THE SWANS Academy moved to 4-0 in their Talent League stint after a comfortable 40-point road win over Oakleigh on Saturday. The success continued for NSW-based academies on Sunday, as the Giants thumped Murray to the tune of 77 points in somewhat of a local rivalry game in Lavington. We took note of the top performers and prospects from both games.

Oakleigh Chargers 6.8 (44) def. by Swans Academy 12.12 (84)

OAKLEIGH CHARGERS:

#3 Ryder Brown (Melbourne F/S)
Midfielder | 187cm | 03/01/2009

Stats: 12 disposals, 11 tackles, 3 clearances

Another Brown coming through the Oakleigh pathway after elder brother Kynan, Ryder was typically hard at the contest. He threw himself at a couple of aerial contests with zero regard for his own safety and led the game for tackles with 11. Despite his relatively light frame, Brown hit hard and was able to wrap up opponents, often hunting them down at stoppage with great closing speed. He had less impact with ball in hand but did most of his work at the coalface, burrowing under packs.

#8 Charlie Harper (Giants Academy)
Defender | 191cm | 23/01/2008

Stats: 19 disposals, 3 marks, 4 rebound 50s

Backing up a strong performance last week, Harper was increasingly involved in Oakleigh’s transitional play out of defence. The Giants Academy product showed poise and agility to assess his options and step around opponents when pressured, while also chaining together possessions down the line. His composure was a key feature, with Harper never blazing away off the last line. He also impacted aerially with a couple of brave intercept marks, willing to go back with the flight.

#20 Archie Fogarty
Tall Defender | 193cm | 06/01/2008

Stats: 24 disposals, 10 marks, 3 rebound 50s

Fogarty was back to his reliable best across Oakleigh’s backline, exhibiting his aerial power and plenty of confidence. The tall covered a heap of ground across the back half, providing an outlet option out of defensive 50 but just as willingly dropping back to intercept deep. Fogarty seemed to catch everything he flew for and showed great composure with ball in hand, hitting targets by foot with ease. In that regard, he looked a level above despite the pressure his side was under.

#64 Riley Hilton
Ruck/Key Forward | 197cm | 13/09/2007

Stats: 12 disposals, 5 tackles, 17 hitouts, 3 goals

Hilton ended up booting half of Oakleigh’s six goals and competed willingly in the ruck. He engaged physically and got his hands on the ball while also getting stuck in defensively. While a little clumsy on occasion, the over-ager drew free kicks on account of his size and finished the game in style with a goal just before the final siren. It came after taking a solid one-on-one mark.

SWANS ACADEMY:

#9 Lachlan Price
Midfielder | 180cm | 11/08/2008

Stats: 21 disposals, 5 tackles, 7 clearances

Price again showed plenty of power and strength throughout the four quarters, standing up in tackles and delivering the ball out of congestion. The midfielder was sometimes guilty of taking a little too much time in possession, but got some combination play going as Sydney moved to the outside. He created waves of possession and remained involved during the attacking phase, distributing the ball well by hand. No one won more clearances than his seven.

#11 William Jenkin
Wing | 179cm | 25/11/2008

Stats: 21 disposals, 6 marks, 1 goal

Graduating up to the wing from his usual half-back post, Jenkin contributed much of the same productive play between the arcs. His ability to fire off short kicks and surge forward to gain a second possession gave the Swans their trademark flow when moving end-to-end. Jenkin’s running power was evident in those passages, as were his sharp foot skills when delivering inside forward 50. Another key feature of his game was his overhead marking, proving incredibly gutsy when competing overhead. He gave the Swans width and plenty of drive in transition.

#18 Henry Meaney
Midfielder | 184cm | 23/08/2008

Stats: 21 disposals, 8 marks, 7 tackles, 1 goal

Meaney continues to impress in the Swans’ midfield and produced another balanced performance. The slippery onballer stepped and spun his way out of traffic, showing great poise when dishing the ball off by hand. He also found his fair share of the ball on the outside, spreading hard to accumulate forward of stoppage and even sneaking out the back to kick a goal in term two. His polish was an asset throughout the day as Sydney moved the ball like a well-oiled machine between the arcs.

#22 Jake Medved
Defender | 191cm | 02/06/2008

Stats: 20 disposals, 5 marks, 5 rebound 50s

Much like McGroder, Medved’s speed caught the eye as an integral part of Sydney’s slingshot play out of defence. He was prolific on the open side of the ground, running into the open space ahead of him and carrying the ball with confidence. The top-ager also mopped up plenty of loose balls and even took the game on from restarts, making fast transitional play look like a breeze.

#23 Guy Jenkin
Forward/Midfielder | 177cm | 25/11/2008

Stats: 24 disposals, 7 tackles, 7 inside 50s, 2 goals

Jenkin was again involved high up the ground as a forward but was sure to take his chances in front of goal. He finished steadily with a set shot in term one and slotted home on the run in the final quarter, while putting others in scoring positions all day. He is capable of some elite forward 50 delivery off both feet and added grit to his class with hard tackle efforts when joining in at stoppage. Like his twin brother Will, Guy ran hard to spark several waves of possession on the outside.

#31 Mason McGroder
Tall Defender | 195cm | 18/09/2008

Stats: 11 disposals, 4 inside 50s

Returning to the fold this week, McGroder showcased his highly regarded athletic traits in exciting glimpses. The explosive tall was stationed down back where he could set off on the overlap, using his speed to take ground and launch scoring chains. McGroder showed an improved level of composure to dish off by hand, although his kicking on the run can still do with some work. He has such a high level of upside to unlock if he can get a consistent run at it.

#34 Oscar Clifton
Ruck | 198cm | 28/10/2007

Stats: 15 disposals, 5 tackles, 19 hitouts

Engaging in a ruck battle against fellow over-ager Hilton, Clifton was also able to impact around the ground. He extended at the ball impressively to take four marks, often dropping back to support the defence with aerial intercepts. Clifton was also prominent at the contest with his follow-up work, absorbing pressure before dishing out handballs to release Sydney’s runners. He even got a run in defence, such was his strength in reading the ball coming in long.

OAKLEIGH CHARGERS 1.0 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 6.8 (44)
SWANS ACADEMY 2.5 | 4.5 | 9.8 | 12.12 (84)

GOALS:
Oakleigh Chargers: R. Hilton 3, R. Cuberes, J. Davis, M. McCardle
Swans Academy: B. Pignatelli 3, G. Jenkin 2, C. Beavis, O. Griffiths, W. Jenkin, I. Luke, L. Macri, H. Meaney, R. Meyrick

BEST:
Oakleigh Chargers: A. Fogarty, R. Hilton, C. Harper, M. McArdle, W. Stewart, H. Easton
Swans Academy: L. Price, W. Jenkin, H. Meaney, G. Jenkin, O. Clifton, J. Medved

Murray Bushrangers 8.15 (63) def. by Giants Academy 22.8 (140)

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS:

#7 Lincoln Brand
Midfielder | 188cm | 19/05/2009

Stats: 22 disposals, 4 marks, 3 rebound 50s

Settling in for his second game of the Talent League season, Brand was an important form of resistance in the midfield battle. His tall frame and clean hands were assets at the coalface, but Brand was also able to spread into space and help Murray edge the ball forward in transition. The bottom-ager remained upright under pressure and showed an ability to kick off both feet, finding ways out of congestion which the opposition couldn’t pick.

#20 Angus Williams
Key Defender/Ruck | 193cm | 13/05/2008

Stats: 16 disposals, 5 marks, 3 clearances

After a relatively quiet first half, Williams seemed to turn up the intensity and produced some impressive moments thereafter. The versatile tall was again posted down back but earned a late run in the ruck, such is his ability to leap at the aerial ball. Williams looked most lively when attacking the contest like a forward, taking a couple of impressive intercept marks from both front and back position. He showed great courage to go back with the flight and offered a bit of mobility with his follow-up efforts in open play.

#32 Izack Daley
Ruck/Key Forward | 198cm | 23/08/2008

Stats: 15 disposals, 21 hitouts, 4 inside 50s

Daley had no trouble getting his hands on the ball in open play and offered more than just a strong presence in the ruck. He leant on his physicality to break open the packs and was clean when distributing the ball under pressure. Daley often sat a kick behind the play as Murray attacked and helped re-launch into attacking 50, dumping the ball long when required.

#38 Jack Mellington
Forward/Midfielder | 184cm | 13/10/2008

Stats: 28 disposals, 5 marks, 8 inside 50s, 1 goal

Mellington was a nice find from this game, providing Murray with plenty of connectivity across half-forward. He worked up the ground and seemed to get his hands on everything as the Bushies moved inside 50, making him a viable scoring avenue. Mellington got on the board himself with a nice finish from the boundary under pressure, but otherwise worked hard to put others into good positions. He earned a run on-ball in the second half and continued to get his hands on it.

GIANTS ACADEMY:

#2 Cooper French
Midfielder | 178cm | 28/03/2009

Stats: 29 disposals, 7 tackles, 9 inside 50s, 1 goal

French continues to rack up possessions in midfield and was busy as ever both inside and outside the contest. The bottom-ager improvised under pressure to flick out dinky kicks, using creative angles to work the ball into space – albeit a little rushed and scrappy at times. He showed an ability to spread hard and was constantly a threat in the attacking phase, highlighted by his long goal on the run in term two. An out-and-out star for next year’s draft crop.

#4 Brynley Ryan
Midfielder/Forward | 176cm | 04/06/2009

Stats: 21 disposals, 6 tackles, 10 inside 50s, 3 goals

Much like French, Ryan was a thorn in Murray’s side as the Giants transitioned forward. He snuck into space close to goal and was rewarded for his shrewd positioning with opportunities to score. The bottom-ager took them with aplomb, arriving at the fall of the ball untracked and swooping on it before finishing for three majors. Ryan’s evasiveness and ability to gather the ball on the move caught the eye as he got dangerous heading inside 50. He looks most at home as a forward.

#5 Ethan Matthews
Midfielder/Forward | 186cm | 04/09/2008

Stats: 33 disposals, 8 marks, 5 clearances, 4 goals

Matthews was a class above on Sunday and looked on track for an even bigger game with 21 touches and four goals to half time. He ran the show in midfield, never rushing when disposing by hand or foot and drifting forward to get into scoring positions. Matthews slotted two set shot goals and showed enormous class with his two finishes in open play; snapping one from the boundary, and then shrugging off an opponent before steadying for his fourth. The National Academy member was cleaner and more composed than anyone afield, reminding onlookers of his quality on return.

#10 Brody Kane
Forward | 182cm | 31/10/2007

Stats: 11 disposals, 6 inside 50s, 3 goals

It was a low-possession, high-impact kind of game from Kane, who was among the Giants’ six multiple goalkickers. The over-ager got going after a slow start and only really needed one sighter before hitting the target with a composed finish in term two. Kane’s third quarter was superb, adding to his tally with a set shot conversion and terrific finish from the 50m arc, riding the wind to perfection. He also provided value up at half-forward as a creative ball user who could set up others.

#25 Riley Masters
Forward | 184cm | 24/05/2009

Stats: 14 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles, 4 goals

Masters looks to be a natural forward 50 player who kicks goals with relative ease. He did so on Sunday, four times, with steady conversion over the mark and a nice checkside finish in term two. The bottom-ager looked lively with his pressure and ability to work into pockets of space, only needing a split second to pounce and make Murray pay for the time he was afforded.

#39 Jim Houston
Key Defender | 196cm | 10/02/2007

Stats: 14 disposals, 5 marks, 3 rebound 50s

Houston was rock-solid down back, showcasing his safe set of hands to snap up several intercept marks. He wasn’t shy when backing into packs and stood tall in them, rising straight up to bring the ball down. The over-ager consistently got into good positions to impact the contest as Murray sent the ball long into attack, often sending it back just as quickly.

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS 2.5 | 3.7 | 5.10 | 8.15 (63)
GIANTS ACADEMY 4.3 | 11.4 | 18.6 | 22.8 (140)

GOALS:
Murray Bushrangers: K. Hadley 2, B. Sofra 2, A. Everett, S. Guppy, A. Hueston, J. Mellington
Giants Academy: R. Masters 4, E. Matthews 4, B. Kane 3, B. Ryan 3, T. McMillan 2, R. Roberts 2, A. Blacker, C. French, R. Simmons, Be. Smith

BEST:
Murray Bushrangers: J. Mellington, J. Carey, B. Hilton, A. Hueston, A. Everett, C. French
Giants Academy: E. Matthews, C. French, B. Smith, R. Mardling, R. Masters, R. Simmons