THE GREATER Western Sydney (GWS) Giants Academy won bragging rights over their neighbouring rivals as the AFL Under 16 National Championships continued on Saturday. Playing host to the Swans Academy at Manuka Oval, GWS led at every break to claim a deserved 21-point victory in Pool B.

It was a game headlined by dominant individual performances. Giants midfield pair Alexander Maher and James Rice collected over 30 disposals each, while Bodhi Charlton slotted five goals. For Sydney, Noah Keam and Patrick McMahon were standouts in a high-volume midfield battle.

We took note of the top prospects and performers from either side.

GIANTS ACADEMY 2.4 | 3.11 | 8.13 | 10.16 (76)
SWANS ACADEMY 2.0 | 4.0 | 7.2 | 8.7 (55)

GOALS:
Giants Academy: B. Charlton 5, H. Crockett 2, T. Green 2, N. Golds
Swans Academy: B. Lampret 3, O. Ryan, T. Theobald, I. Titmuss, O. Trickey, O. Turner

BEST:
Giants Academy: J. Rice, A. Maher, B. Charlton, C. Bain, M. Davies, H. Gardiner
Swans Academy: N. Keam, P. McMahon, O. Sheridan, C. Willis, O. Turner, Z. Guthrie

GIANTS ACADEMY:

#1 Tyson Green
Small Forward | 176cm | 28/01/2011

Stats: 9 disposals, 2 tackles, 2 goals

A bottom-ager at this year’s championships, Green played with exuberance and creativity fitting of that fact. The crafty small twisted and turned his way into space, pouncing on the loose ball inside 50 and constantly looking to manufacture scoring opportunities. He bagged two of his own goals; the first being a mark and quick surge out the back, before he snapped a second in the final term. Green’s ability to crumb and accelerate in a flash always caught the eye.

#2 Matthew Davies
Small Forward | 179cm | 28/03/2010

Stats: 15 disposals, 2 tackles, 6 inside 50s

Another of the Giants’ energetic forwards, Davies impressed with his ability to use his speed heading back to goal. He often worked high up the ground, latched onto the ball and took off into space, connecting into the final third with dash and dare. Davies’ surge style and repeat efforts also translated to useful pressure acts as he fought for the ground ball and put teammates into scoring positions. He didn’t find the goals but assisted the very first major with a sharp handpass.

#5 Charlie Bain
Small Defender | 169cm | 13/12/2010

Stats: 20 disposals, 6 marks, 5 tackles

Solid as they come in defence, Bain well and truly punched above his weight on Saturday. He put his body on the line by backing in for a couple of terrific intercept marks, plucking the ball at full stretch. Opponents bounced off his compact frame as he forced turnovers and forged a way forward, increasing his attacking output as the day wore on. Bain was able to provide spurts of run and drive out of the backline while setting up a defensive wall when Sydney looked to do the same.

#8 James Rice
Midfielder | 180cm | 12/01/2010

Stats: 33 disposals, 8 marks, 6 tackles, 11 inside 50s

It was a dominant outing from Rice, who led all comers and impacted all-round. The midfielder was clean and calm in possession, accumulating at will between the arcs before looking to wheel around and launch inside 50. He identified targets quickly and was able to put Sydney’s defence on the back foot with his penetrating kicks through the middle. Solidly built, Rice showed a knack for both absorbing and breaking physical pressure in his pursuit to bring the play forward.

#13 Alexander Maher
Midfielder | 177cm | 16/05/2010

Stats: 32 disposals, 8 clearances, 7 inside 50s

The game’s premier ball winner, Maher thrived on the inside with 16 contested possessions and five centre clearances – both unbeaten tallies. While not blessed with raw speed, he showed enough power and poise to escape congestion or simply buy time to make the right decision. Like Rice, he handled the ball cleanly and was clever at the contest, knowing where to position and how to win first possession. Maher’s ability to kick off both feet made clearing stoppages all the more easy.

#25 Bodhi Charlton
Tall Forward | 187cm | 06/07/2010

Stats: 12 disposals, 5 goals, 4 behinds

Charlton well and truly found his radar in the second half, kicking four straight goals after notching 1.4 before the main break. Despite that, he snared the game’s opening major with a handy checkside finish and frequently crafted opportunistic shots deep inside 50. Once he was able to find more separation inside 50, converting those chances became much more straightforward. While not quite a key position prospect, Charlton provided a focal point and viable marking target.

SWANS ACADEMY:

#1 Rafael Micheletti
Small Forward/Midfielder | 160cm | 11/08/2010

Stats: 12 disposals, 3 tackles, 2 clearances

Pint-sized prospects are often some of the most talented at this level, and Micheletti did his best to prove that. Showing plenty of smarts at the fall of the ball, he pounced on every spill and came to life with bursts of pace. Micheletti attacked the contest hard despite his size and was able to collect the ball at speed, making him quite elusive. He ended up being thrown into the centre ball-ups after half time and continued to take the eye with his polished ground level nous.

#2 Cooper Willis
Wing | 173cm | 05/06/2011

Stats: 18 disposals, 7 marks, 2 tackles

Despite his stature and bottom-age status, Willis continually put his body on the line with several gutsy marking efforts. The wingman proved deceptively strong overhead and showed great IQ to find space between the arcs, becoming a reliable connection piece in transition. Willis’ clever positioning saw him find possessions in each third of the ground, but mostly through the middle as Sydney looked to make him an avenue on the switch or counter.

#6 Dominic Dametto
Midfielder | 173cm | 02/02/2010

Stats: 20 disposals, 5 tackles, 5 clearances

Somewhat flying under the radar in this match, Dametto was the Swans’ leading clearance (five) and contested possession (13) winner. That fact was credit largely to his wickedly clean handling, able to collect and distribute the ball with minimal fuss under pressure. Dametto navigated tight spots and released teammates in quick time, absorbing pressure when required. His unheralded work allowed others to do the damage by accelerating into space.

#9 Brock Lampret
Small Forward | 168cm | 06/09/2010

Stats: 9 disposals, 4 marks, 3 goals

Lampret made his presence known straight off the bat with all three of his goals coming before half time. The lively forward was another small who fared well overhead considering his size, showing spring and a strong set of hands. He finished clinically in front of goal with two straight set shots and a nice conversion on the run, while also providing pressure and pace inside 50. To round out his game, he ventured further up the ground as a leading avenue with mounting success.

#10 Patrick McMahon
Midfielder | 173cm | 25/09/2010

Stats: 28 disposals, 9 tackles, 5 inside 50s

McMahon was among Sydney’s most prolific players through the middle, racking up 28 touches and 14 handball receives to highlight his productive combination play. The onballer provided dynamism in the attacking phase, often putting speed on the ball as he surged it forward in short bouts of possession. He gathered cleanly below his knees and was able to move the ball on to teammates effectively, giving flow to his side’s ball movement between the arcs.

#14 Oliver Turner
Midfielder | 178cm | 25/06/2010

Stats: 21 disposals, 6 marks, 4 clearances, 1 goal

Another of the Swans’ productive midfielders, Turner proved his ability to impact both on the inside and outside. He held his own at the contest by absorbing pressure and releasing nicely by hand, before eventually becoming more expansive on the spread. Turner picked up a good amount of uncontested ball in all parts of the ground and even snuck forward to slot a goal in the third quarter.

#19 Noah Keam
Midfielder/Forward | 182cm | 02/01/2010

Stats: 30 disposals, 6 marks, 7 inside 50s, 6 rebound 50s

Arguably the Swans’ best on Saturday, Keam was dominant in spurts as he amassed 23 uncontested possessions. While quite solidly built and able to handle the ball cleanly or break through tackles at stoppage, Keam was also regularly involved on the outside. He produced a massive lift with 11 touches in the third term, hardly fumbling as he worked in to space and helped ignite link-up play. He then went forward in term four and registered three behinds late in the piece, perhaps made to rush given his awareness of the scoreboard and clock.

#21 Zane Guthrie
Tall Defender | 188cm | 29/01/2010

Stats: 12 disposals, 2 marks, 5 rebound 50s

Guthrie was a key figure in the Swans’ defence, helping withstand the pressure of GWS’ plus-19 advantage in forward 50 entries. His competitiveness shone through as he consistently split aerial contests and forced spills, before desperately following up to recover the loose ball. Guthrie also proved his ability to mark with a couple of clean intercepts and wasn’t shy to make repeat efforts if it meant his side would win the ball back. A solid contribution.

#22 Oliver Sheridan
Defender | 179cm | 01/01/2010

Stats: 27 disposals, 4 marks, 10 rebound 50s

Sydney’s defensive general, Sheridan was tasked with the kick-in duties and proved to be his side’s most trusted distributor. He also did a power of work to position smartly across the defensive 50, impacting aerial contests and holding his own to take a couple of intercept marks one-on-one. Sheridan had his hands on everything that left the Swans’ back 50, showcasing his ability to drive forward on the rebound and mix up his delivery by foot. He truly dictated the play.

#28 Owen Trickey
Tall Forward/Ruck | 189cm | 15/01/2010

Stats: 9 disposals, 12 hitouts, 4 inside 50s, 1 goal

A taller prospect with great athleticism and power, Trickey was Sydney’s rotating ruck despite conceding a decent amount of height. He started up forward and provided great work rate as a marking target down the line, often getting his hands to the ball and bringing it to ground. His physicality and bodywork held up, as did his mobility in open play. While quiet in patches, Trickey found reward for effort with a terrific running goal in the final quarter.