VIC Metro kicked away to a 52-point win over South Australia on Sunday, in what was the Croweaters’ final game of the Under 18 National Championships. With a raft of elite onballers taking the field, there are plenty of prospects whose stocks continue to rise among our latest edition of Scouting Notes.

>> Match report: Metro storms home to maintain unbeaten run

SOUTH AUSTRALIA:

#6 Benny Barrett (South Adelaide)
Small Forward | 174cm | 01/05/2006

Stats: 10 disposals, 4 clearances, 1 goal

South Australia made the ideal start off Barrett’s boot, as the small forward positioned perfectly to crumb the opening forward 50 entry front-and-centre, before snapping home a classy goal. The Port Adelaide NGA prospect swooped on the loose ball and provided great energy with each possession as a forward, before having an immediate impact once given a run on-ball in term four.

#7 Sid Draper (South Adelaide)
Midfielder | 182cm | 05/07/2006

Stats: 20 disposals, 4 clearances, 3 inside 50s

SA’s goal in the opening seconds was triggered by Draper, who sharked the tap and fed Ben Camporeale to launch the ball inside 50. He was clean by hand all day and only registered five kicks, showing good composure and vision to draw opponents or quickly dish off to teammates. Slippery as ever, Draper also got to showcase his speed and evasive skills with some outside dash.

#8 Kade Herbert (Woodville-West Torrens)
Midfielder/Forward | 184cm | 03/04/2006

Stats: 19 disposals, 7 marks, 5 tackles

Saving arguably his best performance of the championships for last, Herbert was used in a forward-midfield rotation having previously played on the wing. The high forward role suited his work rate, as Herbert produced some clean work beyond the arc and was polished with his ball use going inside. He had less of an impact on-ball, but got off the chain with 16 uncontested possessions.

#16 Angus Clarke (Glenelg)
Defender | 188cm | 08/05/2006

Stats: 21 disposals, 3 marks, 7 rebound 50s

The thing which stood out most about Clarke’s game on Sunday was his dash and dare. He took the kick-ins as usual but was quite aggressive with ball in hand, backing his pace and brushing opponents aside on the rebound. Clarke also showed a bit of grunt with six one-percenters and a gutsy overhead mark, while maintaining his kick-first approach to notch only two handballs.

#24 Dyson Sharp (Central District)
Midfielder | 188cm | 23/05/2007

Stats: 14 disposals, 7 tackles, 6 clearances

Sharp unfortunately had his day cut short at the end of the third quarter, limping off the field before reemerging with his knee iced up. The bottom-ager made an impact beforehand though, proving a beast on the inside with nearly half of his disposals being clearances. Sharp’s strong hands translated to a couple of terrific overhead marks, though he tended to hack his kicks at times.

#40 Alex Dodson (Sturt)
Ruck | 203cm | 15/06/2006

Stats: 13 disposals, 18 hitouts, 1 goal

Having juggled his basketballing commitments over the last few years, Dodson has shown at state level just what he can do with an extended run in the footballing pathway. The 203cm ruckman looked incredibly comfortable with ball in hand, having a presence at the contest before rotating forward and slotting a set shot in the second quarter.

VICTORIA METRO:

#1 Isaac Kako (Calder Cannons)
Small Forward | 175cm | 07/03/2006

Stats: 17 disposals, 4 inside 50s, 2 goals

Kako bookended Sunday’s game with two excellent goals, utilising the inside and outside of his boot. All of Vic Metro’s attacks seemed to go through him in the early stages, as he worked to the top of the forward 50 and leant on his creativity to set up teammates with sharp inboard kicks. Also clean at ground level, Kako was a key reason why Metro made better use of less inside 50s.

#8 Murphy Reid (Sandringham Dragons)
Midfielder | 180cm | 30/07/2006

Stats: 31 disposals, 8 clearances, 3 goals

Clearly best afield on Sunday, Reid’s stocks continue to rise throughout the championships. He summed up every situation perfectly, thriving with a full-time run in midfield where his sharp ball use and deft feints were effective. While good under pressure, he was afforded far too much time and space to hit targets and snuck forward for three goals – impacting at and away from the contest.

#9 Jagga Smith (Oakleigh Chargers)
Midfielder | 181cm | 28/01/2006

Stats: 23 disposals, 4 marks, 5 clearances

Smith was slick as ever on Sunday, dominating around the ball with his clean hands and distributive skills. The midfielder started out with six handballs in the opening quarter and hardly wasted a touch thereafter, allowing for smooth stoppage exits and great connection between his elite on-ball contemporaries. Like Reid, he was often afforded far too much time to hurt the opposition.

#10 Levi Ashcroft (Sandringham Dragons)
Midfielder | 179cm | 18/12/2006

Stats: 34 disposals, 8 marks, 1 goal

Ashcroft again filled his boots in a prolific midfield performance, and put the cherry on top Metro’s win with a trademark long-range goal off only a couple of steps. He racked up 26 uncontested possessions and ran both harder and smarter than his opponents, spreading into dangerous areas to help link his side’s ball movement. He was consistently clean and never rushed in possession.

#11 Christian Moraes (Eastern Ranges)
Midfielder/Forward | 183cm | 08/11/2006

Stats: 22 disposals, 12 marks, 2 goals

Moraes’ running capacity was a key reason why Metro kicked away in the second half. He played as a midfielder-forward before being pushed out to the wing, working over each opponent and getting dangerous in attacking phases. Moraes used the expanses of Alberton Oval to rack up marks and he converted well in front of goal – booting a set shot and another on the run in term four.

#15 Tom Gross (Oakleigh Chargers)
Midfielder/Forward | 181cm | 15/09/2006

Stats: 27 disposals, 9 marks, 3 clearances

Another versatile and hard-working member of Metro’s midfield rotation, Gross spent much of the day on a wing before moving on-ball after half time. Like Moraes, he worked over his opponents and accumulated possessions away from the contest, connecting inside 50 with strong running and booming kicks. Also a capable marker, Gross’ gutsy style was evident in flashes.

#22 Harry Armstrong (Sandringham Dragons)
Key Forward | 195cm | 14/06/2006

Stats: 10 disposals, 7 marks, 3 goals

Vic Metro’s main target inside 50, Armstrong displayed his strong overhead marking ability with seven grabs (two contested) en route to five scoring shots. The left-footed forward converted three set shots, including two in the third quarter, having been fed well by his side’s elite ball users up the field. He was highly effective in his role and played it to a tee.

#24 Josh Smillie (Eastern Ranges)
Midfielder | 194cm | 17/05/2006

Stats: 20 disposals, 5 tackles, 5 inside 50s

Much like last week, Smillie overcame a steady start to work into the game nicely. His most prolific quarter was the last, having nine disposals and using the ball well in open play. The top pick contender distributed some terrific kicks and generally summed up his options to make the right decision, but arguably didn’t impose himself like Metro’s other, more prolific midfielders.

#26 Luke Trainor (Sandringham Dragons)
Key Defender | 194cm | 10/04/2006

Stats: 17 disposals, 6 marks, 3 rebound 50s

Trainor took on arguably the toughest matchup in Metro’s backline, locking horns with Tyler Welsh deep inside defensive 50. While his usually excellent kicking skills wavered a touch, the top 10 talent read the play beautifully and peeled off his direct opponent to impact on the rebound. Welsh finished strongly in a marking sense, but it was a good showing of Trainor’s defensive versatility.

>> Scouting Notes: Western Australia vs. Vic Country

REMAINING AFL U18s FIXTURES

DATE	MATCH	VENUE	TIME
Sun, July 7	Allies vs Vic Country	Brighton Homes Arena	10:35am
Sun, July 14	Vic Metro vs Vic Country	IKON Park	10:35am