Player Watch #44 Sydney Stack

Nov 26, 2015
6,495
14,607
AFL Club
Richmond


The past fortnight has been a whirlwind for Richmond recruit, Sydney Stack. After missing out on the 2018 AFL draft, Stack embarked on pre-season training with the Tigers looking to earn himself a spot on an AFL list through the newly-implemented supplemental selection period (SSP).

Nearly three months on from his first training session with Richmond, Stack was announced as the final player on the Tigers’ 2019 playing list. Now, as a bona fide Richmond player, Stack is attending his first AFL and AFL Players’ Association All Stars summit in Adelaide.

Despite his playing future remaining unknown until recently, the Western Australian was confident in himself that he had done everything right since joining Richmond in early December. A meeting involving Richmond’s football department sealed Stack’s fate as they agreed he had met training, diet and off-field standards set by the club.

“Since I got there I’ve done everything I could do right by the club and stayed committed to training,” he told AFLPlayers.com.au on day two of the AFL All Stars summit.

Stack’s journey to the AFL has been arduous. A series of off-field disciplinary issues in 2018 left his football future up in the air but the SSP offered an AFL lifeline too good for Stack not to pursue. “I got a bit teary because it was just such a long journey to get here,” he said of the moments after he was told he would be joining Richmond.

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Hailing from a small, country town east of Perth, Stack is closely connected to his Indigenous heritage and his lineage as a Noongar man. “Back at home we had a Clontarf, which is like an Indigenous program at the school,” he explained.

“As part of the program we a bit of dancing there, didgeridoo playing, on the drums and painting.” Although Stack doesn’t consider himself an artist he enjoys participating in traditional Indigenous activities such as playing the didgeridoo and native dance, some of which he experienced on the All Stars summit.

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Growing up in WA, Stack idolised Port Adelaide’s Sam Powell-Pepper, who also played for WA in the under-18 national championships. The two played for the national team when Stack was in his under-16s year, before Powell-Pepper was drafted to the Power.

Attending the All Stars summit has enabled Stack to rub shoulders with some of his childhood heroes including Hawthorn superstars Chad Wingard and Shaun Burgoyne. Meeting his idols was a moment that left the 18-year-old starstruck.

“Seeing all the legends here and their story about how they’ve played the game, what they’ve done off-field… it’s amazing just getting that advice about what it takes to be an AFL star,” he said.

Egg has to get a rugby neck to absorb the hits...look at Shai's neck...
 
Can you idiots stop talking about Markov & Menadue in Stack's thread?
Half of you must just walk off in the middle of a conversation following something shiny
Dear I say they’re like.........magpies. :D
 
May 17, 2004
43,959
67,166
Punt Rd ‘17? ‘19?
AFL Club
Richmond
Sorry Guys but he's not the messiah.
Did you think in his first praccy V a premiership midfield he was gonna get like 30+ posies . He wouldn’t be much more than 70kg . I stand by by comment he ll be lucky to play seniors this year unless his vfl form is incredible. I’m wrapt that the likes of baker don’t wanna be forgotten about
 

GoTigers2015

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆2017🏆2019🏆2020🏆
Oct 27, 2014
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117,448
AFL Club
Richmond
Stacky is part of the playing group doing the community camp up in Albury Wodonga.

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There every indication that he has embraced the AFL lifestyle as much as any of the draftees. There is a minimal flight risk now, lock him in for 200+ games.
 
Sorry Guys but he's not the messiah.
But he was a very naughty boy!:D:p

Great to see the club take a chance and the personal investment made by club representatives and family is awesome. I’d rather Sydney be in our list for nothing, than elsewhere.
And right now we don’t need a messiah. Although he’ll be joining us as a father son in 2020
 
Nov 23, 2000
57,838
125,439
Country Victoria
AFL Club
Richmond
But he was a very naughty boy!:D:p

Great to see the club take a chance and the personal investment made by club representatives and family is awesome. I’d rather Sydney be in our list for nothing, than elsewhere.
And right now we don’t need a messiah. Although he’ll be joining us as a father son in 2020
Yep.No problems with the club giving the kid a chance at AFL and life in general.
 

Ancient Tiger

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Sep 18, 2007
16,613
35,088
Richmond
AFL Club
Richmond
Did you watch the game?
Information was passed to me by a close friend who watched it. This is what he told me.

Players that impressed:

The Egg - was excellent. Seems to have a nice amount of dash and evasiveness and will only improve on a injury ravaged 2018.
Luke English - came on at half time and kept pumping the ball out to his team mates. With Turner brought us back into the game. Leader.
Turner - has put on a lot of bulk over the preseason and kept running today. Combined with English well. Impressive.
Stack - played the first half only and repelled many attacks. Sublime skills and doen't miss a target.
Naish - Runs well and has a big kick for his size. Is a bit of a slow burn this kid but I like him.
Shai Bolton - Played well in that he did did the defensive things as well as accumulate possessions rather than rely on flashy stuff.
CCJ - dropped a few marks today but has something about him in that he makes the right decisions more often than not. Will be our future ruck in 4 years and is a leader.
Aarts - looks to have improved training with the seniors and his strength and stamina and he fought like a terrier when the ball was in his area

Those who didn't impress today:

Chol - after the intraclub I was excited by him but today he went back to the lack of physicality that brings down his game. Better in the ruck but not one of his days today.

Miller - bad day at the office as he was easily beaten by Stewart.
 

Marcel Proust

"Oohh WADA ooga booga" {Jul 11 2013}
Sep 6, 2018
29,608
38,560
#BigBigSound
AFL Club
Richmond
Information was passed to me by a close friend who watched it. This is what he told me.

Players that impressed:

The Egg - was excellent. Seems to have a nice amount of dash and evasiveness and will only improve on a injury ravaged 2018.
Luke English - came on at half time and kept pumping the ball out to his team mates. With Turner brought us back into the game. Leader.
Turner - has put on a lot of bulk over the preseason and kept running today. Combined with English well. Impressive.
Stack - played the first half only and repelled many attacks. Sublime skills and doen't miss a target.
Naish - Runs well and has a big kick for his size. Is a bit of a slow burn this kid but I like him.
Shai Bolton - Played well in that he did did the defensive things as well as accumulate possessions rather than rely on flashy stuff.
CCJ - dropped a few marks today but has something about him in that he makes the right decisions more often than not. Will be our future ruck in 4 years and is a leader.
Aarts - looks to have improved training with the seniors and his strength and stamina and he fought like a terrier when the ball was in his area

Those who didn't impress today:

Chol - after the intraclub I was excited by him but today he went back to the lack of physicality that brings down his game. Better in the ruck but not one of his days today.

Miller - bad day at the office as he was easily beaten by Stewart.

Pleasantly surprised to hear English and Stack are seemingly playing as defenders
 
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