AFL Sydney’s top Under 22 prospects knocked off the Sydney Swans Academy in the first round of a three-round Summer Series under a new AFL NSW/ACT initiative. The Swans and Giants Academies, along with the Under 22s from both AFL Sydney and AFL Canberra took to the field last week in the first week of three matches for each side.

AFL Sydney Under 22s 7.5 (47) defeated Swans Academy 5.4 (34)

AFL Sydney Under 22s booted six goals to three after quarter time to come away with the win against the Swans Academy at Blacktown International Sportspark on Saturday. In a tough slog between the sides, the more experienced team won out despite Sydney taking a seen-point lead into the first break.

The Under 22s kicked the only three goals of the season through Teagan Germech, Tilley Edwards Hill and Brooke Bailey, with the latter having two majors by half-time. They cancelled out the two first quarter goals from Swans’ duo Holly Wickham and Amelia Martin.

Sydney did close the gap in the third as Ella Parker went forward and soccered one off the deck, while Lauren Bull kicked the last two goals of the game. It mattered little though, with AFL Sydney Under 22s settling through Germech, Mikayla Jones and Elly Rudd to come away 13-point victors. Despite the loss, Swans skipper Taylor Smith really caught the eye as a forward, as did Parker.

AFL Sydney Under 22s Standout: Brooke Bailey (East Coast Eagles)

She showed some class inside 50 to kick a goal in traffic in the first term with the outside of the boot, and had a second major before half-time with a ripping set shot from long range. Her work as a lead-up forward caught the eye, and she looked the most dangerous up there, combining well with Germech, while having a combination of strength to stand up in tackles, and an ability to get the ball cleanly away.

Other Under 22s to Watch:

Liked the work of Sophie Kavanagh inside 50 who did not win a lot of it, but looked dangerous when she went near it. Tilley Edwards Hill might be small but has some natural football nous and she was able to be creative in the front 50, while the likes of skipper Caitlin Fletcher, Germech and Ruby Reid all showed some draftable qualities.

Sydney Swans Academy Standout: Taylor Smith (Cardiff)

Really liked her hands and vertical leap, and the fact she was able to get involved in transition. She moves well, has a nice sidestep, and also gets her hands dirty on the tackling front. Skippering the Swans, Smith lead from the front, finding plenty of it both inside 50 and between the arcs, and while she did not end up converting her chances, that was the only downside as she had a really eye-catching game otherwise.

Other Swans to Watch:

The player coming into the match with the most potential was Ella Parker and she had her moments using her speed around the ground to play not just on the wing, but also deep forward in the second half. She can still improve with her composure, but she kicked a goal off the deck and set up a teammate for a goal, looking lively inside 50. Along with Parker, Kiera Yerbury‘s work in midffield was impressive. Though she has to tidy up the execution element, her athletic traits were evident and she could turn on the jets at a whim to burn off opponents. Grace Crittenden out of defence with her intercepting, and Bull inside 50 also were among the better Swans.

AROUND THE GROUNDS

In the other match, the Giants Academy easily accounted for AFL Canberra Under 22s by 33 points. The Giants, who had AFLW Academy member Ashley Patton, lead 22-1 at quarter time with the writing already on the wall for the Under 22s at Aulich Park on Saturday afternoon.

Incredibly, after the Giants got out to a 20-point lead, AFL Canberra roared to life, and kicked four consecutive goals to amazingly hit the front by five points at the main break. Any hope of a win for the Under 22s was quickly doused though as the Giants kicked the only five goals of the quarter to race out to a 26-point lead at the final break.

In the highest scoring quarter of the game, the Under 22s closed within 13 points early in the quarter after the first two goals of the final term. However the Giants steadied to blow the margin back out to a game-high 32 points, before settling at 33 for a 13.8 (86) to 8.5 (53) win.

Patton kicked three goals in a clear best on ground performance, while Charlotte Canavan also slotted three majors. Amelie Prosser-Shaw and Katie Taylor were among the top Giants in the victory.

ROUND 2 FIXTURES

Giants Academy vs. AFL Sydney Under 22s @ Alan Ray Oval | Saturday, March 9, 12pm
Swans Academy vs. AFL Canberra Under 22s @ Blacktown International Sportspark | Saturday, March 9, 12pm