Academy: Gold Coast SUNS Gun Factory

Mar 18, 2011
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I don't think we have a thread like this, so thought I'd start one up!

The new Suns Academy list for 2013 has been released. Check it out here.

Fortunately, we get access to Suns Academy players as they become of age before anyone else. This rule comes into effect next year. Sort of works like our zone selections did this year/last year.

I guess the only one I really know is Lachlan Weller. Younger brother of Mav, Lachlan is currently playing very well for Broadbeach. Still a couple of years away from being drafted, but we could be looking at a legit steal if he continues to improve as he has. Not a #1 pick, but could be first round talent.
 
Mar 18, 2011
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Also, just some more stuff on Lachie.

Just for his 2012 stuff. He won the Allan McLean Medal, which is awarded to the best player in the div 2 U16 Champs.

He then made the AIS-AFL Under 16s Academy Squad. This squad is made up of Australia's best young footballers, and only 30 across Australia make it. They will tour New Zealand in January. He's one of only three Queenslanders to make the squad. For those that don't know, the AIS-AFL program exposers young players to industry-best practice like nutrition and recovery. The U16s go to New Zealand and are in the Level 1 group. The Level 2 (U18s) group tour Europe.

Lachie himself is a midfielder. Can play very well on the inside and is known for his prolific ability to get contested possessions. He can also link up along the outside, where his game sense and awareness combined with his excellent accuracy by foot allow him to be a weapon. Very clean hands and good decision making. Never seems to panic when I've seen him.

Currently at 178cm and 70kg. Probably has another couple of centimeters of growth in him, ideally. :thumbsu: Eligible for the 2014 draft.
 

SAA91

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Also, just some more stuff on Lachie.

Just for his 2012 stuff. He won the Allan McLean Medal, which is awarded to the best player in the div 2 U16 Champs.

Suns will take him for sure then, they like the McLean Medallists..........................Past winners= Mav Weller, Jackson Allen, Alex Sexton, Jordan Bourke(maybe he should be zone selected!) ;)
 

Krozza

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Dec 11, 2006
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There is one on the list we need to 'lock in'. Currently 16 yrs old and 1 month, so we are talking two years time - L3 DARCY TRASK from Southport. QLD under 16 rep - 6ft 3 already, raking left foot and pace to burn!
 
Mar 18, 2011
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There is one on the list we need to 'lock in'. Currently 16 yrs old and 1 month, so we are talking two years time - L3 DARCY TRASK from Southport. QLD under 16 rep - 6ft 3 already, raking left foot and pace to burn!

Nice one! Are you able to provide any more information? What position does he play? 6'3" at 16 years old might be in KPP territory?
 

Krozza

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Nice one! Are you able to provide any more information? What position does he play? 6'3" at 16 years old might be in KPP territory?

Sunny,

Darcy played half fwd/running wing in the QLD U/16 rep side. Great over head mark with excellent vertical leap, agility and speed on both sides of body - natural left but not a one sided player. He'd be 6'3" at the most but still growing - of course, the frame needs to fill out, but he's no stick either - powerful legs. I'm his HPE teacher - told him I was only going to go the draft to see his name read out for the Suns in two years time. Ha ha!

I did ask him about his prospects in being listed as a QLD Zone player. He said, possible, but had heard you had to be a QLD resident for 5 years to qualify - He only moved here from Gippsland this at the start of this year. He moved here deliberately to pursue an AFL career. Hope its turns out in our favour. The kid also has a great mature head on his shoulders for a 16 yr old. Much promise.
 
Mar 18, 2011
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Nice one.

The QLD Zone concessions stop at the end of this year, meaning we can't use those anymore I'm pretty sure.

However, if he is part of the Suns Academy, then we can pick him up from next year on (2 years from what you're saying) as an Academy player. It works similar to the F/S system.

Looks like the 2015 draft will be good for us! If we can get two Academy players (Weller and Darcy) onto the senior list directly from the Academy, that would be great.
 

Krozza

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Nice one.

The QLD Zone concessions stop at the end of this year, meaning we can't use those anymore I'm pretty sure.

However, if he is part of the Suns Academy, then we can pick him up from next year on (2 years from what you're saying) as an Academy player. It works similar to the F/S system.

Looks like the 2015 draft will be good for us! If we can get two Academy players (Weller and Darcy) onto the senior list directly from the Academy, that would be great.
 

Krozza

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Sounds good Sunny....He will just have finished Year 12 before the Draft in 2015. Now, we need to keep this to ourselves.
 
Apr 26, 2010
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Pretty sure the academy is having a trial/intra club amongst themselves tomorrow with a first cut to the list happening soon after....

Last year the Qld side was close to 75% kids from Lions Academy-hopefully GC academy can do better this year. Heard from a few people that Jason Torney is doing a top job with the lads this year so expect a higher proportion next year.
 

Tazwegian

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Also, just some more stuff on Lachie.

Just for his 2012 stuff. He won the Allan McLean Medal, which is awarded to the best player in the div 2 U16 Champs.

He then made the AIS-AFL Under 16s Academy Squad. This squad is made up of Australia's best young footballers, and only 30 across Australia make it. They will tour New Zealand in January. He's one of only three Queenslanders to make the squad. For those that don't know, the AIS-AFL program exposers young players to industry-best practice like nutrition and recovery. The U16s go to New Zealand and are in the Level 1 group. The Level 2 (U18s) group tour Europe.

Lachie himself is a midfielder. Can play very well on the inside and is known for his prolific ability to get contested possessions. He can also link up along the outside, where his game sense and awareness combined with his excellent accuracy by foot allow him to be a weapon. Very clean hands and good decision making. Never seems to panic when I've seen him.

Currently at 178cm and 70kg. Probably has another couple of centimeters of growth in him, ideally. :thumbsu: Eligible for the 2014 draft.

I am absolutely devo that he isn't playing for Tasmania :( One to watch for sure. He will grow at least another 4cms, probably more you'd think.
 

gotassieboys

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Hi Tazwegian

I reckon young Lachie fals into another famous "Tasmanian" who is officially listed as a Queenslander.

Mr Nick Riewoldt. Nick left Tassie at age 14 years old. All his football knowledge/passion was derived in little old Tassie.
Hi uncle Chris "Cabbage" Riewoldt is a Clarence F.C games holder and his other uncle Peter also played for Clarence.

While Queensland claim them as their own, I shall always see them as "Taswegians"!!!
 

Covertackle

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where his game sense and awareness combined with his excellent accuracy by foot allow him to be a weapon. Very clean hands and good decision making. Never seems to panic when I've seen him.

Currently at 178cm and 70kg. Probably has another couple of centimeters of growth in him, ideally. :thumbsu: Eligible for the 2014 draft.

i read an article recently where clubs now prefer great, accurate kicking ability over height. fret not over that couple of cm. with the attitude of clubs looking more at skills than height, it sounds like he is on track.
 
Mar 18, 2011
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Article.
Captain Lachlan Weller also shone, the midfielder's poise helping set the standard early in the contest. The win was celebrated on Australia Day, a moment Sheehan said would stick with the players.

...

BEST
Australia: Pickett, Coughlan, Weller, McGrath, Smith, Lever, Duggan
New Zealand: Haretuku, Tatupu, Crighton, Miller, Riddell
 

Jacob Jackson

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Jun 21, 2012
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Any other key forward/backs from the academy? There are a few potentials Watts, Hay, Mills anything on these guys. I have seen them all play, like the look of Mills, only fairly thin at this point but will fill out, 6'5 and 82/83 kg Id say.
 

Matchu

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Hi Tazwegian

I reckon young Lachie fals into another famous "Tasmanian" who is officially listed as a Queenslander.

Mr Nick Riewoldt. Nick left Tassie at age 14 years old. All his football knowledge/passion was derived in little old Tassie.
Hi uncle Chris "Cabbage" Riewoldt is a Clarence F.C games holder and his other uncle Peter also played for Clarence.

While Queensland claim them as their own, I shall always see them as "Taswegians"!!!

Uhh, no he didn't. Nick and his family moved to the Gold Coast when he was 9 years old and he attended primary school at Robina State School. He played his junior football at the Broadbeach Cats and then transferred to the Southport Sharks later. The other side of their family is also living up here and Nick's family runs a restaurant in Broadbeach. Jack and his family are the only ones still living in Tasmania and will travel up to the Gold Coast during Christmas so I would say Nick's Tasmanian roots are probably lost on him.

I think if push came to shove and State of Origin was re-introduced then Nick would definitely play for Queensland. On the other hand I'm sure Jack would play for Tasmania. That is the realistic nature of south east Queensland these days though, possibly as high as 50% of the people living here weren't actually born here.
 

Covertackle

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i think mt gravatt is in the lions den but i'll throw this one up anyway.

a kid called wiley buzza started playing AFL for the first time last season. just 16yo, he played 5 games for the local lockyer valley u16s side but was soon snapped up by the local Darling Downs Crows u18s side that went through undefeated in DIV 2 in 2012. wiley played all games once selected for the crows.

he is 6'5 (but hasnt been measured for 8 months) and was a rep player in RL and 4 other sports including swimming and basketball.

this season saw the DD crows disbanded. wiley has since signed with Mt Gravatt as its the closest club to his home town of Gatton. he still has 2 seasons of u18s in front of him...

his big mop of curly hair betrays the fact that he is a hard young kid in the mould of barry hall. his father was a rep RL player as a senior, and his mother was a state basketballer..his two sisters are state netballers.

already he bench presses more than his father ever could, and at a recent bonding session with the opens side he more than held his own sparring against many of the opens players even when it got willing. his dad being a former boxer did show wiley the basics as a kid, which would have helped.

wiley now loves AFL and should have a stellar year this season.
 
Jun 10, 2011
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i think mt gravatt is in the lions den but i'll throw this one up anyway.

a kid called wiley buzza started playing AFL for the first time last season. just 16yo, he played 5 games for the local lockyer valley u16s side but was soon snapped up by the local Darling Downs Crows u18s side that went through undefeated in DIV 2 in 2012. wiley played all games once selected for the crows.

he is 6'5 (but hasnt been measured for 8 months) and was a rep player in RL and 4 other sports including swimming and basketball.

this season saw the DD crows disbanded. wiley has since signed with Mt Gravatt as its the closest club to his home town of Gatton. he still has 2 seasons of u18s in front of him...

his big mop of curly hair betrays the fact that he is a hard young kid in the mould of barry hall. his father was a rep RL player as a senior, and his mother was a state basketballer..his two sisters are state netballers.

already he bench presses more than his father ever could, and at a recent bonding session with the opens side he more than held his own sparring against many of the opens players even when it got willing. his dad being a former boxer did show wiley the basics as a kid, which would have helped.

wiley now loves AFL and should have a stellar year this season.

Nice! I live about 3km from the Vultures ground so will have to check him out when a home game doesn't clash with the Suns or my own footy.
 
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