kieren Briggs
Riley Corbett
Jacob Koschitzke
Jeromy Lucas
Guy Richardson
Nick Murray
Mathew Walker
James Peatling
Ben Kelly
Thomas Green
Liam Delahunty

Sydney Academy (6) 

Joey Reinhard
Josh Stern
Zak Cameron
Kyle McKellar
Nick Blakey
Josh Rayner

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Under 16s Youth Girls squad announced

NSW/ACT’s Under 16 Youth Girls squad was announced earlier this week, with 22 girls selected from across the region. Last month the Regional Academies of Sport held a weekend competition which saw all 13 regions converge on Lake Macquarie, and assisted in the AFL NSW/ACT Talent Department’s tough decision to finalise the squad. All the players in the Regional Academies of Sport will have the opportunity to go through 20 skill development sessions throughout 2018, to aid in the girls’ development.

Female Football Talent Pathway Manager, Ash Moeller said he is excited by the groups’ progression in 2018, naming a number of players names that might become more familiar over the coming years. 

“Tathra’s Tarni Evans is a very athletic and tall player who kicks the ball well on both feet,” Moeller said. “Look out for Tarni who is set to roam the ground as our centre half-forward. “Abby Favell is an agile midfielder who will provide plenty of run and carry off half-back, and through the middle. “She possesses good pace and luckily for us, has a penetrating kick.”

Moeller said state level 800-metre athlete and member of the AFL NSW/ACT Diversity pathway, Emily Pease, was a player with a top athletic background with “strong leadership qualities” and is one to watch as well.

The Under 16s side will have a camp in Albury over the long weekend where they will compete against the Vic Country Under 16s.

For more information on the Under 16s Youth Girls, head to the AFL NSW/ACT website or Facebook page.

The full squad is listed below:

Swans claim another win, GIANTS go down against title winners

Tasmania                                            2.2       6.5       9.6       14.10 (94)
Greater Western Sydney Academy   3.4       4.5       5.9       7.10 (52)

GOALS
Tasmania: Thomas 5, Rubock 3, Dakin, McGuinness, Mundy, Jackson, O’Neill, Peppin
Greater Western Sydney Academy: Peatling 3, Delahunty 2, Corbett, Driscoll

BEST
Tasmania: Thomas, Auckland, Jackson, Anderton, Jones, Dakin
Greater Western Sydney Academy: Briggs, Richardson, Peatling, Foley, Walker, Evans

Ultimately in the game that was just going to be icing on the cake, a five-goal performance to Tarryn Thomas helped Tasmania to a seven-goal victory over GWS GIANTS Academy. For the GIANTS, Kieren Briggs was named their best, also taking out the carnival MVP Award. Forward James Peatling booted three goals and was named among the best in a losing side, as was Ainslie product Guy Richardson, and Murray Bushrangers talent Mathew Walker.

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Sydney Academy                    2.1       5.2       6.3       8.8 (56)
Gold Coast Academy              3.1       4.3       6.3       8.6 (54)

GOALS
Sydney Academy: Blakey 3, Reinhard, Ellem, Stern, Loone, Barling
Gold Coast Academy: Scott 2, Lowah 2, Crossley, Gore, Portelli, Graham

BEST
Sydney Academy: Wicks, Blakey, Stern, Kilpatrick
Gold Coast Academy: Scott, Greenwool, Portelli, Bowie

Sydney Swans Academy bounced back from its only loss of the carnival to record a narrow two-point victory over Gold Coast Academy. Top 10 prospect Nick Blakey was again sensational, booting three goals for the Swans and ultimately being the difference between the sides in the end as the only multiple goal kicker. But through the midfield it was Sam Wicks who was crucial in extracting the ball into space, while Josh Stern and Cooper Kilpatrick were other impressive players for the Swans.

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NEAFL Round 6

UWS GIANTS 5.12 (42) defeated by Sydney Swans 10.13 (73)

Sydney Swans have taken the bragging rights in the Reserves version of ‘Battle of the Bridge’ with a 31-point win over UWS Giants. Nic Newman continued to push his case for a recall to the AFL with a massive 40 disposals, 10 marks, seven tackles, seven inside 50s and seven rebounds, with only his accuracy on goal – three behinds – stopping him from having a complete game. Harry Marsh also had a stunning performance with 35 disposals, nine marks, seven tackles, six inside 50s, 11 rebounds and two goals, while Darcy Cameron was good once again with 14 disposals, five marks, six tackles, 20 hitouts and two goals. For the GIANTS, Matt Buntine had the ball on a string with 39 disposals, nine marks, five inside 50s, five rebounds and five tackles, while Tim Mohr (31 disposals, eight marks and eight rebounds) and Aiden Bonar (25 disposals, five marks, six inside 50s and seven tackles) were others who impressed for the losers.

Sydney University 12.10 (82) defeated Canberra Demons 9.8 (62)

The unbeaten Sydney University side continued it’s great form with a 20-point win over a plucky Canberra Demons outfit. For the winners, Sam Fong (four goals) and Jacob Derickx (three) were prominent up forward, while Adam Gulden (28 disposals, five marks, three inside 50s and five rebounds) and Ryan Hebron (25 disposals, eight marks, three tackles, five inside 50s and three rebounds) were named among the best. The Demons’ Mitch Hardie was again strong with 25 disposals, four marks, six tackles and a goal, while Mitch Maguire had 27 disposals, four marks, four tackles and seven inside 50s. Andrew Swan and Jack Powell both booted two goals in the loss.