Welcome to Collingwood - Michael Hartley

[SuperDude]

Fast track to big-time

20May08

Michael Hartley has been snapped up by AFL club Collingwood after only seven months playing the game.


MICHAEL Hartley didn't choose AFL it chose him.
A natural athlete from an early age, Michael had his first taste of Aussie Rules football just seven months ago and is now the latest signing of AFL powerhouse, Collingwood.
"I played in the school team for a muck-around last year," he said.
"We were getting smashed but I got picked to go to a Starz training camp."
At the camp Michael was selected to travel to Narandra for a gala weekend and was quickly spotted by a Collingwood recruiter.
"I train up here and will go to Melbourne regularly to work with the first grade side," Michael said.
"They help me out with a lot of free gear as well."
The 14-year-old from Orchard Hills attends St Dominics College and is the latest nominee for the Penrith Press Junior Sports Star of the Year Award.
Standing at a towering 190cm, Michael was born to play sport, excelling at soccer, cricket and athletics.
Amazingly Michael has played only four AFL club games, joining the Penrith Swans earlier in the year after finalising his arrangement with Collingwood.
Describing himself as an attacking player, he said he enjoys tackling but prefers not to go for too many goals yet. His goal now is to continue to improve and one day play professional AFL.
The Penrith Press Junior Sports Star award is open to all local sportspeople aged between 10 and 16 at the time of nomination.

Welcome Micheal

Link To Story

 

[smiddaz123]

190cm at 14 is very big. He would probably be pushing the 200cm mark by 18.

 

[BEEG]

Would really like to see the Pies targeting smaller sized Mids we have way to many blokes at that height but good on the club hope it works any one have more of a back ground on him

 

[Frederlick]

Very interesting. Hope they find his equivelant in a mid fielder.

 

[smiddaz123]

Would really like to see the Pies targeting smaller sized Mids we have way to many blokes at that height but good on the club hope it works any one have more of a back ground on him

I think they're just using the scholarship list to sign up players with massive upside, which is generally the taller, athletic players.

 

[desie]

I know the article says that he's 190cms but unless he's had a growth spurt in the last two weeks, he's more like 187. I'm around 190 and he's definitely shorter than me.

I haven't seen him play as yet, all I know of his background is that he is a State High Jumper.

In relation to mids being targeted, I was talking to one of the guys doing some spotting up here for Essendon, and he said "Why would we look at midfielders for scholarships unless they were absolutely exceptional, given that there are hundreds of them all over Victoria?"

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

We should snap up as many young NSW kids as we can, of for no other reason than we need all the trade bait possible to trade for picks when the Western Sydney team comes in.

 

[Chase the Ace]

We should snap up as many young NSW kids as we can, of for no other reason than we need all the trade bait possible to trade for picks when the Western Sydney team comes in.

Exactly

 

[BEEG]

I know the article says that he's 190cms but unless he's had a growth spurt in the last two weeks, he's more like 187. I'm around 190 and he's definitely shorter than me.

I haven't seen him play as yet, all I know of his background is that he is a State High Jumper.

In relation to mids being targeted, I was talking to one of the guys doing some spotting up here for Essendon, and he said "Why would we look at midfielders for scholarships unless they were absolutely exceptional, given that there are hundreds of them all over Victoria?"

And we still cant land one

 

[magpies42]

kerr and cousins?!

 

[The Royal Sampler]

http://www.sportingpulse.com/club_info.cgi?client=1-4018-49661-0-0&sID=56666&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=5386250&sectionID=56666

Apparently, like Lachie Keeffe, Hartley was another pursued by Hawthorn.

 

[SuperDude]

http://www.sportingpulse.com/club_i...task=DETAIL&articleID=5386250&sectionID=56666

Apparently, like Lachie Keeffe, Hartley was another pursued by Hawthorn.

Yeah, Why are the Dawks always after the Players we find?

 

[DWil6]

Yeah, Why are the Dawks always after the Players we find?

They do it just to make us feel better.

 

[Big Bucks]

Yeah, Why are the Dawks always after the Players we find?

It should be, why don,t the Magpies go after the players the Dawks find.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

In all sincerity, we seem to have an outstanding record of landing the young kids we're after. Keeffe was chased by Hawthorn and Brisbane, Nick Perry by the Hawks and Saints IIRC, Reed was the subject of much attention from rival clubs, and now Hartley was picked up despite Hawthorn's overtures.

It can only be the direct result of excellent work by the recruiting department and the fact that our facilities are now top-notch.

 

[teeps]

In all sincerity, we seem to have an outstanding record of landing the young kids we're after. Keeffe was chased by Hawthorn and Brisbane, Nick Perry by the Hawks and Saints IIRC, Reed was the subject of much attention from rival clubs, and now Hartley was picked up despite Hawthorn's overtures.

It can only be the direct result of excellent work by the recruiting department and the fact that our facilities are now top-notch.

It seems to be that the boys that the pies choose to look at through the magpies training academy up here in Sydney are obviously being watched closely by rival clubs. Collingwood do all the ground work and then the other clubs jump in. Out of last years squad of approx. 25, 6 kids were picked up for scholarship. Perry and Young for the pies, Pianta for Carlton, Murphy for St Kilda, Brain for Brisbane and Lewis for Sydney.
I'd put money on it that the same will happen again this year.
Rumour has it that there have been a few signings from this years pies academy already. Time will tell.

 

[MarkT]

Would really like to see the Pies targeting smaller sized Mids we have way to many blokes at that height but good on the club hope it works any one have more of a back ground on him

By the time this kid played, if he ever did, we’d have probably lost Rocca, Presti and Wakelin at least.

 

[Bloben]

In all sincerity, we seem to have an outstanding record of landing the young kids we're after. Keeffe was chased by Hawthorn and Brisbane, Nick Perry by the Hawks and Saints IIRC, Reed was the subject of much attention from rival clubs, and now Hartley was picked up despite Hawthorn's overtures.

It can only be the direct result of excellent work by the recruiting department and the fact that our facilities are now top-notch.

I totally agree. Eddie can't influence the playing list but his actions have enabled us to have a competitive advantage over other clubs by setting the right foundations in place.

 

[King Woodie]

By the time this kid played, if he ever did, we’d have probably lost Rocca, Presti and Wakelin at least.

Yeah, but we would also have lost Burns, O'Bree, and Lockyer, and yet would still have Goldsack, Brown, Reid, O'Brien, Anthony, Cox, Reed, Perry, Young, Maxwell, Rusling, Dawes, Thoolen, Macaffer, Casey-Leigh etc etc (delistings and further drafting notwithstanding...)

Whether now or into the future, we have no shortage of 188 - 193 cm "non-centre-square" athletic prospects, yet a stark shortage of "inside mid" prospects.

Hopefully this draft will see that position altered.

 

[Dave The Man]

Has anyone seen him play?

 

[The Royal Sampler]

He is eligible to play in the U16's this year, and the state zone trials will determine who makes the U16 Rams squad for the U16 National Champs, so we just have to hope he makes the grade. As a late convert from another sport AND a KPP though, he'll be unlikely to dominate.

Hartley is a Penrith boy like Nick Perry (in the older age bracket) so Desie would have seen a bit of him, and might be able to give us some first-hand info.

 

[Col Davies]

Has anyone seen him play?

Never bothered you before DTM

 

[THATSGOLD]

Thoughts on seeing him come back?

 

[jmac70]

Thoughts on seeing him come back?

Who cares?

 

[mike123]

Hope he does well I guess.