THE NORTHERN Academies converged on Blacktown for a double-header in Round 4 of the Talent League on Saturday. Game one saw the Swans secure a rampant 80-point victory over the Suns, before the Lions got one back for Queensland by seeing off the Giants to the tune of 27 points. We took note of the best prospects and performers from both games.

Swans Academy 15.19 (109) def. Suns Academy 4.5 (29)

By: Michael Alvaro

SWANS ACADEMY:

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

Stats: 23 disposals, 6 marks, 11 tackles, 2 goals

It was a well-rounded game from Price, who complimented his grunt work on the inside with strong overhead marking and two goals. His handball distribution held up well under pressure, with Price using his strong frame to stand in tackles or break through them. One such example saw him burst out of a centre clearance and kick long inside 50, which resulted in his second major bouncing over the back. His ability to spread hard ensured he remained involved on the outside too.

#10 Conrad Blackwell-Smith
Midfielder | 179cm | 23/10/2008

Stats: 28 disposals, 5 marks, 10 tackles, 7 clearances

Blackwell-Smith is always a strong accumulator of possessions and that was no different on Saturday. He was clean and effective by hand, able to extract ground balls and release teammates from stoppage situations. The top-ager also stood out with his repeat efforts and tackle pressure, making him one of the most prevalent players at the coalface throughout four quarters. Blackwell-Smith’s work rate extended to getting busy on the spread, and running from contest to contest.

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

Stats: 22 disposals, 5 marks, 4 rebound 50s, 1 goal

Jenkin’s sharp foot skills became a feature as he dictated play across half-back. The Swans often looked to get the ball in his hands once it turned over, although the top-ager was hard to deny possession as he worked tirelessly to find space or provide support on the overlap. From there, he hardly wasted a touch and made sound decisions. While not blessed with explosive speed, Jenkin chased hard on the defensive end and assessed his options quickly.

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

Stats: 23 disposals, 5 clearances, 1 goal

Teaming up nicely with the likes of Blackwell-Smith and Ricky Meyrick, Meaney provided touches of class in midfield. He did much of his best work by hand, hardly ever fumbling and finding ways to flick the ball out to teammates from congestion. The smooth moving top-ager stepped through traffic and kept his arms free upon contact, buying extra time in possession to make the right decision. Meaney capped off his game with a fend-off and snap goal in the final term.

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

Stats: 19 disposals, 8 marks, 1 goal

Usually quite clinical and efficient, Jenkin had plenty of chances on goal but ended the game with 1.3. Still, he proved to be a constant thorn in Gold Coast’s side as he drifted into pockets of space inside forward 50. Jenkin’s clever positioning and overhead marking brought him scoring opportunities, while his slick field kicking set up teammates. He was difficult to keep a lid on both high and close to goal, and has the quality to thrive in a range of roles.

#32 Alex Norris
Defender | 188cm | 08/07/2008

Stats: 19 disposals, 9 marks, 4 tackles

Norris was a brick wall across Sydney’s defensive half, utilising his power and athleticism to cut off errant Gold Coast attacks. The top-ager not only worked hard to intercept, but looked to hurt the Suns by getting involved in transitional chains of possession. His burst speed and strong frame made him difficult to contain on the counterattack, or when enforcing himself defensively.

#35 Will Morahan
Key Defender | 193cm | 17/05/2007

Stats: 15 disposals, 7 marks, 4 rebound 50s

Morahan was a monster inside the Swans’ back 50, putting on a marking clinic across the last line. He made good reads and acted on them with his athleticism, while also proving just about unbeatable in one-on-one contests. The over-ager was also clean and agile at ground level, albeit somewhat erratic with ball in hand, as he looked to get involved in Sydney’s transition play.

SUNS ACADEMY:

#5 Harrison Gray
Wing/Defender | 173cm | 10/09/2007

Stats: 20 disposals, 6 inside 50s, 4 rebound 50s

A livewire small who was full of running, Gray became Gold Coast’s most effective connection piece on the outside. He used his speed and work rate to charge up and down the line, tucking the ball under his arm and looking to move it on quickly. Gray’s intensity and dare saw him shifted to defence after half time, where he continued to provide strong transitional run – only from further back. He seemed like a real leader for the Suns, setting an example with his competitiveness.

#8 Leroy Kaesler
Midfielder | 177cm | 19/12/2008

Stats: 23 disposals, 7 tackles, 4 inside 50s

Kaesler led Gold Coast for disposals and contested possessions (13) in a touch loss, doing his bit to keep his side competitive at the source. His clean handling and slick distribution stood out amid stoppage situations, as the top-ager navigated tight spots with a handy turn of foot. Kaesler also provided pressure at the coalface to round out a solid performance in the engine room.

#22 Lachlan Cramp
Defender/Midfielder | 181cm | 22/08/2007

Stats: 16 disposals, 3 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s

Much like fellow over-ager Gray, Cramp brought the intensity and running power for Gold Coast. He started in defence and overlapped with purpose, charging forward on aggressive forays out of the back half. Cramp then earned a move on-ball where his strength and intensity were useful, though he still managed to provide the same kind of overlap run when his side won possession.

#24 Jake Callinan
Midfielder | 190cm | 18/08/2008

Stats: 17 disposals, 4 marks, 6 clearances

Matching Kaesler’s contested possessions tally of 13, Callinan was just as clean by hand without necessarily making inroads on the outside. He possesses a deceptively good side-step and moves quite well for a tall midfielder, which allowed for balanced work at the contest. Callinan’s handling was transferable to his marking overhead, particularly with one defensive 50 intercept in term four.

#25 Taj Murray
Midfielder/Wing | 181cm | 09/02/2009

Stats: 18 disposals, 3 marks, 4 tackles

Murray was another of Gold Coast’s midfielders who showed neat fundamentals on the inside, although switched out to the wing after half time. He found it difficult at times to find space at the contest or drive his legs forward, but worked hard enough to accumulate on the outside. Murray’s size, handling and poise in tight spots are among his best traits – much like elder brother Jai.

Giants Academy 12.8 (80) def. by Lions Academy 16.11 (107)

By: Michael Alvaro

GIANTS ACADEMY:

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

Stats: 26 disposals, 5 tackles, 5 clearances

French started like a house on fire, gathering 11 of his team-high 26 disposals in the first quarter. The bottom-ager was a menace in midfield, using his speed and smarts to shark the ball at full tilt and launch it forward. His movement and energy made him difficult to contain throughout the day, especially given he hardly fumbled at full tilt. While he can certainly add polish to his foot skills, French was effective in the sense that he broke contests open and could use his momentum to give the Giants a quick territory advantage. One to watch at the top of next year’s crop.

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

Stats: 11 disposals, 3 marks, 3 goals

Another of the Giants’ promising bottom-agers, Ryan showed high class in a three-goal outing. He helped bring his side back into the contest with two majors in the third term, including one after the siren. Ryan previously snapped one home with aplomb and also worked up the ground nicely, using his evasive skills to ask questions of the Lions’ defenders. A smooth mover.

#10 Brody Kane
Forward/Midfielder | 182cm | 31/01/2007

Stats: 21 disposals, 6 inside 50s, 1 goal

Kane was the Giants’ main avenue inside attacking 50, working across the half-forward and using his foot skills to hit up targets. He was highly effective when afforded the time and space to measure each pass, registering several score assists and even slipping a tackle to slam through his own goal in the first quarter. The over-ager looked a natural in that role before spending time at the centre bounces late in the piece, swapping roles with French.

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

Stats: 22 disposals, 12 marks, 7 rebound 50s

As he is clearly capable of doing, Houston put on a marking masterclass with 12 in total, including a couple contested grabs. The over-age tall provided a calm presence down back, taking on some of the kick-in duties and getting his hands on plenty of intercepts. He competed strongly in the air and held down GWS’ defensive fort with authority, although saw the ball come back from whence it came with frequency. He tended to clear his lines with long kicks out of the danger zone.

LIONS ACADEMY:

#9 Hunter Deighton
Defender/Forward | 177cm | 09/01/2008

Stats: 15 disposals, 4 marks, 6 rebound 50s

With National Academy member Caylen Murray out of the side, Deighton provided similar rebounding presence from defence. He showed great speed from the outset, whether making rundown tackles or bursting forward on turnover. Deighton’s explosive bursts helped Brisbane instantly flick the switch from defence to attack, whether by intercepting the ball himself or being released by a teammate. His surge style caught the eye with each possession.

#13 Matthew Owen
Midfielder | 180cm | 01/03/2008

Stats: 31 disposals, 7 marks, 7 inside 50s, 2 goals

Owen went about his usual business, once again leading all comers with relative ease. He accumulated touches around the ground, proving a reliable provider both in the clinches or during waves of possession on the outside. Owen’s clean handling and distribution allowed teammates to do the more flashy work, although he managed to hit the scoreboard with two nicely finished goals. He’s the type of player who impacts through sheer volume across four quarters.

#19 Harrison Bridge
Defender/Wing | 182cm | 04/09/2007

Stats: 25 disposals, 9 marks, 4 rebound 50s

Much like Owen in a separate domain, Bridge did what he does best on Saturday. As a high back who shifted up to the wing, he picked up 20 uncontested possessions and continually found space to run into as Brisbane transitioned from end-to-end. The over-ager’s work rate and running power made him effective on the overlap, and he consistently seemed to get back ahead of the ball after his initial kick. Aside from a needless free kick which handed GWS back-to-back goals in term three, he hardly put a foot wrong, running at 84 per cent efficiency.

#21 Cooper Hodge (Hawthorn F/S)
Midfielder | 183cm | 26/07/2008

Stats: 21 disposals, 6 marks, 5 clearances

Hodge was often the Lions’ go-to clearance winner and played with a hard edge both offensively and defensively. The top-ager competed hard to win his own ball and had the power to burst out of congestion, breaking into space through sheer force and intensity. Hodge also spread forward well and wasn’t solely an inside ball winner, finding easier possessions as his side controlled the ball in slow play. He was flawless by hand but can work on adding polish to his execution by foot.

#30 Jackson Bridge
Defender | 187cm | 16/07/2009

Stats: 20 disposals, 5 marks, 3 tackles

With elder brother Harrison moving up to the wing, Bridge took over as Brisbane’s main defensive distributor after half time. He offered plenty of run and bounce out of the backline, combining with teammates as they forged a way forward. The bottom-ager got more expansive as the game wore on but generally used the ball with great efficiency throughout. He flew the flag for his brother in the third term and the pair often looked for each other with ball in hand.

#31 Rohan Bickerton
Forward | 187cm | 06/07/2009

Stats: 8 disposals, 2 marks, 4 goals

Bickerton is a clinical converter at his best and proved as much with half of his disposals ending in goals. The bottom-ager took next to no time to impact the scoreboard and cashed in on his opportunities, showcasing a clean set of hands and equally assured set shot finishing. Bickerton was also adept at snapping on goal, comfortably slotting the ball home around the corner.