THE BRISBANE Lions Academy has beaten its Gold Coast counterpart by nine points in Wednesday’s Under 16 Q-Clash at Metricon Stadium (Oval 2). In what was the opening game of either side’s 2022 National Development Championship, the young Lions streamed ahead with five goals to one in the opening half and held firm in the face of the home side’s fightback.

Both academies played in the spirit of the local rivalry, attacking the contest hard and looking to add a little spice to the game. Goalkicking inaccuracy and scrappy skills plagued either team at times, such was the high pressure gauge, but ultimately produced an exciting result with the Lions coming out on top, 8.11 (59) to 6.14 (50).

While the regions would usually combine to form a single Queensland representative squad in Division 2, the Under 16 format has changed this year to give more prospects a chance to hit the national stage. Next week sees the carnival hit the Gold Coast, with the Suns taking on GWS before the Lions lock horns with Tasmania, as part of Monday’s triple-header at Metricon Stadium.

SUNS ACADEMY 0.5 | 1.8 | 4.9 | 6.14 (50)
LIONS ACADEMY 3.1 | 5.4 | 6.8 | 8.11 (59)

GOALS:

Suns: B. Everitt 3, C. Nancarrow, J. Butler, W. Munro
Lions: J. Fazldeen 2, J. Banks 2, P. Snell, A. Pope, M. Garaicoa, F. McFadyen

RMC BEST:

Suns: Z. Uwland, B. Everitt, L. Lombard, T. Fitzgerald, B. Brown, C. Nancarrow
Lions: W. Greenaway, A. Pope, T. Fry, M. Garaicoa, B. Richardson, H. Ronchi

SUNS ACADEMY:

#4 Zeke Uwland (Burleigh Bombers)
24/04/2007 | 174cm | 63kg | Small Defender

There’s another blonde-mopped Uwland running around in Gold Coast’s backline, and this one can play too. Though technically a bottom-ager in the Under 16 category, Uwland looked more than comfortable as he accumulated a mountain of possessions behind the ball, and helped his side rebound with efficiency. His distributive kicking skills were sound – long and short – with good bouts of composure seeing him consistently hit targets in tight spots from the last line of defence.

#6 Ben Brown (Broadbeach Cats)
20/04/2005 | 175cm | 72kg | Midfielder

A mainstay among Gold Coast’s midfield mix, Brown had little trouble finding the ball at stoppage, with his clean hands and slick handballing proving features of a solid game. He looked as polished as anyone afield in that department, being fed well by both sets of rucks and dishing the ball out from the source throughout the match.

#8 Leonardo Lombard (Burleigh Bombers)
5/10/2006 | 175cm | 71kg | Midfielder

Lombard was one who built into his best moments, overcoming a couple of early errors to have a real impact in midfield. Constantly looking to take the game on, he showcased a handy step in traffic and possesses a turn of speed which bodes well for stoppage breakaways. With several weaving runs and chained possessions moving forward, Lombard sparked exciting passages for the Suns.

#21 Boston Everitt (Southport Sharks)
18/12/2006 | 183cm | 77kg | Forward/Ruck

A prospect of interest given his eligibility as a St Kilda father-son prospect (son of Peter), Everitt let his footy do the talking on Wednesday by booting half of Gold Coast’s six goals. Following in his father’s footsteps, he rotated through the ruck, but mostly presented as a marking forward. Everitt’s second half was particularly prominent, as he snared goals in both the third and fourth terms and began to get involved inside forward 50. Two of his goals came via the umpire’s whistle, but Everitt showed he was also capable of taking a good mark.

#23 Ty Fitzgerald (BITS Saints)
20/01/2006 | 184cm | 79kg | Midfielder

Physicality was the name of the game for Fitzgerald, whose intent at the contest was there for all to see. He seemed to thrive on dishing out hard hits, burying opponents in tackles and keenly putting contact on them whenever possible. Already a good size at 16 years old, he also rose for a couple of handy overhead marks and nearly hit the scoreboard twice, but could only add minor scores to the Suns’ tally.

#30 Caleb Nancarrow (Cairns City Lions)
31/05/2006 | 195cm | 81kg | Ruck/Tall Forward

A prospect who fits the mould of a raw and developing tall, Nancarrow looks an exciting ruck-forward to monitor. The Cairns City Lions tall is quite mobile and had no trouble getting involved in open play, moving well for a player of his size and possessing a very good leap in the ruck. He hit the scoreboard with a snap in term three, roving the pack nicely, and assisted William Munro in term four to cap off a promising outing.

LIONS ACADEMY:

#2 Alex Pope (Victoria Point)
14/12/2006 | 178cm | 72kg | Midfielder

Pope was a mainstay in Brisbane’s midfield, particularly in the first half, before being shifted out to the wing. His clean and lightning quick hands under pressure proved a terrific asset for the Lions when navigating tight spots, bringing teammates into play with deft possessions. He brought good energy to the game and troubled the scorers too, finishing a tidy goal on the run in term three after missing a similar chance early on.

#3 Tom Fry (Mayne)
10/05/2006 | 181cm | 73kg | Midfielder

Another solid midfielder in the Lions’ mix, what stood out most with Fry was his turn of speed in tight spots. He looked to explode whenever he got hands on the ball, stepping one way or the other to burst to the outside and drive his side forward. When tackled, he was still strong enough to get a handball away, as shown via a third term goal assist for Pope.

#4 Harrison Ronchi (Caloundra)
8/11/2006 | 173cm | 65kg | Defender

Another explosive kind of mover for the Lions, Ronchi injected a bit of speed from behind the ball. Often breaking hard off the line and attacking the ball at pace, he often split play open by running straight through it, with opponents unable to lay a hand on him. With his attacking drive and flashes of influence, Ronchi certainly caught the eye.

#9 Maverick Garaicoa (Wilston Grange)
1/08/2005 | 173cm | 65kg | Utility

An over-ager of sorts given he’s a 2005-birth, Garaicoa acted as a utility of sorts for Brisbane. He started out on the wing, before shifting forward and even featuring at the centre bounces, riding the bumps and providing a bit of run in each role. Though a touch raw with his disposal at times, Garaicoa slotted a lovely running goal in the final quarter and consistently launched the ball into dangerous areas.

#21 Wyatt Greenaway (Mt Gravatt)
14/02/2006 | 186cm | 72kg | Defender

Teaming up well with Ryan Gilder inside defensive 50, Greenaway was tasked with two things; intercept Gold Coast attacks, and move the ball out efficiently. He did both with relative proficiency throughout the match, proving solid on the last line and accumulating his possessions there alongside his aforementioned teammate.

#26 Billy Richardson (Wilston Grange)
10/12/2005 | 194cm | 87kg | Tall Defender/Ruck

Perhaps one of the more well developed Under 16s in a physical sense, Richardson looked quite astute in possession and with his positioning behind the ball. He read the play well to take several intercept marks, doing so cleanly before moving the ball on with little fuss. He also rotated through the ruck with frequency, using his size to advantage.