Michael Alvaro
NAB League set for revamped finals structure
THE AFL announced on Thursday the NAB League is set for a shake-up to its finals structure, with 13 full-time regions split into country and metro conferences. A three-week finals series will commence next weekend (August 28/29) for five country-based programs – Bendigo Pioneers, Geelong Falcons, Gippsland Power, Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels and Murray […]
PREVIEW | Country clashes continue in NAB League
THE 2021 NAB League home-and-away rounds draw to a close on Saturday, with another two all-country clashes making up the extent of this weekend’s fixtures. A recent shake-up in the competition’s finals structure sees the 13 full-time teams split into conferences, and the country placings will now be finalised ahead of a three-week post-season. Dandenong […]
Academy skipper Frost runs hot in 2021
PART of the Greater Western Sydney (GWS) GIANTS Academy since he was 12, Sam Frost‘s journey to top-age status hasn’t always been smooth. They 18-year-old, who is also a talented cricketer, has battled injury along the way and worked hard to go from being a “fringe” player to eventually skippering the academy in 2021. “I […]
State leagues preview: Seasons on the line in finals-shaping weekend
THERE will be potentially huge finals ramifications around the state leagues this weekend, as each regular season inches closer to closing. Tasmania hosts its final home-and-away round, while the shape of Western Australia’s top five remains up in the air with three weeks to play, and South Australia’s chasing pack puts it all on the […]
Pioneers poised well amid “rollercoaster” season
THE 2021 NAB League season has been “a little bit of a rollercoaster” for the Bendigo Pioneers, according to head coach Danny O’Bree, but the country region is buoyant about the opportunities being afforded to its brightest prospects. Whether it be at local level, in the VFL, or Vic Country squads, the Pios have been […]
Fahey dashes towards footballing dream
ARGUABLY this year’s leading Northern Academy prospect has turned out for two of them across his footballing journey, but returned home in 2021 as he looks to materialise his AFL dream. That prospect is Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Academy standout Josh Fahey, and Canberra is home to him. His academy eligibility was up in the […]
2021 WAFL Colts MOTR: Round 19 – Swan Districts vs. East Perth
SWAN Districts stamped its authority as 2021’s leading WAFL Colts side, defeating the third-ranked East Perth by 34 points in a fiery affair on Saturday morning. The Swans broke away early in the third term and never looked back, as the Royals struggled to find any fluency with ball in hand and suffered their second […]
Charged up Power seeing “reward for effort”
2021 has hardly been smooth sailing for most NAB League regions, but a regenerating Gippsland Power program has produced some real growth amid the chaos. After starting their current campaign with a 0-6 record, the Power have won three of their last four games, including the highly-fancied scalps of Oakleigh and Greater Western Victoria. The […]
First Round watch: Panther cubs take over League
THE MAIN event for draft watchers around the nation was at Flinders University Stadium on Saturday, as a trio of South Australia’s top prospects lined up at SANFL League level. Remarkably, all three turned out for the same side and are firming as top 15 talents, with Jason Horne-Francis, Matthew Roberts, and Arlo Draper the […]
2021 NAB League Boys Player of the Week: Round 16
GEELONG Falcons midfielder Mitch Knevitt is the Draft Central NAB League Player of the Week for Round 16. The 18-year-old midfielder amassed 36 disposals, 10 marks, three tackles, eight inside 50s and a goal in his side’s impressive 38-point road win against Bendigo Pioneers on Sunday. >> Round 16 Player Focus: Mitch Knevitt With the competition […]
2021 NAB League Boys snapshot: Round 16
THE 2021 NAB League season made its latest return on Sunday, with a quartet of Victorian regions getting on the park for a couple of all-country clashes. Geelong Falcons and Gippsland Power both earned victories over higher-ranked sides, with shaking up the ladder with finals fast-approaching. We run you through all the results and big […]
PREVIEW | NAB League goes country in latest return
THE 2021 NAB League season returns once more on Sunday afternoon, with eased lockdown restrictions seeing a quartet of the competition’s Country regions take centre stage. Two games remain for the four teams in action on Sunday, with the added potential for make-up fixtures and a Wildcard Round before finals. Meanwhile, Metro-based programs hope to […]