SIXTY-two of the most promising young stars in the TAC Cup will have the chance to undertake high performance coaching and training camps thanks to the revamped AFL Academy program. Previously, the program was limited in number to include players from across the country. Now the AFL Academy will focus on state-based academies instead, to widen the talent pool and provide access to more players across the TAC Cup competition.
Thirty players from both Vic Country and Vic Metro, as well as an additional two from New South Wales – Charlie Byrne and Will Chandler tied to the Murray Bushrangers in the competition – have made the squads, that were published on the TAC Cup website today.
Sandringham Dragons have a whopping 11 players making the 62-player academy – including Country-based Darcey Chirgwin – three ahead of Gippsland Power, who have one more than Oakleigh Chargers. Bendigo Pioneers have six players included in the academy, while Geelong Falcons, Murray Bushrangers and Northern Knights have five players each. Reigning premiers, Dandenong Stingrays have four, as do the Western Jets, while the Calder Cannons and Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels have three – including Rebels’ forward, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan who is boarding at Scotch College. Eastern Ranges have the one player in Jamieson Rossiter.
According to the TAC Cup website, Vic Country will come together for its first camp from December 9-14 under its new academy coach Leigh Brown (former Gippsland Power head coach), while Vic Metro will first meet for a November 19-December 3 camp under its new coach Brett Allison (former AFL Victoria Talent Pathways Manager – Metro).
VIC COUNTRY
| NAME | DOB | HT | WT | TAC CUP REGION | LOCAL CLUB | SCHOOL | |
| Aaron | Gundry | 17-Feb-01 | 199 | 78 | Bendigo Pioneers | South Bendigo | Catholic College Bendigo |
| Brodie | Kemp | 01-May-01 | 193 | 76 | Bendigo Pioneers | Echuca | Geelong Grammar School |
| James | Schischka | 24-Feb-01 | 190 | 79 | Bendigo Pioneers | Strathfieldsaye | Bendigo Senior SC |
| Flynn | Perez | 25-Aug-01 | 183 | 71 | Bendigo Pioneers | Sandhurst | Catholic College Bendigo |
| Thomson | Dow | 16-Oct-01 | 182 | 71 | Bendigo Pioneers | Swan Hill | Geelong Grammar School |
| Sam | Conforti | 15-Mar-02 | 171 | 65 | Bendigo Pioneers | Sandhurst | Catholic College Bendigo |
| Sam | De Koning | 26-Feb-01 | 196 | 78 | Dandenong Stingrays | Mornington Junior FC | Padua College |
| Bigoa | Nyuon | 18-May-01 | 195 | 84 | Dandenong Stingrays | Rowville Junior FC | Rowville SC |
| Hayden | Young | 11-Apr-01 | 186 | 79 | Dandenong Stingrays | Somerville Junior FC | Mornington SC |
| Ned | Cahill | 11-Jan-01 | 177 | 77 | Dandenong Stingrays | Mt Eliza Senior FC | Padua College |
| Henry | Walsh | 27-Jun-02 | 199 | 77 | Geelong Falcons | St Joseph’s | St Joseph’s College |
| Cooper | Stephens | 17-Jan-01 | 187 | 70 | Geelong Falcons | Colac | Trinity College |
| Jesse | Clark | 23-Feb-01 | 187 | 76 | Geelong Falcons | St Joseph’s | St Joseph’s College |
| Noah | Gadsby | 12-Mar-02 | 180 | 70 | Geelong Falcons | Torquay | Geelong Grammar School |
| Tanner | Bruhn | 27-May-02 | 180 | 71 | Geelong Falcons | Newtown & Chilwell | Geelong Grammar School |
| Darcey | Chirgwin | 25-Jul-01 | 190 | 78 | Geelong/Sandringham | St Mary’s FC | Melbourne Grammar |
| Zach | Reid | 02-Mar-02 | 196 | 68 | Gippsland Power | Leongatha | Wonthaggi SC |
| Marcus | Toussaint | 14-Jun-01 | 199 | 84 | Gippsland Power | Inverloch-Kongwak | Wonthaggi SC |
| Brock | Smith | 13-Mar-01 | 188 | 78 | Gippsland Power | Moe | Lowanna SC |
| Fraser | Phillips | 15-May-01 | 184 | 66 | Gippsland Power | Warragul | St Paul’s Anglican Grammar |
| Sam | Flanders | 24-Jul-01 | 183 | 81 | Gippsland Power | Moe | Lowanna SC |
| Leo | Connolly | 07-Aug-01 | 180 | 70 | Gippsland Power | Moe | Lowanna SC |
| Caleb | Serong | 09-Feb-01 | 179 | 82 | Gippsland Power | Warragul | Geelong Grammar School |
| Riley | Baldi | 20-Feb-01 | 178 | 75 | Gippsland Power | Moe | Lowanna SC |
| Nick | Stevens | 23-Mar-02 | 190 | 76 | GWV Rebels | East Point | Geelong Grammar School |
| Isaac | Wareham | 24-Dec-01 | 185 | 76 | GWV Rebels | Terang-Mortlake | St Patrick’s College |
| Jamarra | Ugle-Hagan | 04-Apr-02 | 193 | 80 | GWV/Oakleigh | South Warrnambool | Scotch College |
| Ethan | Baxter | 31-Jan-02 | 192 | 77 | Murray Bushrangers | Shepparton Notre | Notre Dame College |
| Elijah | Hollands | 25-Apr-02 | 187 | 71 | Murray Bushrangers | Wodonga Bulldogs | Caulfield Grammar |
| Lachlan | Ash | 21-Jun-01 | 186 | 77 | Murray Bushrangers | Shepparton Bears | Notre Dame College |
VIC METRO
| NAME | DOB | HT | WT | TAC CUP REGION | LOCAL CLUB | SCHOOL | |
| Campbell | Edwardes | 07-Oct-02 | 193 | 77 | Calder Cannons | Keilor | PEGS |
| Brodie | Newman | 14-Jan-01 | 191 | 88 | Calder Cannons | Aberfeldie | St Bernard’s Grammar |
| Daniel | Mott | 01-May-01 | 182 | 73 | Calder Cannons | Brunswick | Maribyrnong SC |
| Jamieson | Rossiter | 17-Nov-01 | 190 | 77 | Eastern Ranges | Rowville FC | Rowville Sports Academy |
| Ben | Major | 11-Oct-02 | 192 | 87 | Northern Knights | Diamond Creek JFC | Parade College |
| Ryan | Sturgess | 16-Nov-01 | 187 | 78 | Northern Knights | St Mary’s JFC | Loyola College |
| Ryan | Gardner | 22-Mar-01 | 184 | 72 | Northern Knights | Montmorency JFC | Montmorency SC |
| Lachlan | Potter | 26-Jan-01 | 184 | 70 | Northern Knights | South Morang JFC | Mill Park SC |
| Adam | Carafa | 22-Feb-01 | 181 | 76 | Northern Knights | Banyule JFC | Marcellin College |
| Samuel | Tucker | 07-Jan-02 | 196 | 84 | Oakleigh Chargers | Kew Rovers | St Kevin’s College |
| Noah | Anderson | 17-Feb-01 | 188 | 86 | Oakleigh Chargers | Booroondara Hawks FC | Carey Grammar |
| Dylan | Williams | 01-Jul-01 | 185 | 79 | Oakleigh Chargers | Whitefriars Old Boys | Whitefriars Grammar |
| Will | Phillips | 22-May-02 | 181 | 76 | Oakleigh Chargers | Beverley Hills | Caulfield Grammar |
| Finlay | Macrae | 13-Mar-02 | 181 | 64 | Oakleigh Chargers | Kew Rovers | Xavier College |
| Trent | Bianco | 20-Jan-01 | 178 | 70 | Oakleigh Chargers | Doncaster | Marcellin College |
| Matthew | Rowell | 01-Jul-01 | 178 | 74 | Oakleigh Chargers | Booroondara Hawks | Carey Grammar |
| Jack | Bell | 26-Jan-01 | 200 | 73 | Sandringham Dragons | Old Haileybury FC | Haileybury College |
| Andrew | Courtney | 06-Jun-01 | 199 | 81 | Sandringham Dragons | Beaumaris FC | St Bede’s College |
| Fischer | McAsey | 08-Mar-01 | 195 | 86 | Sandringham Dragons | East Brighton FC | Caulfield Grammar |
| Joshua | Worrell | 11-Apr-01 | 195 | 74 | Sandringham Dragons | Bentleigh FC | Haileybury College |
| Charlie | Dean | 19-Jun-01 | 194 | 86 | Sandringham Dragons | Collegians FC | Wesley College |
| Hugo | Ralphsmith | 09-Nov-01 | 186 | 70 | Sandringham Dragons | East Brighton FC | Haileybury College |
| Miles | Bergman | 18-Oct-01 | 186 | 75 | Sandringham Dragons | Hampton Rovers FC | St Bede’s College |
| Roman | Anastasios | 09-Jun-02 | 185 | 70 | Sandringham Dragons | Caulfield Grammar | Caulfield Grammar |
| Jack | Mahony | 12-Nov-01 | 176 | 70 | Sandringham Dragons | St Kevin’s FC | St Kevin’s College |
| Jake | Bowey | 12-Sep-02 | 175 | 60 | Sandringham Dragons | Cheltenham SC | Cheltenham SC |
| Emerson | Jeka | 18-Sep-01 | 197 | 87 | Western Jets | Altona | Maribyrnong SC |
| Eddie | Ford | 21-Jun-02 | 184 | 73 | Western Jets | Yarraville-Seddon | Maribyrnong SC |
| Josh | Honey | 17-Oct-01 | 184 | 79 | Western Jets | Keilor | Maribyrnong SC |
| Darcy | Cassar | 31-Jul-01 | 183 | 75 | Western Jets | Keilor | Essendon Keilor College |
ALLIES
| NAME | TAC CUP REGION | LOCAL CLUB | |
| Charlie | Byrne | Murray Bushrangers | Albury |
| Will | Chandler | Murray Bushrangers | Corowa-Rutherglen |
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