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 […]
One for all and all for one: Hawks set to join AFLW
HAWTHORN will compete in the AFL Women’s for the first time in the 2022/23 season after their license was granted by the AFL. They will join Port Adelaide, Sydney, and Essendon as the final four clubs to enter the AFLW for the start of season seven, meaning the now 18-club competition is in line with […]
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 […]
Scouting Notes: Clarence trio aide Roos to upset win over Blues
THREE young stars were on show in Saturday’s Tasmanian Football League (TSL) match between Clarence and Launceston. All Allies representatives, Sam Banks, Darcy Gardner, and Baker Smith suited up for the Roos in what was a nail-biting victory over top of the table Blues. Draft Central took a closer look at each of their performances […]
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 […]
AFLW Expansion look: Sydney
WITH four new teams accepted into the AFL Women’s competition, it means there will be at least 120 new players stepping up to the elite level. So just where might the clubs look outside the junior pathway? Draft Central casts an eye over each of the clubs through either their state league team or Academy […]
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 […]
