Phantom Draft 40 Prospects to Watch in 2018

[HedgeFund]

Or in TAC cup bye rounds

Yep - forgot that. Rarely happens though. 19 year olds playing VFL was more common. Now the Development League has finished up - that’s probably going to be a rarity as well.

 

[Snake_Baker]

North Melbourne academy star Tarryn Thomas could hop into VFL

By Jon Pierik February 2018 — 5:57pm

North Melbourne is considering giving young Tasmanian star Tarryn Thomas time in the VFL this year as they weigh up whether to select him in this year's national draft.

Thomas is part of the Kangaroos' Next Generation Academy program and has already trained with the club.

The indigenous midfielder shapes as one of the country's premier young onballers and remains a part of the AFL Academy. He rose to prominence in 2016 when he was Tasmania's best player in the under-16 and under-18 carnivals......
Coach Brad Scott, in Hobart as part of the club's community camp, said the Kangaroos were focusing not only on Thomas' football prospects but also his off-field welfare.

"Our priority is his school. We will work around that and help out with that wherever possible but he will have the opportunity to come up and train with us, potentially play in our VFL side," he said.

"We will have an opportunity for all TSL (Tasmanian State League) players, probably under the age of 21, to come and play in our VFL side as well to get some exposure to AFL players and AFL coaches. It's a great opportunity for Tarryn but a great opportunity for other TSL players."

 

[grundog49]

Yep - forgot that. Rarely happens though. 19 year olds playing VFL was more common. Now the Development League has finished up - that’s probably going to be a rarity as well.

Rarely for top prospects but for lesser knowns it's more common. There will be less of it because of the development league finished but it will still happen for those players looking to up there stocks like Kayle Kirby did.

 

[grundog49]

North Melbourne academy star Tarryn Thomas could hop into VFL

By Jon Pierik February 2018 — 5:57pm

North Melbourne is considering giving young Tasmanian star Tarryn Thomas time in the VFL this year as they weigh up whether to select him in this year's national draft.

Thomas is part of the Kangaroos' Next Generation Academy program and has already trained with the club.

The indigenous midfielder shapes as one of the country's premier young onballers and remains a part of the AFL Academy. He rose to prominence in 2016 when he was Tasmania's best player in the under-16 and under-18 carnivals......
Coach Brad Scott, in Hobart as part of the club's community camp, said the Kangaroos were focusing not only on Thomas' football prospects but also his off-field welfare.

"Our priority is his school. We will work around that and help out with that wherever possible but he will have the opportunity to come up and train with us, potentially play in our VFL side," he said.

"We will have an opportunity for all TSL (Tasmanian State League) players, probably under the age of 21, to come and play in our VFL side as well to get some exposure to AFL players and AFL coaches. It's a great opportunity for Tarryn but a great opportunity for other TSL players."

Hopefully more players besides Tarryn get a run which I suspect will happen

 

[HedgeFund]

Rarely for top prospects but for lesser knowns it's more common. There will be less of it because of the development league finished but it will still happen for those players looking to up there stocks like Kayle Kirby did.

His efforts for Richmond in 2016 are a perfect example of why it should still happen (especially for those playing in struggling TAC outfits).

To kick bags at VFL level with/against AFL players was a far more useful effort from a recruiting perspective than his last half of the season with Bendigo.

Likewise Hamish Brayshaw’s extended run with St Kilda reserves / Sandringham seniors was more beneficial for him than smashing sub-standard TAC midfields/ defenders from May to August last year.

 

[Pykie]

Hopefully more players besides Tarryn get a run which I suspect will happen

At the end of the day, it’s a North AFL reserves side, AFL listed players will take the priority, there’s usually only a couple of spots left after you account for the VFL leadership team.

Considering Thomas is easily the highest rated, I imagine only he and someone like Jones are realistic chances of multiple games.

Most TAC Cup level kids aren’t anywhere near ready for VFL.

 

[getgaff]

I think Mick Abletts appointment was the best thing that could happen to the WA pathway. He'll bring some more professionalism to the system and I think WA could become the second leading producer of drafted players consistently if everything goes to plan.

Totally agree with you on Ablett.

Very smart operator in talent pathways and was pretty happy with that appointment.

Should streamline the 16’s to 18’s development pathways a lot more smoothly.

 

[grundog49]

u16 Update:

WA have had their first of their 6 round u16 carnival. From the admittedly limited information I have, it seems like a lean year for WA in 2020 with only one player selected in the All Australian team at school boy level. His name is Taj Schofield from Subiaco and is eligible for F/S at Port Adelaide as he is the son of premiership player Jarred. He has trained at Port Adelaide earlier in the year as apart of Port's Father Son Academy and will be one to watch at the u16 championships later in the year.

The results of the weekends games are as follows:

ROUND 1
Subiaco 11.7 (73) def West Perth 10.5 (65)
Subiaco Best: Page, Watts, Rogers
West Perth Best: Johnson, Scurria, Berry

East Fremantle 8.4 (52) def by East Perth 9.4 (58)
East Frematle Best: Carroll, Tirant, Dann
East Perth Best: Dittmar, Colegate, Austen

Claremont 3.13 (31) def by Peel Thunder 4.11 (35)
Claremont Best: Gelavis, Kavanagh, Western
Peel Thunder Best: Walsh, Ietto, Celesto

South Fremantle 8.7 (55) def Swan Districts 3.2 (26)
South Fremantle Best: Hall, Jetta, Bellchambers
Swan Districts Best: Trew, Higgins, Cartwright

 

[briztoon]

u16 Update:

WA have had their first of their 6 round u16 carnival. From the admittedly limited information I have, it seems like a lean year for WA in 2020 with only one player selected in the All Australian team at school boy level. His name is Taj Schofield from Subiaco and is eligible for F/S at Port Adelaide as he is the son of premiership player Jarred. He has trained at Port Adelaide earlier in the year as apart of Port's Father Son Academy and will be one to watch at the u16 championships later in the year.

2020 is still a couple of years away. Plenty of time for kids to come through.

Sort of on a related topic. After last years U16 carnival, no Brisbane Lions kids made the 2018 AFL Level One Academy for 2019 prospects (nor did QLD's MVP from the Gold Coast Suns academy, Mitch Fitzpatrick). But on the Lions board there is already a little talk about how strong our 2019 academy crop is looking, led by forwards Kobe Tozer and Tom Wischnat.

It will be interesting to see the Lions team for the Northern championships this year and if any of our under-agers make the Allies team.

Reports so far is that our 2018 academy crop is looking thin, so it might be a year we focus more on free agency period, then the top end of the draft.

 

[grundog49]

2020 is still a couple of years away. Plenty of time for kids to come through.

Sort of on a related topic. After last years U16 carnival, no Brisbane Lions kids made the 2018 AFL Level One Academy for 2019 prospects (nor did QLD's MVP from the Gold Coast Suns academy, Mitch Fitzpatrick). But on the Lions board there is already a little talk about how strong our 2019 academy crop is looking, led by forwards Kobe Tozer and Tom Wischnat.

It will be interesting to see the Lions team for the Northern championships this year and if any of our under-agers make the Allies team.

Reports so far is that our 2018 academy crop is looking thin, so it might be a year we focus more on free agency period, then the top end of the draft.

I agree that plenty of kids are going to be coming through but its not a good sign when only one kid makes the u15 All Aus team. The only other states who only have one player or less are NSW, ACT, NT, Tasmania and Queensland which are states who aren't known as strong producer of football talent like WA, SA and Victoria are.

The AFL Academy isnt the be all and end all. You'll find that a number of top prospects arent apart of the program from the outset or not at all. The last two years the number one draft pick hasnt been in the academy at level one level and Andy McGrath wasnt even apart of the program! However the academy has a high success rate of draftees and is the best preparation for AFL level.

I think your list of Academy Players is up there with the best of the Northern Academies. Kobe Tozer looks like the prototype centre half forward who is athletic and can kick goals. Tom Wischnats is your solidly built medium forward who can kick bags of goals. Others to look out for are midfielder Tom Griffiths, half forward Tom Jeffereys and utility Mac Liessi.

 

[HedgeFund]

The AFL Academy isnt the be all and end all. You'll find that a number of top prospects arent apart of the program from the outset or not at all. The last two years the number one draft pick hasnt been in the academy at level one level and Andy McGrath wasnt even apart of the program!

Clearly not.

2016 #1 - McGrath and #2 Taranto were nowhere near the Academy in 2015 or 2016.

Mick Ablett probably looked a little silly come Draft night.

 

[grundog49]

Clearly not.

2016 #1 - McGrath and #2 Taranto were nowhere near the Academy in 2015 or 2016.

Mick Ablett probably looked a little silly come Draft night.

Kevin Sheehan also

 

[Hellgood]

Agreed that I think there isn't all that much correlation between the performance of 15 year olds and what eventuates three years later on draft night.

I remember looking back on the state schoolboys AA side photographs from each year and I reckon about 1/3rd are recognisable, probably 2/3 made it to an AFL list. Hell of a lot of development to take place at an important stage of these boys lives.

 

[Zurgblade]

u16 Update:

WA have had their first of their 6 round u16 carnival. From the admittedly limited information I have, it seems like a lean year for WA in 2020 with only one player selected in the All Australian team at school boy level. His name is Taj Schofield from Subiaco and is eligible for F/S at Port Adelaide as he is the son of premiership player Jarred. He has trained at Port Adelaide earlier in the year as apart of Port's Father Son Academy and will be one to watch at the u16 championships later in the year.

The results of the weekends games are as follows:

ROUND 1
Subiaco 11.7 (73) def West Perth 10.5 (65)
Subiaco Best: Page, Watts, Rogers
West Perth Best: Johnson, Scurria, Berry

East Fremantle 8.4 (52) def by East Perth 9.4 (58)
East Frematle Best: Carroll, Tirant, Dann
East Perth Best: Dittmar, Colegate, Austen

Claremont 3.13 (31) def by Peel Thunder 4.11 (35)
Claremont Best: Gelavis, Kavanagh, Western
Peel Thunder Best: Walsh, Ietto, Celesto

South Fremantle 8.7 (55) def Swan Districts 3.2 (26)
South Fremantle Best: Hall, Jetta, Bellchambers
Swan Districts Best: Trew, Higgins, Cartwright

There are a number of players within this competition that also made the Boomerangs and World 15 squads which are comparible to All Australian selections.

I know that West Perth have at least 2 Boomerang squad members in Michael Mallard and Reece Gerrand, Subiaco have Zeke Bolton and East Fremantle have 3 World 15 players (Keanu Haddow, Chris Walker and Brandon Walker) that are also apart of the Fremantle NGA Elite Academy.

Joel Western who plays for Claremont is also another World 15 / Freo NGA Elite member.

 

[grundog49]

u16 SANFL:


The u16 SANFL carnival has kicked off and some players have already jumped off the stat sheet with big performances. The first game of the tournament was between West Adelaide and Sturt. In this game West Adelaide took the chocolates with a 33-point win in a low scoring affair. Some of the players to impress for the losing side were Tom Powell who gathered 43 disposals, seven marks and five tackles in a commanding performance for the midfielder. Others to impress for the Double Blues include Mani Liddy who collected 28 disposals and Ned Walter who plucked 8 marks for the day. For West Adelaide it was a very strong display all around the board. One of those highlights was ruckman/key position forward Riley Thilthorpe who gathered 23 disposals, 23 hitouts and kicked two goals in a strong day for the big man. Others who showed their talent for the Bloods were defender Jack Forrest who had 22 disposals and 9 rebound 50s, tall utility Harvey Bock with 14 marks and Lachlan De Cesare who was named best on ground for the winning team.


The second game was between South Adelaide and Central Districts and was the closest game of the round. Centrals came out winners by a margin of two goals against the home team. For Centrals it was a team effort to claim the victory and a player who stood out was Corey Durdin. Durdin last year played at u16 level for South Australia as a bottom ager and was one of their best players with 19 disposals, 5 inside 50s and 7 tackles. Another to catch the eye was Chris Tidswell who gathered 22 disposals, 3 marks, 6 tackles and 9 rebound 50s in what was a massive performance for the defender. For South Adelaide it was a disappointing day but there was some silver lining with some players standing out. One of these players was Jason Horne who collected 24 disposals to go with his team-high 9 marks. Another to watch is Zach Dumensy who last year was named as an u15 All Australian and on the weekend had 16 disposals and provided a good target up forward for the Panthers.


Norwood vs Woodville-West Torrens wasn’t as close of an affair as Norwood ran away to a 141 point victory. For the winning team it was forwards Michael Cavallaro and Marcus Roberts who really stood out. Michael was the more efficient of the two forwards as he kicked 5 goals straight and took 5 marks up forward. Roberts on the other hand although less efficient in front of goal (3.3 for the day) was more impactful up the ground with 21 disposals, 6 marks and 6 inside 50s. Henry Nelligan was another to impress for the Redlegs as he gathered a game high 38 disposals as well as 8 marks and 5 tackles in an great game for the midfielder. Midfielders Ethan Schwerdt and William Warrick will be other to watch throughout the season. For the Eagles there were few highlights has they kicked a score collectively of only 4 points. Despite this, one player who can hold his head high is Harrison Dawkins who collected team highs in both disposals and inside 50s.


The final game was between Glenelg and North Adelaide where Glenelg stormed away to become winners by 103 points. For Glenelg there was one player who stood up well above the rest and that man was William Schreiber. William collected 36 disposals, 12 marks and kicked 4 goals what was a dominant performance for the 15-year-old. Last year he measured in at 189 cm and 82 kg and with further growth to come, he could be come a tall forward who can pinch hit in the midfield like another Glenelg junior Darcy Fogarty was known to do in the juniors. Others to impress for Glenelg include Deacon Trembath (4 goals), Kye Dean (41 disposals, 2 goals), Cooper Horsnell (27 disposals, 7 marks, 7 inside 50s) and Riley Holder (23 disposals, 9 marks, 3 goals). For North Adelaide it was Bradley Rogers who impressed. He kicked two goals in a team which kicked 4 for the the day, took 6 marks and 4 tackles in a solid display for the Roosters.

u16 WAFL:

The results of the weekends games are as follows:

Peel Thunder 9.14 (68) def Subiaco Subiaco 7.8 (50)
Best PT: Celesto, Winder, Hall
Best S: Schofield, Morris, Wyatt

West Perth 6.2 (38) def by East Fremantle 11.10 (76)
WP Best: Chapman, Scurria, Coles
EF Best: Blakemore, Dann, Curley

Claremont 8.8 (56) def Perth 6.5 (35)
C Best: Morgan, Western, Mentink
P Best: O'Driscoll, Evans, McDonald

South Fremantle 9.10 (64) def by East Perth 14.4 (88)
SF Best: Jetta, Fenton, Bellchambers
EP Best: King, Cann, Chadwick

Taj Schofield was named in the best for Subiaco and will be one to watch later in the year in the u16s. For Peel Thunder over ager (u17 player) Andy Celesto looks really promising as he was named in the best in both games and was named best on ground for the winning team. Boomerangs player Isaiah Winder was also named in the best for Peel as a forward, kicking two goals and setting up his teammates as well. For West Perth a player who has featured prominently is Rohan Scurria who has been named in the best in both games for West Perth. For East Fremantle twins Chris and Brandon Walker will be worth looking at closely as they both have ties to Fremantles NGA and have shown alot of promise in trial games for their Next Generation Academy. For Claremont Joel Western has been impressive as he has been named in the best players in both of his games and was selected to play for the World team after a strong Allnations carnival for WA. For Perth Logan McDonald is one to watch as he represented WA in the u15 school boys and was named in the best in three of their five games. For South Freo Ira Jetta has been a standout as he has been named the best player in both games and was apart of the 2017 Boomerangs squad. Another one to look out for from the Bulldogs is Jaxon Bellchambers as he was named the best in both games alongside Jetta. For the Royals Kade Dittmar could be one to track over the coming years as he has performed well above what is par for his age, representing his state at school boy level and beating kids a year older then him in the u16s.

Other news:

TAC cup football starts this weekend as the u18s and also u16s come out to play. NEAFL football starts on the 30th of March and will be worth watching from an recruiting perspective as the competition is becoming a destination league for those unlucky to miss being drafted or for players who haven't been in the traditional pathway to emerge. SANFL football starts on the 29th with the u18s playing on Thursday to kick off the season. WAFL football starts the 30th also. VFL starts on the 1st of April with Geelong v Werribee.

 

[HedgeFund]

u16 SANFL:


The u16 SANFL carnival has kicked off and some players have already jumped off the stat sheet with big performances. The first game of the tournament was between West Adelaide and Sturt. In this game West Adelaide took the chocolates with a 33-point win in a low scoring affair. Some of the players to impress for the losing side were Tom Powell who gathered 43 disposals, seven marks and five tackles in a commanding performance for the midfielder. Others to impress for the Double Blues include Mani Liddy who collected 28 disposals and Ned Walter who plucked 8 marks for the day. For West Adelaide it was a very strong display all around the board. One of those highlights was ruckman/key position forward Riley Thilthorpe who gathered 23 disposals, 23 hitouts and kicked two goals in a strong day for the big man. Others who showed their talent for the Bloods were defender Jack Forrest who had 22 disposals and 9 rebound 50s, tall utility Harvey Bock with 14 marks and Lachlan De Cesare who was named best on ground for the winning team.


The second game was between South Adelaide and Central Districts and was the closest game of the round. Centrals came out winners by a margin of two goals against the home team. For Centrals it was a team effort to claim the victory and a player who stood out was Corey Durdin. Durdin last year played at u16 level for South Australia as a bottom ager and was one of their best players with 19 disposals, 5 inside 50s and 7 tackles. Another to catch the eye was Chris Tidswell who gathered 22 disposals, 3 marks, 6 tackles and 9 rebound 50s in what was a massive performance for the defender. For South Adelaide it was a disappointing day but there was some silver lining with some players standing out. One of these players was Jason Horne who collected 24 disposals to go with his team-high 9 marks. Another to watch is Zach Dumensy who last year was named as an u15 All Australian and on the weekend had 16 disposals and provided a good target up forward for the Panthers.


Norwood vs Woodville-West Torrens wasn’t as close of an affair as Norwood ran away to a 141 point victory. For the winning team it was forwards Michael Cavallaro and Marcus Roberts who really stood out. Michael was the more efficient of the two forwards as he kicked 5 goals straight and took 5 marks up forward. Roberts on the other hand although less efficient in front of goal (3.3 for the day) was more impactful up the ground with 21 disposals, 6 marks and 6 inside 50s. Henry Nelligan was another to impress for the Redlegs as he gathered a game high 38 disposals as well as 8 marks and 5 tackles in an great game for the midfielder. Midfielders Ethan Schwerdt and William Warrick will be other to watch throughout the season. For the Eagles there were few highlights has they kicked a score collectively of only 4 points. Despite this, one player who can hold his head high is Harrison Dawkins who collected team highs in both disposals and inside 50s.


The final game was between Glenelg and North Adelaide where Glenelg stormed away to become winners by 103 points. For Glenelg there was one player who stood up well above the rest and that man was William Schreiber. William collected 36 disposals, 12 marks and kicked 4 goals what was a dominant performance for the 15-year-old. Last year he measured in at 189 cm and 82 kg and with further growth to come, he could be come a tall forward who can pinch hit in the midfield like another Glenelg junior Darcy Fogarty was known to do in the juniors. Others to impress for Glenelg include Deacon Trembath (4 goals), Kye Dean (41 disposals, 2 goals), Cooper Horsnell (27 disposals, 7 marks, 7 inside 50s) and Riley Holder (23 disposals, 9 marks, 3 goals). For North Adelaide it was Bradley Rogers who impressed. He kicked two goals in a team which kicked 4 for the the day, took 6 marks and 4 tackles in a solid display for the Roosters.

u16 WAFL:

The results of the weekends games are as follows:

Peel Thunder 9.14 (68) def Subiaco Subiaco 7.8 (50)
Best PT: Celesto, Winder, Hall
Best S: Schofield, Morris, Wyatt

West Perth 6.2 (38) def by East Fremantle 11.10 (76)
WP Best: Chapman, Scurria, Coles
EF Best: Blakemore, Dann, Curley

Claremont 8.8 (56) def Perth 6.5 (35)
C Best: Morgan, Western, Mentink
P Best: O'Driscoll, Evans, McDonald

South Fremantle 9.10 (64) def by East Perth 14.4 (88)
SF Best: Jetta, Fenton, Bellchambers
EP Best: King, Cann, Chadwick

Taj Schofield was named in the best for Subiaco and will be one to watch later in the year in the u16s. For Peel Thunder over ager (u17 player) Andy Celesto looks really promising as he was named in the best in both games and was named best on ground for the winning team. Boomerangs player Isaiah Winder was also named in the best for Peel as a forward, kicking two goals and setting up his teammates as well. For West Perth a player who has featured prominently is Rohan Scurria who has been named in the best in both games for West Perth. For East Fremantle twins Chris and Brandon Walker will be worth looking at closely as they both have ties to Fremantles NGA and have shown alot of promise in trial games for their Next Generation Academy. For Claremont Joel Western has been impressive as he has been named in the best players in both of his games and was selected to play for the World team after a strong Allnations carnival for WA. For Perth Logan McDonald is one to watch as he represented WA in the u15 school boys and was named in the best in three of their five games. For South Freo Ira Jetta has been a standout as he has been named the best player in both games and was apart of the 2017 Boomerangs squad. Another one to look out for from the Bulldogs is Jaxon Bellchambers as he was named the best in both games alongside Jetta. For the Royals Kade Dittmar could be one to track over the coming years as he has performed well above what is par for his age, representing his state at school boy level and beating kids a year older then him in the u16s.

Other news:

TAC cup football starts this weekend as the u18s and also u16s come out to play. NEAFL football starts on the 30th of March and will be worth watching from an recruiting perspective as the competition is becoming a destination league for those unlucky to miss being drafted or for players who haven't been in the traditional pathway to emerge. SANFL football starts on the 29th with the u18s playing on Thursday to kick off the season. WAFL football starts the 30th also. VFL starts on the 1st of April with Geelong v Werribee.

Excellent summary. Thanks for all the hard work you’ve done!

 

[philthy05]

u16 SANFL:


The u16 SANFL carnival has kicked off and some players have already jumped off the stat sheet with big performances. The first game of the tournament was between West Adelaide and Sturt. In this game West Adelaide took the chocolates with a 33-point win in a low scoring affair. Some of the players to impress for the losing side were Tom Powell who gathered 43 disposals, seven marks and five tackles in a commanding performance for the midfielder. Others to impress for the Double Blues include Mani Liddy who collected 28 disposals and Ned Walter who plucked 8 marks for the day. For West Adelaide it was a very strong display all around the board. One of those highlights was ruckman/key position forward Riley Thilthorpe who gathered 23 disposals, 23 hitouts and kicked two goals in a strong day for the big man. Others who showed their talent for the Bloods were defender Jack Forrest who had 22 disposals and 9 rebound 50s, tall utility Harvey Bock with 14 marks and Lachlan De Cesare who was named best on ground for the winning team.


The second game was between South Adelaide and Central Districts and was the closest game of the round. Centrals came out winners by a margin of two goals against the home team. For Centrals it was a team effort to claim the victory and a player who stood out was Corey Durdin. Durdin last year played at u16 level for South Australia as a bottom ager and was one of their best players with 19 disposals, 5 inside 50s and 7 tackles. Another to catch the eye was Chris Tidswell who gathered 22 disposals, 3 marks, 6 tackles and 9 rebound 50s in what was a massive performance for the defender. For South Adelaide it was a disappointing day but there was some silver lining with some players standing out. One of these players was Jason Horne who collected 24 disposals to go with his team-high 9 marks. Another to watch is Zach Dumensy who last year was named as an u15 All Australian and on the weekend had 16 disposals and provided a good target up forward for the Panthers.


Norwood vs Woodville-West Torrens wasn’t as close of an affair as Norwood ran away to a 141 point victory. For the winning team it was forwards Michael Cavallaro and Marcus Roberts who really stood out. Michael was the more efficient of the two forwards as he kicked 5 goals straight and took 5 marks up forward. Roberts on the other hand although less efficient in front of goal (3.3 for the day) was more impactful up the ground with 21 disposals, 6 marks and 6 inside 50s. Henry Nelligan was another to impress for the Redlegs as he gathered a game high 38 disposals as well as 8 marks and 5 tackles in an great game for the midfielder. Midfielders Ethan Schwerdt and William Warrick will be other to watch throughout the season. For the Eagles there were few highlights has they kicked a score collectively of only 4 points. Despite this, one player who can hold his head high is Harrison Dawkins who collected team highs in both disposals and inside 50s.


The final game was between Glenelg and North Adelaide where Glenelg stormed away to become winners by 103 points. For Glenelg there was one player who stood up well above the rest and that man was William Schreiber. William collected 36 disposals, 12 marks and kicked 4 goals what was a dominant performance for the 15-year-old. Last year he measured in at 189 cm and 82 kg and with further growth to come, he could be come a tall forward who can pinch hit in the midfield like another Glenelg junior Darcy Fogarty was known to do in the juniors. Others to impress for Glenelg include Deacon Trembath (4 goals), Kye Dean (41 disposals, 2 goals), Cooper Horsnell (27 disposals, 7 marks, 7 inside 50s) and Riley Holder (23 disposals, 9 marks, 3 goals). For North Adelaide it was Bradley Rogers who impressed. He kicked two goals in a team which kicked 4 for the the day, took 6 marks and 4 tackles in a solid display for the Roosters.

u16 WAFL:

The results of the weekends games are as follows:

Peel Thunder 9.14 (68) def Subiaco Subiaco 7.8 (50)
Best PT: Celesto, Winder, Hall
Best S: Schofield, Morris, Wyatt

West Perth 6.2 (38) def by East Fremantle 11.10 (76)
WP Best: Chapman, Scurria, Coles
EF Best: Blakemore, Dann, Curley

Claremont 8.8 (56) def Perth 6.5 (35)
C Best: Morgan, Western, Mentink
P Best: O'Driscoll, Evans, McDonald

South Fremantle 9.10 (64) def by East Perth 14.4 (88)
SF Best: Jetta, Fenton, Bellchambers
EP Best: King, Cann, Chadwick

Taj Schofield was named in the best for Subiaco and will be one to watch later in the year in the u16s. For Peel Thunder over ager (u17 player) Andy Celesto looks really promising as he was named in the best in both games and was named best on ground for the winning team. Boomerangs player Isaiah Winder was also named in the best for Peel as a forward, kicking two goals and setting up his teammates as well. For West Perth a player who has featured prominently is Rohan Scurria who has been named in the best in both games for West Perth. For East Fremantle twins Chris and Brandon Walker will be worth looking at closely as they both have ties to Fremantles NGA and have shown alot of promise in trial games for their Next Generation Academy. For Claremont Joel Western has been impressive as he has been named in the best players in both of his games and was selected to play for the World team after a strong Allnations carnival for WA. For Perth Logan McDonald is one to watch as he represented WA in the u15 school boys and was named in the best in three of their five games. For South Freo Ira Jetta has been a standout as he has been named the best player in both games and was apart of the 2017 Boomerangs squad. Another one to look out for from the Bulldogs is Jaxon Bellchambers as he was named the best in both games alongside Jetta. For the Royals Kade Dittmar could be one to track over the coming years as he has performed well above what is par for his age, representing his state at school boy level and beating kids a year older then him in the u16s.

Other news:

TAC cup football starts this weekend as the u18s and also u16s come out to play. NEAFL football starts on the 30th of March and will be worth watching from an recruiting perspective as the competition is becoming a destination league for those unlucky to miss being drafted or for players who haven't been in the traditional pathway to emerge. SANFL football starts on the 29th with the u18s playing on Thursday to kick off the season. WAFL football starts the 30th also. VFL starts on the 1st of April with Geelong v Werribee.

Good to see taj named bog. Son of 131 port Adelaide game premiership player Jarrad (who coaches Subiaco now I believe?)

If you have any insight on taj feel free to share port fans would appreciate it

 

[grundog49]

Good to see taj named bog. Son of 131 port Adelaide game premiership player Jarrad (who coaches Subiaco now I believe?)

If you have any insight on taj feel free to share port fans would appreciate it

Taj Schofield is the standout West Australian prospect at this stage. Hes performed well as an inside midfielder thus far for Subiaco and has trained at Port Adelaide during the pre season. Was the only WA player named All Australian at u15 level and will be a big chance to represent his state at u16 level later this year.

Port Adelaide have a very strong father son crop for 2019 also. Jackson Mead looks really good as a prospect in the midfield and is arguably the most unlucky player to miss AIS selection after the u16s. Trent Burgoyne, son of Peter, also looks promising and will be interesting to track over the coming years.

 

[Zurgblade]

WAFL 16's BOG Tally

2 Votes: Scurria (WP), Western (C), Celesto (PT), Dann (EF), Bellchambers (SF), Jetta (SF)

1 Vote: Page (S), Watts (S), Rogers (S), Schofield (S), Morris (S), Wyatt (S), Johnson (WP), Berry (WP), Chapman (WP), Coles (WP), Carroll (EF), Tirant (EF), Blakemore (EF), Curley (EF), Dittmar (EP), Colegate (EP), Austen (EP), King (EP), Cann (EP), Chadwick (EP), Gelavis (C), Kavanagh (C), Morgan (C), Mentink (C), Walsh (PT), Ietto (PT), Winder (PT), Hall (PT), Hall (SF), Fenton (SF), Trew (SD), Higgins (SD), Cartwright (SD), O'Driscoll (P), Evans (P), McDonald (P)

 

[chazwazza]

Sam Fletcher
Dandenong Stingrays/Victoria Country
Medium Utility
Height: 188 cm Weight: 77 kg D.O.B: 27/01/2000



Sam Fletcher although not having the exposure of other players his age could push into the top 10 in 2018. Sam Fletcher from the Dandenong Stingrays is a rangy utility who is composed and competitive. After starring at the u15 school boy championships and some performances at u16 level, Sam was selected in the most prestigious program for footballers the AFL Academy. Last year Sam suffered injury setbacks that limited him to only four TAC cup games as well as a game for the AFL Academy in New Zealand. At TAC cup level he was particularly impressive averaging 16 disposals, three marks, three tackles with a disposal efficiency of 76%. Sam’s best skill is his disposal by foot. Fletcher when kicking the ball has a very smooth action that allows him to find a good balance between weight and penetration with every kick. This is evident from his 80% kicking efficiency at TAC level. Another trait that makes Sam so appealing to clubs is his composure in traffic. When Sam plays in the midfield he just seems to have that extra second to find his teammates or exit a stoppage. This awareness in the contest makes Sam quite an appealing player to have in the midfield as he adds that extra bit of class to a team’s midfield. The main concern for Sam is going to be trying to keep himself health for 2018. If Fletcher can keep himself fit this year I expect Sam to propel himself into first round calculations as his skillset is unique in the 2018 draft class. Sam’s ability to navigate through traffic and hit targets make him one of the most damaging players his age and someone who could end up being a top 10 draft pick.


Thomas Berry
GWV Rebels/Victoria Country
Inside Midfielder
Height: 184 cm Weight: 74 kg D.O.B: 1/05/2000

Another player with strong bloodlines, Thomas Berry is a very different player to his brother. Thomas Berry, the brother of Brisbane’s Jarrod, is a dynamic midfielder who has a ferocious attack on the football and a burst of speed. Tom at u16 level was very strong and displayed strong leaderships skills, captaining the u16 Vic Country side. At TAC level in 2017 however he took his game to a whole new level as he went from playing at half back into a midfield role. In the midfield for the Rebels Berry averaged 17 disposals, four tackles, four clearances and won 49% possessions in contested situations. Thomas’ best trait is his attack on the football. When the ball is up for grabs, Berry is willing to do whatever it takes to not only win it back but stop the opposition from getting an easy clearance. This want for the ball is unmatched by most players his age and makes him a player player’s look to for inspiration as he goes that hard at the football. Another thing that makes Berry a prospect worth tracking is his explosiveness from the midfield. Although Berry isn’t the fastest player around, he does have great acceleration from a stop start. This ability to go from virtually stationary to on the move allows Berry to win clearances and distribute the ball efficiency. One area Thomas will have to improve is his disposal by foot. At this stage Berry isn’t a great kick of the football but this has a lot to do with where he’s kicking the football and the pressure he’s under when getting rid of it. If Berry can clean up his disposal a bit I think Berry could sneak into the first round if everything goes to plan in 2018. Thomas although a different player to his brother is someone worth watching closely in 2018.


Hugo Munn
Sturt/South Australia
Key Forward/Key Defender
Height: 198 cm Weight: 94 kg D.O.B: 3/04/2000

Another player struck down by injury, Hugo Munn is one of the better talls in the draft. Hugo Munn was a surprise selection to many in 2016 when he made the level 1 squad for the AFL Academy after a solid u16s carnival for South Australia. In 2017 he started the year injured and missed the chance to play as a bottom ager for the South Australian side like other fellow AFL Academy members like Lukosius and Rankine. However, when he did debut, he definitely showed why he is rated so highly. In 2017 for Sturt in the u18s he played a combination of forward and defensive roles and was named in the best in five or his eight games, including playing in an u18s premiership. This form was also taken into the u17 All Stars game where he had 13 disposals, three marks, four inside 50’s and a goal in what was a great outcome for the tall. At 198 cm and 94 kg, as you would expect, he is a great contested mark. In 2017 for Sturt he has been one of the most dominant markers in the competition as he uses his 198 cm frame to reach over opponents and his strength to win one-on-one contests. Another thing that will excite clubs is his size and strength at his age. Its very rare you find prospects who already look like men at 18 years of age and Munn is one of those. As of late 2017 he is 198 cm and 94 kg and with another year of growth he could end up being a monster forward or defender at 200+ cm and maybe pushing the 100 kg mark weight wise. If this happens I would expect Munn to potentially play for Sturt in the reserves consistently and could even chip in for a few games at league level for Sturt. Things Munn will need to work on is his mobility and his goal kicking which can at times leave a bit to be desired. These things with a big preseason can be improved and if he can do that I would expect Munn to play as the deepest player in defense where he can play an intercepting role or up forward where he will demand the number one defender each week. Hugo Munn as a tall is as strong as they come and with more development to come in 2018, he could be a steal in 2018.


Dillion O’Reilly
East Fremantle/Western Australia
Key Forward
Height: 193 cm Weight: 79 kg D.O.B: 2/05/2000

Another prospect from WA to watch is almost Fremantle father-son. Dillion O’Reilly, son of Stephen O’Reilly who played 98 games for the Dockers, is a strong marking key forward who made a name for himself this year after a solid u16 campaign for WA in 2016. This year at WAFL colts level Dillion was the dominant forward of the competition as he won the league goal kicking (46 goals including finals) as well as being named centre half forward in the team of the year. And a lack of tall talent for East Fremantle in the league side meant that he became the first ever player born in the 21st century to play WAFL league and the youngest player to play at league level since Sam Petrevski-Seton. At league he kicked 3 goals from his two outings and took nine marks between the two games. Dillion as a key forward is one of the strongest marks in the draft. Dillion just seems to be able to read the ball in flight with ease and uses his body to protect the drop zone. This ability to read the ball and position himself makes O’Reilly one of the hardest forwards to stop as he knows how to work his man over in aerial contests. Another aspect of O’Reilly’s game is his accuracy infront of goal. O’Reilly this year at WAFL colts level kicked at 71% accuracy, a good strike rate for anyone in front of goal. This is due to O’Reilly’s set shot routine which is polished and very fluent. O’Reilly’s knocks at this point is mostly about his height as he would be a tad undersized at 193 cm. This could mean that O’Reilly has to play as a second or third tall at the next level but with a proven track record this should phase clubs to much. Dillion O’Reilly is a key forward who ticks a lot of boxes and could be one to watch from out west in 2018.


Tom Lewis
Sturt/South Australia
Inside Midfielder
Height: 179 cm Weight: 78 kg D.O.B: 18/02/2000


Although there isn’t much of Tom, he doesn’t mind digging into any contest. Tom Lewis from Sturt has had a great year both club level and in the u17 All Stars game. At club level this year, Tom played at both reserve and u18 level. At u18 level he played mainly in the midfield, impressed as an in and under midfielder averaging 22 disposals, nine tackles and was named in the best in every game including Sturt’s u18 grand final win. At reserves level he wasn’t as prominent but was still a strong performer in his four games. He even got selected to play in the u17 All Stars game where he collected 19 possessions (10 contested), six tackles and four clearances. Tom Lewis’ best trait is his leadership. Tom Lewis has captained several rep sides including the SA u16’s team and would be expected to be in a leadership role for his state side this year. This experience and the way he plays his football make him a player player’s want to play for and someone who can step up in big moments. Another skill Tom has is his contested ball winning. This year at SANFL u18s level he won 53% of his possessions in contested situations. This is due to Lewis’ want to win the football in the contest and separates him for the majority of his peers. The only knock I have on Lewis currently is his height which may drop him down the rankings a tad. Tom Lewis’ mix of leadership, hardness and ball winning make him a strong midfield prospect and someone who could be a surprise packet in 2018.

Good to see Hugo Munn play his first league game on Monday

 

[Turbocat]

There's footage of him in sturts u18 grand final. I'll edit a highlights video of him over the next few days

Any luck with the Vids for Hugo Munn... your overview make him worthy of observation... and in DraftCentral ... the AFL Ac game ...
https:// www.afl draft central.com.au/2018/04/07/scouting-notes-afl-academy-vs-north-melbourne/
If he willing to have a go at Preuss then he is not shy...

 

[eagles rule]

Reserved


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[Ysaye]

Grundog49 - you always go so early with these lists and I am always intrigued with how they all end up by draft time, and then following. On first glance this year you had a very high strike rate of players that actually went with; there are a few ones that didn't make it to being drafted and a few bolters that were always gojng to be hard to see, but you been puttjng an excellent guiding point for many years.