Footy Tragic

Kristian runs through all the best players from the recent TAC Champs. Who looks set to be taken in the draft and who will be a future DT/SC jet?

 

Hey all! I must say it’s been good having a few weeks off writing articles, and just sitting back watching the TAC, VFL and AFL finals, while hitting Twitter! ‘KristianPisano’, make sure you follow that!

It should be a ripper pre-season on Footy Tragic, as we’ll be covering Trade Week, The Draft and a whole lot more, so can’t wait to get into it!

Today I’m giving a little wrap on the TAC Cup Finals; looking at some standouts players and performances, and as always the players who stepped up on the big stage to rocket themselves into draft contention.

Congratulations to the Sandringham Dragons for winning the premiership this season, and to the runners up, Oakleigh Chargers, for making the Grand Final from eighth position on the ladder. It was an awesome Grand Final, with Sandringham coming from twenty points behind at three quarter time!

 

CALDER CANNONS

The Cannons made it through to the Preliminary Finals after losing their first final. They went down in the Prelim to the eventual premiers by nine points, so it was a fair campaign by them.

 

The Cannons midfield was solid right through the finals. They’re tough and uncompromising and work well as a unit, led by Brandon Ellis, Ozgur Uysal and Thomas Sheridan.

 

Brandon Ellis continued to consolidate his place in the draft, finding the footy as per usual averaging 23 disposals at 65% efficiency. I still query his pace and that might have him down the pecking order a little, but you really can’t go past those stats. He uses his big frame to bust through tackles and he really bullies the lighter bodies in the U/18 competition.

 

Cannons’ centre-half back, Michael Talia had an outstanding finals series, with a best on ground in the Preliminary Final, and second first in the Qualifying Final. Opposition clubs had a tough time finding it past him as he reads the play really well and took some good grabs, as well as finding some footy on the rebound.

 

Ozgur Uysal is an over age player, but he really led from the front in the midfield, especially in the Semi Final and Preliminary Finals. He averaged 26 possessions over the 3 games, at an outstanding 77% efficiency. Whether he gets drafted or not is another story, due to his small size, but we’re seeing a few more of these types get drafted with the likes of Blair, Prestia and Fasolo doing well at AFL level.

 

Thomas Sheridan, the outside receiver of the Cannons midfield group had a good series as well. He loves to link up, through handball receives and takes running bounces, using his dash. His kicking isn’t outstanding, which is the big dampener on his chances; otherwise he’d be an outstanding prospect. He averaged 24 disposals at 65% efficiency as well as 12 handball receives a game.

 

 

DANDENONG STINGRAYS

Dandenong got knocked out in the Preliminary Final against Oakleigh, after getting the week off by winning their first Qualifying Final by 3 points.

 

Without being outstanding, Matthew Buntine did his job, as he so often does, mopping up off half back. I really like him as a first round draft pick prospect if it weren’t for him being continually disrupted by injuries. He averaged 22 disposals in his two games at an ever efficient 83%. He’s a really nice size already, at 188cm, so he will be perfect to play off half-back and the wing at AFL level, like a Dyson Heppell or Grant Birchall in his first season next year.

 

A guy I really, really rate, who I think will translate perfectly at AFL level is Brett O’Hanlan. He’s a left footed half-forward flanker with very strong hands. He reminds me very much of Ryan O’Keefe, in that he knows how to kick a goal, but he could eventually move into the midfield. He kicked 34 goals from 17 games this season. In his two finals he averaged 19 possessions and 7 marks as well as kicking a few goals.

 

SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS

 

Fletcher Roberts has stormed into draft contention with an outstanding last quarter match winning performance in the TAC Cup Grand Final. He finished with 5 goals for the game, and 3 in the last quarter, where he really turned things on, by taking some big contested grabs. He really is a giant, standing at 197cm tall, and he knows how to use his body to win contested footy in the air. For some reason, before the Grand Final, many people didn’t really rate his National Draft chances, and I’m not sure why. When you have a guy that tall, who can take a grab, read the play well, and most importantly make the right decisions with the footy and convert his opportunities, I’m not you can really go wrong, given the correct time and attention is put into his development. He is versatile as well, having been thrown into the ruck quite a bit for Sandringham, and even at times in defence. He is a true ‘prospect’, that’s for sure, but he’s a player that can translate into a star of the AFL.

 

I was asked about Ben Darrou on Twitter, and the best way I can describe him, is as a ‘workman’. He’s a third tall, standing at 190cm and has been playing in the backline all year. There are no obvious flaws in his game, however he does lack a yard of pace which separates him from the top tier of this group. I think the best AFL comparison I can think of is Tyson Goldsack. A solid stopper, who doesn’t find a whole lot of the footy, but when it’s his turn, he’ll do something good with it.

 

Alex Woodward was the captain of the Sandringham Dragons this season. He’s a 179cm inside midfielder who should get drafted around the pick 40 to pick 60 mark. He’s a pure inside mid who does all the one percenters very well, shepherding, tackling; the whole lot. His usage by foot isn’t anything to ride home about, but it isn’t deplorable. He can rack up big numbers, but you’ll find he prefers to dispose of the footy by hand. He didn’t have a brilliant finals series, but he captained the premiership side, so kudos.

 

Liam Sumner is close to my favourite player in this draft. He’s such a smart, crafty player who will play midfield but has a big bag of tricks. He didn’t have the greatest finals series, but it shouldn’t do him much harm as I’m sure recruiters know what he can do. Don’t be surprised to see him go top ten.

GIPPSLAND POWER

Sam Docherty is a serious talent that could potentially be a top ten draft pick if it wasn’t for his injury history. He only played the first final, getting 22 possessions off the half-back flank. Sam is a running defender, arguably the best in the draft at this role, with his penetrating, precise kicking as well as his overhead marking and ability to read the incoming play. He only stands at 183cm, but he is a serious talent, that will flourish at AFL level.

 

Clay Smith, like Docherty only played in the first final, which is a big reason Gippsland got knocked out in straight sets. He’s a genuine inside midfielder who loves to break tackles, and doesn’t mind laying them as well. He’s a left footer, but his kicking is nothing special, which will mean he slides down the order a bit. In the final he played he racked up 24 touches and 10 tackles. He loves to get on the end of a goal or two as well.

 

Joshua Tynan is another good medium sized defender to come out of this draft. He is as much of a ‘sure thing’ to come out of this draft as you’re going to get. He reads the play really well, but it’s his kicking skills that are just fantastic. In the first final, he racked up 27 kicks alone, 23 of those were effective. In the second final, same result, 14 kicks, 13 effective. Any club that picks him up after pick 20, will be getting themselves a bargain in my opinion. I think he’ll be a second round draft pick, but that doesn’t mean I agree with it.

 

WESTERN JETS

Will Hoskin-Elliot is an absolute jet, who I think is a shoe-in now for a top ten selection in the upcoming National Draft. He’s a wingman that has outstanding speed and a penetrating 60m boot on him. He’s a classic X-Factor player, that has just has so much to offer at AFL level. A common misconception with him though, is that many people think he’s just a pure outside player. Will gets his own ball a lot of the time and doesn’t mind a bit of the contested stuff. He’s an awesome talent. He averaged 20 disposals in his two games in the finals, as well as 7 marks and 6 tackles (backing up what I said about his contested side).

 

GEELONG FALCONS

Devon Smith will be a ridiculous Dream Team player for years to come. He’s very small, only standing at 175cm tall, but he knows how to find the footy, tackle, and kick goals. In his only final, he racked up 28 diposals, 7 tackles, and 7 marks, combining for a Dream Team score of 123. He’s just a very ‘nuggety’ player, although his kicking skills aren’t outstanding. It will be interesting to see where he goes in the draft, because he could go anywhere.

 

Andrew Boseley is a very good full back prospect, in fact probably the best out of this year’s crop. Unlike Matthew Watson of last year, I don’t think he’s capable of stepping straight into any AFL side just yet, as he’ll definitely need a few years in the gym to build up his core strength. He does have some kicking issues, and doesn’t offer a whole lot offensively, but he’s a great athlete, and a good genuine stopper.

 

 

NORTH BALLARAT REBELS

I know this guy isn’t eligible for the draft this year, but Brad Crouch is awesome. As an under age player, he was one of very to stand up for North Ballarat in their elimination final, kicking 3 goals and gathering 22 possessions. He’s a star midfielder of the future, and will no doubt be taken in the GWS mini-draft this season.

 

OAKLEIGH CHARGERS

Toby Greene’s stocks continue to rise rapidly and I think now he’s a genuine top ten contender in the draft. He amassed an amazing 30 disposals per game in his finals campaign as well as 4 marks, and a goal, amounting to 99 Dream Team points per game. He’s a contested possession and clearance king; two of the most vital assets in modern football now, so demand for Toby will be huge. He’s a gun player, who will get senior games next week, and for us Dream Teamers, he’ll do well in that too!

 

 

Dom Tyson is another player from Oakleigh that will go top ten in the draft. Tyson is more likely of the two, as he’s just had a fantastic season for the Chargers, as well as representing Vic Metro and doing extremely well in the National Championships. What Tyson brings to the table, are elite skills, composure, and just pure class. I think of Scott Pendlebury when I watch Dom Tyson. Let’s not forget, he’ll be an absolute Dream Team machine as well. He averaged 29 disposals in the finals and 104 Dream Team points in his 4 finals matches.

 

Last, but certainly not least, another star under ager, in Jack Viney has emerged, and had an unbelievable finals campaign for Oakleigh. Melbourne are very lucky to have him locked up as a father son recruit, as he’ll go close to going #1 next year. It’s amazing to think how well he played in the finals for such a young guy, and how good he will get. He averaged 26 possessions and 94 Dream Team points in the finals.

 

So that’s it folks, obviously I’ve missed out on a few guys, but these players really stood out to me in the finals. If you have any questions about the draft, shoot us a comment below the article, or hit me up on Twitter, ‘KristianPisano’. I’m always up for a chat, especially now the season’s over, so keep us some company and we can discuss trade week and the draft!

Kristian runs through all the recent TAC Cup action from the weekend. Which kids are dominating and looking set to be drafted later this year?

TAC CUP ALL-STARS

Welcome to another edition of TAC Cup All-Stars with the second last round coming to a close in what was an interesting weekend. There were a few absolute beltings including the eighth placed Oakleigh Chargers smashing the last placed Bendigo by 114 points.

There were also a couple of ripping games, including the Northern Knights (9^th) going down to Calder (1^st) by 5 points in what would have put them in the top eight to close out the round. The Knights need a couple of things to go their way now to make the eight, starting with having to beat North Ballarat (7^th) this weekend.

Sandringham and Gippsland also played off for a top two spot with Gippsland getting the victory by 4 points in a very low scoring affair. Gippsland now have two points over Sandringham for that second spot, but of course that can change as well.

Out of individual efforts, I’ll start off by mentioning a Tasmanian kid who has rocketed up the rankings lately and could be the pick of the bunch in terms of key position forward talent. His name is Julian Dobosz, from North Hobart. He’s listed at 192cm, but I think he’s a little taller than that now. He kicked 15 goals from 4 games for Tasmania in the Under 18 championships and he kicked another bag of 7 on the weekend. He only started playing footy two years ago, but he’s already shown that he has all the tricks to be able to convert to AFL level. Some people are now saying he may be taken early in the first round of the draft, so it will be interesting to see where the clubs rate him.

Back on to the TAC Cup, and while this kid won’t be relevant for a few years, having only just turned 16, Ben Lennon (no relation to John) played a fine game for the Northern Knights against the highly rated Calder Cannons, kicking 4 goals, with 12 possessions and 4 marks. While it’s hard to say what type of player he’ll be at such a young age, I think he’s got the height to eventually play as a key forward. Definitely make sure you remember this name in a few years!

A player I really like in this years draft, and I’ve mentioned him a few times now is Devon Smith from Geelong. While he didn’t have a standout game by any stretch, in fact he wasn’t even named in the best players, he still delivered ball winning ability and his great knack for kicking goals. He finished with 21 disposals, and 2 goals. 16 of those disposals were kicks, but 10 were ineffective, which probably is the reason for his average game, but normally he’s a solid distributor.

Lachlan Fairley is a North Melbourne father/son candidate this year from the Western Jets. He’s a tall forward who’s had a pretty consistent season, but the constant knock on him is his evident lack of pace that may be a problem at AFL level. Having said that, he had a really good game on the weekend, kicking 4 goals straight, 21 possessions, 10 marks and even 6 hit outs.

Will Hoskin Elliot is hugely rated, as I mentioned back in the National Champs article, and this week he had ‘one of those games’. He amassed 30 disposals, which is huge for him, considering how lethal he is when he gets the ball, and amazingly 27 of those possessions were kicks. He also had 12 marks and kicked a goal, consolidating his position as a potential top 10 draft pick.

Tough, in an under midfilder, Toby Greene continued his rapid rise with a massive game disposal wise for the Oakleigh Chargers in their big win. He racked up 38 touches at 73% effectiveness with also 7 marks.

Potential father-son pick for Hawthorn, Thomas Curran was named best on ground with his 5 goal haul to add to 16 disposals and 9 marks.

In the same game Jack Viney showed why the Demons have locked him away so early with a 31 disposal performance adding up to 121 DT points.

Jon Patton had another quiet game this week, only registering 5 disposals.

The high flyer from Eastern Ranges, Hayden Crozier, had a brilliant game though, with 28 disposals and 9 marks. It was good to see him win a lot of the ball, something I’ve been critical of him in the past.

Finally, Dandenong captain and All-Australian half-back, Matthew Buntine, was back to his very best finally on the weekend with 29 possessions and 8 marks. As always, his disposal efficiency was elite, going at 82%.

Kristian runs through all the recent TAC Cup action from the weekend. This week he headed out to check out Gippsland Power take on the Oakleigh Chargers.

Hey all! Welcome back to another week of TAC Cup All-Stars! It was a fairly busy week in the world of U/18’s with all the school footy commitments over and all the big guns back playing for their representative sides.

 

I managed to make my way down to the big clash between Gippsland Power and Oakleigh Chargers on Saturday in what was a ripping affair between two top eight sides.

 

I’ll give a run down of the stand out players in that game, and what their draft prospects are, as well as other solid performers in the other games and a quick summary of what the highly rated South Australian kids did on the weekend.

 

So I headed down to Chadstone on Saturday really pumped for this game, and it certainly didn’t fail to deliver. I was excited to see two guys coming back from school footy commitments in Dom Tyson and Toby Greene.

 

The match was played at a really high standard so it was good to get a decent gauge on player performances and put them into perspective.

 

I spoke about Tyson and Greene in my article on the National Championships. Dom Tyson is more of an outside type in the Scott Pendlebury mould, but he also plays inside, where as Greene is the hard nosed midfielder that tackles and gets the hard ball, and also doesn’t mind a bit of the niggle. Both of these guys you’d expect to see in the top twenty in the upcoming draft.

 

Toby Greene started off the game like a house on fire and was a large reason why Oakleigh found themselves to be up by four goals at three quarter time. He did slow down a little though and I found out after the game he suffered a bit of a corky. He finished with thirty disposals and five tackles, but surprisingly wasn’t named in the best, even after he set up the win with a fantastic first quarter and a bit.

 

Dom Tyson was quiet by his standards, as we’ve become used to him racking up numbers in excess of thirty plus disposals. He only got the twenty-two and surprisingly seventeen of those were handballs. Normally I liken him to be a bit more of a kicker, so it was a bit of a strange game from Tyson. Having said that, his inside game was superb, as he was continually winning stoppages and handballing out to his outside receivers.

 

I personally thought Jack Viney was brilliant. He’ll be a Demon in 2013 due to being an under age player and the fact he is father-son eligible, and there is a lot to be excited about for them. He played mostly half forward, but his pressure inside the forward fifty was outstanding and relentless, and he was unlucky to not get rewarded by it. He could’ve easily kicked four or five goals. He finished with one goal and three behinds, eighteen disposals, and five tackles.

 

Sebastian Gotch is a small forward I like, and he started off very nicely before fading out. He is very lively, quick and smart around the goals. I spoke to a few people at the game about him, and they reckon he’s too small for AFL. I think those days are gone, and there is definitely a spot for him on an AFL list if it is warranted, regardless of his height. We only have to look at Jaryd Blair for a case in point. He could be one for the rookie list I’m sure.

 

In the other games, the little dynamo midfielder in Devon Smith, who likes to have a day out and rack up big numbers as we saw in the National Champs, had a solid game for Geelong with twenty two disposals, seven tackles, and a goal.

 

The high flying Hayden Crozier, who’s been a little down on form, did well this week, being named fifth best for his side with twenty-two possessions and seven marks.

 

Number one draft prospect, Jonathon Patton was really quiet this week, with only the one goal, thirteen disposals and five marks.

 

The number one ruckman in my opinion, Billy Longer was named second best for the Northern Knights with twenty-six hitouts, fourteen disposals, seven marks and six tackles. He’s really the complete package with his athleticism and ability to find the footy for a big bloke. It’s also good to see him with a great tackle count considering I questioned his physical presence as being one of his few weaknesses a month or so back.

 

For the Calder Cannons, Brandon Ellis just knows how to find the footy and run with it. I still question his ability to adapt to AFL, but he is certainly a little too good for the TAC Cup. He racked up thirty seven possessions with seventeen handball receives to boot. I do wonder why he wasn’t named in the bests though, considering his disposal efficiency was over 70%.

 

In the SANFL, the big news was that Mitchell Grigg continues to stake a claim for a very high draft pick with a best on ground performance for the Norwood reserves with twenty six possessions. Hopefully he gets a gig in the seniors squad so we get to see him in finals action!

 

As always, any questions, feel free to post below and I’ll do my best to get back to you!

 

Kristian runs through all the recent TAC Cup action. Which kids look set to be drafted later in the year and who could you be looking at for Dream Team and SuperCoach 2012?

 

Hey guys! Welcome to another edition of TAC Cup All-Stars, where we look over all the Under 18 action over the weekend and try to suss out which players will be looking to step straight into our Dream Teams next season and beyond.

 

Unfortunately there is not a whole of new to come out of this weekend, as there was another general bye in the Victorian Under 18’s competition, due to a representative game being played on the Saturday between the Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria and the Associated Public Schools side of Victoria.

 

There was a ton of talent on display in this game, including two top ten draft aspirers in Dom Tyson and Toby Greene. Another potential first round draft pick in Elliot Kavanagh played in the game, after being struck down by injury for basically this entire season. He’s a very good midfielder with great skills, and with the Western Jets pushing towards a finals berth, I’d hope we get to see a bit more of him as the year closes out.

 

There were two big stories to come out of the game, and that was the form of Toby Greene and Dom Tyson, two outstandingly talented midfielders who represented Vic Metro in their championship side.

 

Dom Tyson was the star of the day with 33 disposals, 7 clearances, 17 handball receives and 2 goals. Toby Greene also found a heap of the footy with 31 touches.

 

Dom Tyson is the guy most people will start talking about, as a genuine top 10 draft pick this year. I spoke about him when he made the All-Australian squad for the Under 18 National Championships, and he’s continued on with that outstanding form. I can’t see him getting past one of Greater Western Sydney’s draft picks in the top 10 as he’s the type of player you can build a midfield around. Some people compare him to Simon Black or Scott Pendlebury with the way he moves. He doesn’t have elite speed, but his footy nous and smarts enables him to find space where not many can, and his precision with his deadly left foot will be a weapon for years to come, as well as standing over 6 foot tall now.

 

Hypothetically speaking, if Greater Western Sydney were to poach Tom Scully, and draft Dom Tyson, or one or both of Chad Wingard and Mitchell Grigg, that would have the makings of a midfield that would be nigh on unstoppable. All these guys have awesome left foot kicks, and all of them love to go in and win their own clearances as well as getting on the handball receive.

 

I can’t wait to see how Greater Western Sydney approach their drafting, as I think they’ve already hit the nail on the head in terms of going young, with Phil Davis from Adelaide and Tom Scully as two prime examples of players they’re trying to chase. They’re not going to be as bad as what everyone thinks, in fact I think they’re setting themselves up to be in better shape than the Gold Coast. I also think the top three draft picks in this years draft will be as good as any, with the monster forward in Jonathon Patton, the class midfielder in Stephen Coniglio, and anyone out of Mitchell Grigg, Chad Wingard and Matthew Buntine. They are in a seriously good position.

 

The other bloke to have a standout game in the representative game was the ever consistent Toby Greene. He is one of the great perseverance stories out of the draft, having only come out of school footy a year ago. He’s just a tough, inside midfielder, who knows where to run, how to find the footy and put his team mates in dangerous positions with precise handballing skills. The general assumption when you hear about these type of players is that he might not have the greatest foot skills, but you’ll find Greene is very tidy as he knows his limitations and sticks to them.

 

He’s one of those players that every side needs if they want to contend for a premiership, because he’s not just a run of the mill inside midfielder; he has other tricks up his sleeve to make him able to convert his game into the AFL and become a quality player.

 

For both Dom Tyson and Toby Greene, their Dream Team credentials are quite high, as they both know how to find the footy and Greene especially likes to lay a few tackles. I think they’ll be highly relevant in Dream Team 2012, as they should both step in straight away and have an impact in the lowly teams they’ll most likely get drafted to.

 

Also, there is just a little bit of news to come out of the SANFL on the weekend with Chad Wingard making his return to league football. He showed flashes of brilliance and ended up with 19 disposals in what was a solid comeback.

 

Unfortunately there was also not much action in the SANFL with only the one game, but a guy by the name of Lee Spurr mounted a serious case for becoming yet another mature age recruit in the draft this year.

 

I can’t say I know much about him, but he finished with 25 kicks, 12 handballs and an amazing 19 marks in what resulted in 151 DT points. With what we’ve seen from Tendai Mzungu, Michael Barlow and James Podsiadly in recent years, you’d think Spurr will get a chance at AFL, even if it’s through a rookie list, and he might very well become a very important pick up in Dream Ream next season. He’s been in ripping form all season, so just keep an eye out for him for the rest of the year.

 

That’s about it for the weekend in the junior footy! Next week there’ll be many more games to cover so I look forward to it! If you have any questions, feel free to shoot them across!

 

Welcome to the first edition of TAC Cup All-Stars! For the next five weeks, similarly to Dan’s State League All Stars article, I’ll run through the standout contributors from the weekend as well as keeping an eye out for the top prospects.

 

CALDER CANNONS

Brandon Ellis is one guy I spoke about in my article two weeks ago. He made the All-Australian team after a very solid carnival, and he continued on from that on the weekend. He was named 4^th best for Calder with his 30 disposal performance, including an outstanding 14 handball receives.

 

Michael Talia didn’t find a whole lot of the ball, but his defensive work was solid all day, even though he didn’t have a whole lot to do. He finished with 11 disposals and 4 marks.

 

Ozgur Uysal is a small forward to look out for, but he was fairly quiet on the day, with 15 disposals and the 1 goal.

 

Daniel Markworth is a medium half forward, and he booted 5 goals on the day. He’s a mature age player, as he’s already 19, but his chances of getting drafted this year would be pretty good.

 

OAKLEIGH CHARGERS

Toby Greene is now starting to really dominate this level. He was named 3^rd best for Oakleigh with 31 touches and a goal. I really like this guy’s work ethic!

 

Dom Tyson didn’t play this week. I’m unable to find out why that was the case, but Oakleigh did seem to have a few key players out, as well as Jack Viney and Tom Curran.

 

Matthew Arnot didn’t get named in the bests, but he was great with 22 disposals, 10 tackles, a goal, and 9 handball receives.

 

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS

Jack Crisp, one of Murray’s prime midfield movers had a solid day, with 20 disposals and 7 tackles with a goal. Strangely he wasn’t named in the bests.

 

Jake Reeves, standing at only 194cm tall (I think he’s taller), took the ruck and knocked up 30 hit outs but only 8 possessions around the ground.

 

GIPPSLAND POWER

First round prospect, Clay Smith, had a great day out, even though he wasn’t named in the bests. He racked up 26 disposals and 2 goals in Gippland’s win.

 

The skipper Shaun Wyatt also got plenty of the footy with 25 disposals and 11 handball receives.

 

Half forward Tim Membrey had a day out, bagging 6 goals and being named best on ground.

 

BENDIGO PIONEERS

Oliver Wines was named 2^nd best for Bendigo in their loss to the Northern Knights. He kicked 2 goals, collected 14 disposals and plucked 5 grabs in a small forward role.

 

Sam Kerridge gathered 21 disposals at 66% effectiveness with 10 handball receives and 7 tackles running through the midfield.

 

NORTHERN KNIGHTS

Knight’s star on baller Doug Morris had a day out, gathering 36 disposals, 2 goals and 7 tackles. His Dream Team score was an impressive 135.

 

Gun ruckman Billy Longer also had a great game also with 14 disposals, 2 goals and 35 hitouts. His stocks are rising by the day.

 

Tall forward Matthew Atta did well, taking 9 marks and finding a bit of the footy as well with 19 disposals.

 

SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS

One of my personal favourites, Liam Sumner was best on ground with his 21 disposal, 3 goal and 11 tackle performance. He’s a ripping player.

 

Alex Woodward was great as well, with 29 disposals and 2 goals.

 

EASTERN RANGES

Big boy Jonathon Patton was Eastern’s second best player, gathering 20 disposals, 10 marks and kicking 3.3 in a side that got pummelled. It was a great effort.

 

Hayden Crozier was no where to be seen, with only 6 disposals on the day.

 

Talented ruckman Leif Cope was Eastern’s best player, with 18 disposals, 26 hitouts and 6 marks. Keep an eye out for that name.

 

NORTH BALLARAT VS WESTERN JETS

Unfortunately there aren’t any accurate stats on this game and I didn’t get to see this game live, having been played in Ballarat. The big news out of this game is that Will Hoskin-Elliot was named 2^nd best on ground for the Jets, and he also kicked two goals.

 

DANDENONG STINGRAYS

The highly rated Matthew Buntine showed his worth, gathering 28 disposals and 10 handball receives. More importantly, 22 of those disposals were effective. He’s such a great ball user.

 

Darren Minchington was best on ground, kicking 3.3, as well as gathering 23 disposals.

 

GEELONG FALCONS

Devon Smith didn’t play.

 

Zak Sherman had a massive afternoon in the midfield, kicking a goal as well as gathering 37 disposals, 9 marks and a HUGE 17 handball receives. (132 DT)

 

Jordan Keras was much the same with an even better 19 handball receives, 32 disposals, 6 tackles and 9 marks. (124 DT)

 

Hi all!

I am very excited to be kicking off a brand new article for Footy Tragic, giving a complete rundown of happenings in the world of junior footy. The AFL season may very well be heading towards the home straight, but here at Footy Tragic, we’re already planning for season 2012 and beyond!

Being a Dream Team and Super Coach tragic, it is important to scout the talent coming through the ranks, because in future years you will have a lot of background information about player’s capabilities in fantasy games once they enter the AFL.

It is not a coincidence that the likes of Dyson Heppell and David Swallow were able to step straight into the big time and score similarly to what they did at junior levels. They have particular traits in their game that make them Dream Team and Super Coach stars of the future, whether it be through having great goal sense, a high kick to handball ratio, great overhead ability, elite endurance or a very good inside tackling game.

For me personally, the National Draft is one of the most exciting days on the footy calendar (partly because it’s the only thing I can cling on to as a Tigers fan), but it’s great to be able to watch these guys run around and say you picked them as  legitimate superstars when they were eighteen!

This year’s draft, while not particularly strong at the back end, still provides a very strong top twenty. It’s still a little early to tell how deep this year’s crop will go, as there are always a few surprises and bolters late in the season once finals come around and especially after the Draft Combine.

Every Tuesday I’ll be looking at what’s going on in the TAC Cup particularly (being based in Melbourne) but also keeping an eye out for the Western Australian, South Australian, Tasmanian and Northern Territory youngsters that will be vying towards being picked up early in the draft. For today though, I’ll be reviewing the recent NAB U/18 National Championships, giving some insight into the top draft picks, providing stats and results and we’ll have a close look into the All-Australian team, proudly dominated by the Vic Metro boys!

It was Vic Metro’s tournament the whole way, winning all of their five games quite convincingly, even against South Australia who had a great championship as well, winning four games. For me, the biggest disappointed was Western Australia, as we’ve become so accustomed to them producing such high quality top end talent, but the cupboard’s looking pretty bare this year.

Firstly I’ll look at the All-Australian team in depth, as well as talking about some others who are highly rated, but didn’t get a spot. Then I’ll go through each of the twenty games individually, looking at the best players, goal kickers and providing some game notes.

2011 U/18 ALL-AUSTRALIAN TEAM

 Defenders: Jed Anderson (NT), Michael Talia (Vic Metro), Brandon Ellis (Vic Metro), Brad Crouch (Vic Country), Brody Mihocek (Tas), Alex Forster (SA)

Midfield: Billy Longer (Vic Metro), Dom Tyson (Vic Metro), Stephen Coniglio (WA), Jaeger O’Meara (WA), Toby Greene (Vic Metro), Will Hoskin-Elliott (Vic Metro)

Forwards: Chad Wingard (SA), Sam Mayes (SA), Lachie Whitfield (Vic Country), Ben Kennedy (SA), Jonathon Patton (Vic Metro), John McKenzie (Tas)

Interchange: Mitchell Grigg (SA), Brodie Grundy (SA), Taylor Adams (Vic Country), Clay Smith (Vic Country)


 

VIC METRO

MICHAEL TALIA, Calder Cannons, 193cm, 87kg

 He’s the younger brother of Adelaide’s Daniel Talia, and they are very much the same type of player. Talia was named the All Australian full back, and for good reason. Whilst he is not a polished footballer in regards to his disposal efficiency, his main attribute is his aggressiveness at the contest and desire to win. He played four games in the champs, averaging 16 disposals, 5 marks and 65 DT points.

BRANDON ELLIS, Calder Cannons, 181cm, 81kg

Ellis is a ready made midfielder who already has a strong body. He reminds me of Mitch Farmer as a junior; just a smart player who reads the play well and has neat disposal. Very much like Farmer, I’m not sure he quite has the pace to keep up at AFL level, but the Draft Combine will help tell us a better story. He averaged 18 disposals and 63 Dream Team points, playing all 5 games.

BILLY LONGER, Northern Knights, 202cm, 95kg

 Longer had a very solid carnival, being named the All Australian ruckman alongside Brodie Grundy from South Australia. His coach made a big claim during the carnival, likening him to a young Dean Cox. He still has a long way to go, development wise, but his athleticism and ability to run his opposing ruckman off his legs are very promising traits that he possesses. His spread from the contests and physical presence are two aspects of his game that can be improved, but overall, he’s a very promising ruckman. He averaged 23 hit outs and 71 DT points in his 4 games.

DOM TYSON, Oakleigh Chargers, 186cm, 82kg

 Dom Tyson is one of those guys that will be in many Dream Team and Super Coach teams for a long time. There have been some comparisons to Scott Pendlebury in the way he moves, finds space, and makes correct decisions with his brilliant left foot. He’s not a player that will burst through packs with speed, but he does have a great side step that enables him to find the room he needs. He seems to have cemented his position as a top 10 draft pick going by his great carnival where he averaged 23 disposals, 4 tackles, 5 marks and 92 DT points.

TOBY GREENE, Oakleigh Chargers, 180cm, 78kg

 Greene is a great story of perseverance. Only last year he was just playing school footy until he worked on his endurance and hasn’t looked back since. He’s a tough, in and under player who has basically come from no where, to now being seriously considered as a first round draft pick chance. He won Vic Metro’s MVP from his 4 games, averaging 25 disposals and 82 DT points a game. I was surprised to see his tackle counts were well down in his first 3 games, only laying 3 in those few games before had had 6 tackles in his 4^th match. He’s normally the player inside the packs dishing out the handballs, so his Dream Team game is affected a bit, but he’ll be fine once he works on his outside game and spread from the contests.

WILL HOSKIN-ELLIOT, Western Jets, 190cm, 76kg

 Some people will look at the raw statistics and ask how Will make the All-Australian squad. He played only the 3 matches for an average of 14 disposals, but Hoskin-Elliot’s disposal and run is arguably the most damaging we’ve seen from a draftee in a long time. He reminds me very much of a younger Ryan Griffen where he just sits on a wing or half back, runs 30 metres and kicks is 60 metres. From the 14 disposals he averaged a game, 7 of those were inside 50’s! He’s definitely going to be a Super Coach star, and I’m sure other areas of his game will improve to be a Dream Team option of the future. At the moment he’s looking like a top 5 draft pick, depending on his Draft Combine results.

JONATHON PATTON, Eastern Ranges, 197cm, 95kg

 He’s widely regarded as this season’s number one draft pick, and Patton did his chances no harm at all during his 5 games in the Champs, kicking 18 goals and 16 behinds in a very dominant display at full forward. Admittedly, his first game was a little off the mark, only touching the ball 9 times (and 9 marks), but he really hit some form kicking some big bags. Patton does come with his critics. Some say he’s a Tom Hawkins clone; just bullying around guys physically smaller than him, but Patton has many tricks to his bow. He’s got it all for a guy his size; leg speed, agility, excellent marking ability and great goal sense. The one criticism might be that he doesn’t offer much outside of his mark-kick-goal game, but those issues should be ironed out at an AFL club. He averaged 98 DT points over his 5 games.

HAYDEN CROZIER, Eastern Ranges, 184cm, 68kg

We all know Hayden from that absolute ripper mark he took on the goal line, but I think all the hype is a little unsubstantiated at the moment. Crozier still has a lot of aspects to his game that he needs to develop, but as far as raw talent goes, there isn’t too many better. I don’t think he’s a first round draft pick just yet, but that could change come the end of the season. He only averaged 11 disposals, 4 marks and 61 DT points over his 5 games.

LIAM SUMNER, Sandringham Dragons, 182cm, 70kg

 Sumner is one of my personal favourites from this draft, and I think he could be a real bolter into the first round. He’s quick, elusive in the Dale Thomas mould, and has an outstanding kick on him. In terms of talent, he has it in spades, in fact I think he’s one of the most talented midfielders in the draft and has the potential to be a real star of the AFL once he develops. Once he develops his tank, and gets the ball more, he’ll be a real weapon. He only averaged the 15 disposals in the champs but he nailed 4 tackles a game and averaged 67 DT points in his 4 matches.

VIC COUNTRY

BRAD CROUCH, North Ballarat, 184cm, 183kg

It’s amazing to think Crouch only turned 17 six months ago. He’s a very hard working midfielder that likes to handball but he also has a solid kick, evidently with a disposal efficiency of 76% over the champs. He really only played two and a half games, due to getting injured in the fourth game and leaving with crutches. He still managed to win a spot in the All Australian midfield, just showing how good he actually was in those games! You’d have to think he’d be right up there to be taken by the GWS with the 17 year old rule, so there’s an opportunity for AFL clubs to trade for him and possibly get him for a bargain considering he’ll be a top line pick in the 2012 draft.

LACHIE WHITFIELD, Dandenong Stingrays, 182cm, 72kg

 Making the All Australian team is quite a phenomenal achievement for Whitfield, considering he turned 17 only two days ago! He showed maturity beyond his years in the carnival, proving to be one of Country’s best overall players, averaging 21 disposals and 89 DT points. He isn’t eligible for this draft, but make sure you remember his name!

 TAYLOR ADAMS, Geelong Falcons, 181cm, 80kg

Adams is a really solid midfielder that really doesn’t have any stand out qualities, but generally gets the job done. I guess a good comparison in recent drafts would be Ben Cunnington. Whilst not athletically gifted or quick off the mark, Adams will go in and get the hard ball and dish it out to the outside players. He has great leadership qualities and often makes the correct decisions when he has the footy. We’re looking at a late first round draft pick to early second round here though as he doesn’t quite have the X-Factor most clubs are looking for these days. He averaged 19 disposals, 4 tackles and 74 DT points in his 4 games.

CLAY SMITH, Gippsland Power, 180cm, 78kg

 Smith is a ‘heart and soul’ player that puts everything into his game and into the team. He is a real leader amongst the Gippsland group but he’s also an outstanding footballer. Every club needs a Clay Smith and I can see him getting snapped up quite early in the draft. For such a tough, in and under player who is a specialist at the clearances, he has great overhead ability and knows how to kick a goal or two. He had a great carnival playing every game and averaged 17 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles and 77 DT points.

 MATTHEW BUNTINE, Dandenong Stingrays, 188cm, 83kg

 Buntine is really highly rated among recruiters and is seen as a potential top 10 draft pick. He’s a defender/midfielder that is just all class and often mops up across half back collecting quality touches at will. He did have a disrupted carnival, suffering from shin splints, so he did have limited game time in most games and we weren’t really able to see what he can do. He did have a really good final game though, gathering 23 disposals across half back.

 ANDREW BOSELEY, Geelong Falcons, 194cm, 80kg

Boseley’s not really ever going to be a Dream Team or Super Coach option in the future, but he’s a really solid defender, and once he fills out, he should have no problem becoming a full back at AFL level. His stocks have risen after his job on Patton, keeping him to two goals.

 DEVON SMITH, Geelong Falcons, 175cm, 73kg

 Devon Smith is a small midfielder but he is an absolute pocket dynamo. Jarryd Blair would probably be an appropriate comparison, because Smith can go forward and kick goals better than most midfielders in his class. He had a standout game against the Northern Territory, gathering 27 possessions and kicking 6 goals, but he also amassed 30 disposals and 5 goals in his return game from hip surgery for the Falcons, so that was certainly no ‘out of the box’ game from Smith. He is a beauty, who has a very, very big future in the AFL.

 

 SOUTH AUSTRALIA

ALEX FORSTER, Norwood, 189cm, 75kg

Forster is another one of my favourites from this draft. He plays predominantly across half-back, but I see him becoming a damaging wingman in time, once he fills out. An AFL comparison would probably be Grant Birchall. Forster has great hands and often chops off opposition attacks with his ability to read the play. He has excellent disposal off both sides of the body as well. He has SANFL reserves experience last year as an under ager, so stepping in against the bigger bodies shouldn’t be too much of an issue. He averaged 15 disposals and 60 DT points in his 5 matches.

 CHAD WINGARD, Sturt, 181cm, 73kg

 Wingard follows Jared Polec as the next highly touted left-footed midfielder to come out of South Australia. He should be a certainty to go at pick 4 if he doesn’t get snaffled by GWS with their first 3 picks, assuming Port Adelaide win the wooden spoon. Wingard is really the complete package; wins his own ball, brilliant kick, courageous as they come, kicks goals, is the South Australian captain, wins clearances and has great pace. His courage does come at a cost though, as he recently got concussed in the 4^th champs match, adding to a worrying trend that has developed in his game. He’s been concussed more than five times in the past couple of years, and we all now know how brutal these head injuries can in fact be, so we wish him all the best, as he’s just a gun footballer. Discounting the game he got concussed in, he averaged 24 disposals and 81 DT points in his three matches.

 SAM MAYES, North Adelaide, 187cm, 74kg

 Sam Mayes is another guy who isn’t eligible for this year’s draft, but is a tantalising prospect for next year. Mayes, from Port Pirie, is a half forward/wingman that has brilliant goal sense, agility and overhead ability. Nathan Fyfe is a guy that comes to mind who would be a similar comparison; this is how highly I rate Mayes. He had an outstanding carnival for an underage player, definitely deserving his All-Australian nomination. He kicked off his carnival with 4 goals in each of his first 2 games, and finishing with 13 goals from his 5 games. He averaged 12 disposals, 5 marks and 72 DT points a game. Definitely keep an eye out for him in 2013!

BEN KENNEDY, Glenelg, 174cm, 73kg

Kennedy is another one of those 17 year old players that will be on the GWS radar. He is a very smart small forward/midfielder, with a thumping left foot kick that knows how to hit the scoreboard. He kicked 11 goals in 4 games, including two 4 goal hauls.

MITCHELL GRIGG, Norwood, 183cm, 81kg

Mitchell Grigg has shot up the rankings with an outstanding carnival, and is without doubt the best kick in the draft, in my opinion. He has a lethal left foot, much similar to Daniel Rich, even with the way he moves and wins those clearances. Against Vic Metro he won 9 clearances alone, displaying his ability to go in and win his own ball. He really is an outstanding footballer, and it will be a tough decision for Port Adelaide as to whether they go for Wingard or Grigg; that’s if they are both available! I now rate Grigg top five material with that kick of his. Not only is it a long booming left foot, but it’s deadly accurate, averaging an elite 71% kicking efficiency across the carnival and 6 inside 50’s a game. He also averaged 20 disposals and 83 DT points in his 5 matches.

BRODIE GRUNDY, Sturt, 200cm, 92kg

Grundy is another 17 year old that had an outstanding carnival and earned All Australia honours. If he doesn’t get picked up this year, he’ll undoubtedly be a top 5 draft pick next season. He’s a basketball convert who has outstanding athletic capabilities for a big bloke, and he’s one of the main reasons Wingard, Kennedy and Grigg were so prolific in the carnival, with his brilliant tap work. He averaged 10 disposals, 24 hit outs and 65 DT points in his 5 games.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

STEPHEN CONIGLIO, Swan Districts, 182cm, 76kg

Coniglio will be one of the youngest draftees in this bunch because he doesn’t turn 18 until December. What he’s achieved at his young age only the average person could dream of. At the age of 16 he starred in the WAFL senior’s finals series, against grown men, gathering 26 disposals in one final, and then playing second fiddle to Andrew Krakouer in the Grand Final with 20 possession and 4 goals! The problem is, we still don’t know whether Coniglio will choose AFL or cricket. He has all the tools to become an elite player of the competition, as he doesn’t have many flaws at all in his game. There is talk that he does not want to be drafted by GWS, but I really don’t think that’s the case. I’m sure he’d be rapt to be drafted anywhere and there is little doubt he’ll go top 3 in the draft if he chooses footy. Coniglio had a very good champ’s campaign, winning the MVP in Division 1 and also Western Australia’s MVP as well as averaging 22 disposals, 4 tackles and 95 DT points.

JAEGER O’MEARA, Perth, 182cm, 75kg

Jaeger (love the name) will be the most sought after 17 year old for clubs with the GWS trade incentive scheme. He is a dynamic, goal kicking midfielder with ELECTRIFYING speed. I don’t use that lightly! He’s brilliant off both sides of the body as well. It will be exciting to see how everything unfolds for Jaeger during trade week, that’s for sure because just about every club will be after him! He averaged 21 disposals, 5 marks, 5 tackles and 85 DT points in his 5 matches.

SHANE NELSON, West Perth, 178cm, 70kg

Nelson is the next string to the bow of Western Australia’s pretty dynamic midfield. Nelson complements Coniglio and O’Meara really well with his uncompromising toughness at the contest. He is surprisingly quick and likes to link up with handball a lot, accumulating possession with ease. He can run all day with his outstanding endurance as well. I really wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the top 15, but a top 30 pick is more realistic. In his final game he spent a fair bit of time on the bench but in his first four he averaged 25 disposals and 81 DT points.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

JED ANDERSON, Darwin, 178cm, 75kg

Anderson was clearly NT’s best player, and was rewarded with All Australian honours. He again is ineligible to be drafted to this year, but it’s likely he’ll be picked up by GWS as a 17 year old. He’s a goal kicking midfielder with a great left foot and brilliant inside game for his size. He averaged 17 disposals, 4 tackles and 82 DT points from his 5 matches.

TASMANIA

BRODY MIHOCEK, Burnie, 191cm, 86kg

Mihocek is a very handy utility player that got named in the backline for the All Australian team, but he is just as good up forward. It’s hard to gauge where he’ll be drafted, or if indeed he will be, but his champs did him no harm at all. He averaged 17 disposals, 5 marks and 66 DT points from his 5 matches.

 JOHN MCKENZIE, South Launceston, 177cm, 80kg

It was great to see McKenzie earn All Australian honours and he’s just a great player to watch and it would be brilliant to see him get drafted. He captained the Tasmanian side and won the MVP for Division Two. He just goes in and wins his own footy and is a brilliant leader, but his lack of pace may play against him. He averaged 21 disposals and 86 DT points from his 5 games.
OK, so those are some of the players to look out for! Now it’s time for the individual games! *NOTE* Some games are missing reports and statistics.

ROUND 1

Northern Territory     0.0    4.5    7.9      9.12 (66)
Western Australia     2.5    3.8   5.13  11.14 (80)

GOALS

Northern Territory: Tipungwuti 3, Turner 2, Stafford 2, Collinson, Stokes

Western Australia: Williams 2, Coniglio 2, Peters 2, Hamling 2, Eardley, Taylor, O’Meara

BEST

Territory: Egger, Tipungwuti, Collinson, Turner, R Smith, Wilson
Western Australia: O’Meara, Coniglio, Hamling, Newman, Taylor

NOTES

- Stephen Coniglio gathered 26 disposals, 8 tackles and 2 goals. He finished with 116 DT points.

- Jaeger O’Meara also gathered 26 disposals, 8 tackles and a goal for 109 DT points.

- Shane Nelson racked up 25 disposals in a great midfield display for Western Australia.

- Jed Anderson rued some missed opportunities for Northern Territory, kicking 3 behinds, but managed 87 DT points, helped by 6 tackles on a half forward flank.

 
Queensland          2.3    3.4    4.5        6.7     (43)
South Australia    5.2    7.8    10.15    14.16 (100)

GOALS

Queensland: Oxley, Thurlow, Russ, Oxley, Cabrera, Starcevich
South Australia: Mayes 4, Carger 2, Wingard 2, Grigg 2, McDonough, Murdoch, Simpson, McDonough

BEST

Queensland: Yagmoor, Newell, Wagner, Joyce, Boston, Murphy
South Australia: Waldhuter, Raikiwasa, Grundy, Mayes, McKay, Wingard, Neale

NOTES

- Chad Wingard played a fine game, gathering 20 disposals and 2 goals.

- Mitchell Grigg also was great, with 21 disposals, but 14 of those were handballs. It was a strange game from him, considering he’s one of the best kicks in the draft.

NSW/ACT  1.4    5.6    6.7        9.7     (61)
Vic Metro    6.3   11.5    17.6    21.15 (141)

GOALS

NSW/ACT: Flagg 3, Cummins, Moller, Johns, Moody, Guthrie, Breust
Vic Metro: Gotch 3, Paine 3, Atkins 2, Crozier 2, Frost 2, Tyson 2, Haynes, Greenwood, Wooffindin, Haynes, Tomlinson, Patton, Richards

BEST

NSW/ACT: Potter, Hartley, Witts, Flagg, Breust
Vic Metro: Ellis, Frost, Richards, Tyson, Woodward, Wooffindin

NOTES

- Jackson Potter from NSW/ACT recorded 8 clearances as well as 21 disposals at 81% efficiency.

- Dom Tyson had 27 possessions at 85% efficiency.

- Brandon Ellis gathered 29 disposals, 6 rebound 50’s and 5 inside 50’s at 76% effieciency.

Vic Country 4.4   6.7   13.5  15.15  (105)
Tasmania 0.0   4.1   6.1   13.5  (83)

GOALS

Vic Country: S Gordon 4, J Elliott 4, L Whitfield 2, N Haynes, N O’Brien, J Crisp, J Staley, T Elton
Tasmania: J Dobosz 7, B Cox-Goodyer 2, Z Hislop, N McCulloch, J Harper, J Thurlow

BEST

Vic Country: J Elliott, C Smith, L Whitfield, B Crouch, T Adams, J Kelly
Tasmania: J Dobosz, L Owen, J McKenzie, B Mihocek, B Cox-Goodyer, Q Byard

NOTES

- Matthew Buntine gathered 19 possessions at 74% efficiency with 4 inside 50’s and 6 tackles.

ROUND 2

South Australia     5.4  10.9  14.14  19.19 (133)
NSW/ACT            2.3  5.4  6.4  9.4  (58)

GOALS
South Australia: McDonough 5, Kennedy, Mayes 4, Murdoch 2, Forster, Neale, Simpson, Toumpas
NSW/ACT: Flagg, Cunningham 2, Milne, Potter, Ryan, Morris, Moller

BEST
South Australia: Forster, Laird, Wingard, Raikiwasa, Toumpas, Grundy, Mayes, McDonough
NSW/ACT: Morris, Coward, Witts, Taylor

NOTES

- Alex Forster gathered 22 possessions at 91% efficiency and 9 marks.

- Mitchell Grigg had 6 clearances and 6 inside 50’s with 22 possessions.

- Chad Wingard collected 24 possessions, 12 contested, 5 inside 50’s and 6 rebound 50’s.

Vic Country                    2.4   6.7   10.12  14.14  (98)
Northern Territory        0.4    3.6     7.6      9.11  (65)

GOALS

Vic Country: D Smith 6, F Dale 2, T Elton, S Wyatt, S Dobson, B O’Hanlon, S Deery, C Smith
Northern Territory: G Turner 3, L Lawler 2, J Anderson 2, A Tipungwuti, N Morrison

BEST

Vic Country: D Smith, T Elton, C Smith, S Dobson, S Wyatt, N O’Brien
Northern Territory: J Neade, J Anderson, L Michell, B Rioli, B McLean, J Wilson

NOTES

- Devon Smith gathered 27 possessions, 21 of those were kicks, 6 goals, 7 clearances, 7 inside 50’s, and 5 1%’ers.

- Jed Anderson collected 22 possessions, 14 contested, 8 hitouts, 5 clearances and 6 inside 50’s.

Vic Metro                    4.4   6.8   11.12  17.17  (119)
Queensland                 2.1   5.2   5.4       5.4     (34)

GOALS

Vic Metro: J Patton 6, T Curran 2, T Greene, L Sumner, T Totevski, H Crozier, D Markworth, D Tyson, B Ellis, S Frost, B Longer
Queensland: J Starcevich 2, L Russ, J Rolfe, A Sexton

BEST

Vic Metro: J Patton, B Longer, T Greene, J Viney, T Totevski, L Sumner
Queensland: R Newell, J Allen, A Boston, J Starcevich, J Wagner, T Fields

NOTES

- Toby Greene had 24 possessions at 79% efficiency with 6 clearances and 5 inside 50’s.

- Jonathon Patton took 9 marks inside 50.

ROUND 3

South Australia     2.1  4.5  14.14  19.9 (123)
Victoria Country   3.5  7.9  8.10    11.11  (77)

GOALS

South Australia: McDonough, Kennedy 4, Grigg 3, Hender, Mayes, Wingard 2, Grundy, Toumpas
Victoria Country: S.Gordon, Pongracic, Whitfield 2, Elton, N.O’Brien, C.Smith, D.Smith, Wright

BEST

South Australia: Raikiwasa, Grundy, McKenzie, Wingard, Laird, Kennedy, Forster
Victoria Country: Tynan, N.O’Brien, C.Smith, Whitfield, Wright

NOTES

- Mitchell Grigg has 8 clearances and 9 inside 50’s with 21 possessions.

- Brody Grundy amassed 36 hit outs.

Western Australia    2.2   7.3   9.6   11.9 (75)
Vic Metro            1.6   5.9   8.10   12.13 (85)

GOALS

Western Australia: Yarran 3, Coniglio 2, Newman 2, Garlett 2, Eardley, Hamling
Vic Metro: Crozier 4, Patton 4, Viney, Tyson, Hoskin-Elliott, Bussey

BEST
Western Australia: Coniglio, Bolger, Garlett, Newman, O’Meara, Nelson
Vic Metro: Patton, Viney, Longer, Crozier, Hoskin-Elliott, Greene

NOTES

- Stephen Coniglio had 25 possessions at 88% efficiency, with 4 clearances and 8 inside 50’s.

- Jaeger O’Meara had 22 possessions at 82% efficiency with 6 clearances.

- Will Hoskin-Elliot recorded 8 inside 50’s.

- Dom Tyson got 22 possessions at 86% efficiency with 9 clearances.

- Jack Viney gathered 23 possessions and 8 clearances.

Queensland: 3.2     6.3    9.7    15.9 (99)
Northern Territory: 2.1    4.6    7.7    9.7 (61)

GOALS

Queensland: Cameron 2, Michael 2, Starcevich 2, Oxley 2, Thurlow 2, Boston, Davidson, Fields, Rolfe, Russ
Northern Territory: Turner 4, Collinson, Nundhirribala, Stokes, D.Williams, Tipungwuti

BEST

Queensland: Michael, Boston, Newell, Tucker, Fields, Overington, Allen
Northern Territory: Turner, Neade, Stokes, Wilson, Anderson, Stafford

NOTES

- Tom Fields recorded 27 disposals, 13 marks, and 137 DT points.

Tasmania 3.2    6.8    12.13    13.13 (91)
NSW/ACT 2.2    4.5    5.9    10.13 (73)

GOALS
Tasmania: Dobosz 4, McCulloch 2, McKenzie 2, Jenkins, Joseph, Smith, Webster, Musicka
NSW/ACT: Johns 2, Hampton 2, Cunningham, Breust, Lynch, Potter, Guthrie, Ryan

BEST
Tasmania: McKenzie, Mihocek, Hislop, Brown, Dobosz, Webster
NSW/ACT: Lynch, Black, Guthrie, Stevens, Milne, Cunningham

NOTES

- John McKenzie racked up 25 possessions and 8 clearances.

ROUND 4

Tasmania                       3.4    3.6    5.7    10.9 (69)
Northern Territory        3.1    3.2    4.4     5.6 (36)

GOALS

Tasmania: Dobosz 3, Joseph 2, Allison, McCulloch,  Lonergan, Mihocek, McKenzie
Northern Territory: Tipungwuti 2, M.Smith, Collinson, Turner

BEST

Tasmania: McKenzie, Mihocek, Lonergan, Joseph, Jeffery, Blight
Northern Territory: Neade, McLean, Wilson, Rioli, K.Williams, Miles

NSW/ACT     3.0    6.2    8.3    12.7 (79)
Queensland    0.2    1.2    2.5    3.7 (25)

GOALS

NSW/ACT: Johns 2, Brooks 2, Hampton 2, Milne, Lynch, Moller, Coward, Williams, Breust.
Queensland: Sexton, Cameron, Davidson

BEST

NSW/ACT: Milne, Black, Breust, Coward, Lodge, Stevens
Queensland: Yagmoor, Thurlow, Cameron, Oxley, Joyce, Russ

ROUND 5

Vic Metro         2.4    3.8    7.11    9.16 (70)
Vic Country    0.5    1.6    1.6      2.10 (22)

GOALS

Vic Metro: Patton 2, Paine 2, Crozier, Bussey, Greene, Tyson, Curran
Vic Country: Adams, Valentine

BEST

Vic Metro: Tyson, Longer, Greene, Ellis, Wooffindin, Hoskin-Elliott, Newnes, Talia
Vic Country: Buntine, Boseley, Whitfield, O’Brien, Adams, Docherty

NOTES

- Dom Tyson again collected 29 possessions at 72% efficiency with 5 clearances and 7 inside 50’s.

- Toby Greene amassed 29 possessions, 15 contested, at 83% efficiency, 6 clearance, 6 tackles, and 3 inside 50’s.

South Australia         4.4    6.9    7.10    14.10 (94)
Western Australia    2.1    6.4    8.8    11.10 (76)

GOALS

South Australia: Mayes 2, McDonough 2, McKenzie 2, Simpson 2, Amato, Carger, Grigg, Kennedy, Murdoch, Neale
Western Australia: Lockyer 2, Yarran 2, AhChee, Garlett, Mitchell, Schloithe, Verrier, Waters, Williams

BEST

South Australia: McKenzie, Brown, Laird, Grigg, Simpson, Grundy, Mayes, Carger
Western Australia: Mitchell, Garlett, Coniglio, Hutchinson, Jupp

NOTES

- Stephen Coniglio recorded 6 inside 50’s and 8 clearances.

 

Tasmania    4.2    6.5    5.8    13.7 (85)
Queensland    0.3    1.5    8.6    7.10 (52)

GOALS

Tasmania: Brown 3, Musicka 2, McKenzie 2, Joseph 2, Hislop, McCulloch, Lonergan, Dobosz
Queensland: Laskey 2, Sexton 2, Cameron, Davidson, Allen

BEST

Tasmania: Brown, McKenzie, Jenkins, Smith, Schade, Joseph
Queensland: Reynolds, Allen, Starcevic, Cameron, Laskey, Oxley

 
NSW/ACT 2.1    3.4    6.6    9.9  (63)
Northern Territory 3.2    5.4    7.7    10.7 (67)

GOALS

NSW/ACT: Breust 2, Brooks 2, Flagg, Morris, Potter, Tweeddale, Witts
Northern Territory: Kunoth 3, Lawler 2, Anderson, Collinson, Lawton, Miles, Neade

BEST

NSW/ACT: Witts, Breust, Tweeddale, Stevens, Taylor, Cunningham
Northern Territory: Neade, Anderson, Lawler, Wilson, Michell, McLean

 

That’s all we have for this week folks. It’d be great to have some juniors discussion on this board in the coming weeks and if you have any questions or would like to contribute what you have seen in the juniors on the weekends, it’d be awesome to hear from you!