Up the Grades: Bottom-agers blooded in VFL
A PAIR of bottom-agers tied to Northern Academies were unleashed unto the VFL over the weekend, as Gold Coast’s Leonardo Lombard and GWS’ Josaia Delana made their state league debuts. Both acclimated well, notching 11 and 12 disposals respectively. Lombard’s Suns thrashed Carlton out of a Wildcard Round spot on percentage, winning to the tune […]
Up the Grades: Stevens bares claws in Cats return
TALENT pathway prospects were littered across the state leagues over the weekend, headlined by George Stevens‘ return to Geelong’s VFL side. The GWV Rebels product won a team-high 29 touches in the Cats’ heavy loss to Collingwood, thriving in wet conditions with his contested nous. Stevens has been a standout in the Talent League of […]
Up the Grades: Reid runs rampant in new colours
LEADING AFL Draft prospect Harley Reid turned out for his sixth team this year over the weekend, donning the sash in Essendon’s VFL loss to Southport on Saturday. Reid gathered 24 disposals and seven marks through the Bombers’ midfield, taking the field alongside current and former AFL talent. The 18-year-old previously linked with Carlton for […]
Up the Grades: Swans blood Academy guns
AFL DRAFT prospects continue to climb the grades in 2023, headlined over the weekend by a trio of Swans Academy products in the VFL. Midfielder Caiden Cleary was the pick of the bunch, compiling 18 disposals, seven tackles and a goal as Sydney comfortably beat Essendon. Fellow Allies squad members Max Rider (13 disposals, one […]
Up the Grades: Top prospect makes VFL return
TOP five AFL Draft prospect Zane Duursma was among the top-age talent to hit state league level over the weekend, as he turned out for his second game with the Casey Demons. The All Australian midfielder-forward notched 10 touches and three marks in a 42-point win over Coburg. A natural inside attacking 50, Duursma was […]
PROFILED | The 2023 title-winning Allies squad
THE 2023 Allies squad is barely a week removed from officially stamping itself as the best group in the team’s relatively short history, having emphatically taken out this year’s AFL Under 18 National Championships title – undefeated, no less. Consisting of players from the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, and Tasmania, the Allies had […]
Talent League wrap: Northern Academies
THE END of Round 7 means all five Northern Academies have completed their Coates Talent League stints for 2023. Four AFL-aligned programs – Brisbane, Gold Coast, GWS, and Sydney – participated alongside the Northern Territory Academy, making for an 18-team competition ladder. With each five-game spell (three for the NT) now over, it is time […]
Snapshot: 2023 Coates Talent League: Round 7
THREE northern academies bowed out of the competition as the Coates Talent League returned for Round 7 over the weekend. It all started with Dandenong’s thrilling comeback under Friday night lights – relive the action from each of the seven games in a snapshot.
Snapshot: 2023 Coates Talent League – Round 2
THERE were miraculous comebacks and comprehensive thumpings alike in Round 2 of the 2023 Coates Talent League season, with another eight games played across Victoria and Tasmania. Catch up on all the weekend’s action in a snapshot.
2023 Preseason Testing Top 5s – Swans Academy
THE SWANS Academy convened in Sydney this month to partake in their annual preseason testing event, under the eye of Rookie Me. Under 18 talent from both the boys and girls squads underwent a range of physical tests; from vertical jumps, to sprints and endurance running. >> SCROLL for all top five results Explosive over-ager Bililign Robertson […]
