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Academy Watch

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xplo said:
That GWS story by Landsberg and Clark is at best, lazy, at worst, willful misrepresentation.

They have the nut of a reasonable argument in there. I don't think many of those Riverina kids are in any more danger of being lured to Rugby or Soccer than any kid in Launceston or Dandenong or Rockbank. It's an AFL area. Whether GWS have made a difference in that area is worthy to debate.

But blurring in GWS's draft concessions using pictures of Shiel and Cameron and mentioning Crouch, Hogan and O'Meara is crap. They were one-off start-up measure with no relevance whatsoever to the Academy system and shouldn't ever be bracketed together in the argument.

It's like a boy tantrumming at a younger siblings' birthday party because he didn't get any gifts.

But any knucklehead reading the headline 'Controversial GWS Academy System' and seeing photos of Dylan Shiel, Cameron, Treloar and Taylor Adams will take it as read that they are Academy 'free kicks' and grossly unfair on the rest of the competition.
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Yeah the coverage in the HUN today was disgusting. Not even any attempt to hide what's a clear agenda. Shameful
 

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Man this is way too good - http://titusoreily.com/un-security-council-meet-gws-giants/

UN Security Council to meet over GWS Giants

Proclaiming the rise of the Greater Western Sydney Giants as ‘the greatest threat to the stability of the globe,’ United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called an emergency session of the UN Security Council.

“Greater Western Sydney’s academy zone must be curtailed, this is not the time for appeasement,” said Ban.

“The AFL star factory that is the Riverina, belongs to the entire world, not one club. The plight of Victorian teams as a result of the current zones is a humanitarian crisis on the grandest scale.

“The world cannot stand idly by while some of the the planet’s most downtrodden, poor, tattooed people, Collingwood supporters, are crushed under the boot heel of equalisation.”

On the streets of Western Sydney, news of the United Nations emergency meeting has been met with surprise.

“We have an AFL club?” said local Alyssa Renzi.

“Do you mean the Swans? I think you mean the Swans.”

Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations Motohide Yoshikawa said the AFL’s ‘social engineering’ was out of hand and need to be significantly curbed.

“Japan calls for the immediate scrapping of the Giants and Suns and a longer term plan for winding up the Crows, Eagles, Lions, Power, Swans and Dockers. We do however support a team in Tasmania.”

The UN has ruled out sending peacekeepers into Western Sydney due to it being ‘simply too dangerous’.
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Team for first week of the champs is out:
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Think I've got a leave pass for the day, so will try and keep an eye on Watson, Rolls, Ballenden and Allison.
 
AFL.com has posted their div.2 'players to watch' for the carnival. Adrian Fletcher wrote up some snippets on the Queensland players to watch. He only mentioned to that we have academy access to:

Jacob Allison
194cm/79kg
16/4/98
Midfielder
Aspley/Brisbane Lions academy
"Jacob's had an interrupted pre-season but is starting to find his feet now. He's already shown plenty as a 17-year-old and we think he's a very good player. Because of his size he can play nearly anywhere – as an inside or outside midfielder or back or forward. He's a long kick and very good overhead. We'll give him opportunities as an inside midfielder at the championships."
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Connor Ballenden
198cm/95kg
29/3/99
Key forward
University of Queensland/Brisbane Lions academy
"I love tall guys who can jump into a pack and take a mark cleanly, and that's what Connor does. He doesn't double grab anything and he kicks the ball really well. He needs to keep improving his work rate, but he's already shown plenty of exciting things. He stamped himself as a big, key forward in a trial game against Vic Country earlier this year."
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I think this was the first I've heard of it, but apparently Allison had an interrupted pre-season. I guess that might explain his relatively quiet year to date.
 

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Cockliff38 said:
So QLD lost to NSW 114 to 67. Limited info available but Bowes and Marsden had 21 touches each for QLD.

GWS academy product Mutch had 31 touches for NSW
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Source for the above:


Bowes looked pretty good, Scheer had some moments especially in the first half and especially up forward as well. Didn't really notice Marsden.

Allison was quiet most of the game but when he has the ball and space he's a sight to behold - great long kick. He can wilt under pressure though.

Rolls was definitely a highlight. Very clean possession and a fair bit of dash, and seemed to get quite a bit of the ball in the second half when he moved into the middle. Nice aggression too.

Watson took a few good marks but struggled against Marshall and Sproule in the last. He got a knee knock early on so I was speculating that it might have hampered him - Marshall was easily finding space and marking on the lead in the end, despite not looking like much early on. People will look at Marshall's stat line and bump him up their draft orders but I'm not really convinced just yet. Sproule looked pretty ordinary.

Williams was very good, a few eye-catching highlights.

Ballenden was well held by Macreadie. Saw one great pick-up off his toes and one mark where he was too strong and tall for his smaller opponent, but that was about it.

Mutch was probably best on field - got the ball and generally used it well, which was the exception for most of the game (a lot of up and under kicks and handballs that were easily spoiled/intercepted by both teams).
 

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Queensland was well led by its captain Jack Bowes, who was poised when in possession through the middle with his 21 disposals and one goal.

Brad Scheer's contested ball-winning ability was on display with 18 touches, seven tackles and two goals, using his strength overhead in the midfield and up forward to great effect.

Jack Rolls moved from half-back into the midfield in the second half and showed off his pace with 16 touches, while fellow speedster Josh Williams opened up the game on the wing.

Tall defender Declan Watson was kept busy and was also named among his side's best-performed players.
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http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-05-08/gws-academy-prospect-kobe-mutch-impresses-in-big-win
 
Obviously very early days, but at the moment I'm getting the sense that Watson, Rolls & Allison are the only potential senior list draftees from the academy this year? And that it currently would sit something like:

Allison: Pick 15-25
Rolls: Pick 40-50
Watson: Pick 60-70

For those more in tune than I am (which is most on here), would that be around the mark at the moment? Expecting they'll all rise as the year goes on though.
 
PattyKwasagun said:
Obviously very early days, but at the moment I'm getting the sense that Watson, Rolls & Allison are the only potential senior list draftees from the academy this year? And that it currently would sit something like:

Allison: Pick 15-25
Rolls: Pick 40-50
Watson: Pick 60-70

For those more in tune than I am (which is most on here), would that be around the mark at the moment? Expecting they'll all rise as the year goes on though.
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Gut feel:

- Allison slides from his pre-year "top 5" rating to somewhere between 10-25.
- Rolls comes up to around the 20-30 depending on how he keeps up his Round 1 form.
- Hard to get a gauge on KPDs in their draft year, but Watson could be anywhere from 30+ though more likely 40+.

Mason, O'Sullivan and Dadds were all out there on the weekend but spanned the spectrum from quiet to ok, Mason probably the best of them.
 
dlanod said:
Gut feel:

- Allison slides from his pre-year "top 5" rating to somewhere between 10-25.
- Rolls comes up to around the 20-30 depending on how he keeps up his Round 1 form.
- Hard to get a gauge on KPDs in their draft year, but Watson could be anywhere from 30+ though more likely 40+.

Mason, O'Sullivan and Dadds were all out there on the weekend but spanned the spectrum from quiet to ok, Mason probably the best of them.
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Yeah Mason could be the Hipwood-type bolter. Admittedly they play different positions but from memory Hipwood wasn't highly rated until his final year of 18s
 
I went to the game yesterday. Tried to keep an eye on the Lions academy players mostly but it was a pretty hard game to follow. Lots of smoke and there tended to be a lot of bodies around the ball which makes it hard to follow from the sideline. I didn't think it was a great game and generally the skills were not as good as I expected. The defensive effort for the first half was very good from both teams and for NSW all game. It was only the accuracy in front of goal which separated the teams for the first three quarters and overall it was pretty tight.


The Qld team I think suffered from not getting to space enough and when they delivered it into 50 it was invariably long and high and it gave the NSW players too much opportunity to spoil. The delivery into 50 seemed a deliberate tactic. Hopefully they change things for future matches.


I have to say though coming out of the game I think the Allies team this year is going to be stacked. There is a lot of top end talent in the Qld and NSW teams and there will be some draftable guys who are not picked in the teams.


Lions Academy


Dennis - probably the best ruck in the ruck contest itself. Got a few nice taps away. He was injured in the second half and didn't play any of the last quarter which necessitated some changes to the structure which negatively impacted the play. There were some very draftable ruck talent out there and I thought Dennis did as well as any of them. He has continued to improve and whilst he still has a fair way to go the rate of improvement over the last year could make him draftable. He is more physical now and his kicking is improving.

Allison - I hardly noticed him in the first half but got more involved in the third. He played onball and up forward and did okay but I do not see him ending up as an inside mid. His hands are not quick or clean enough. He fumbles too much and takes too long to get it away. He also does not have a great feel for where to go to get the ball. He is at his best on the outside in space. He kicked one nice goal from a good mark which he then slotted from outside 50 after playing on quickly and he created another after a good run along the win and a delivery long to hit a guy in stride over the back of the tall forward. This game where there was not much space did not suit him. I think he might have been read the riot act at half time as he certainly was more involved in the second half. He came over the top of a few ruck contests and generally looked to involve himself more. Physically he needs to improve the strength in his body more and he was not particularly strong in the air in this game.

Rolls - had a very good game I think all up. He played in defence a lot of the first half and onball mostly in the second. His onball work in this game was the best I have seen from him. He gets in and under pretty well and although he needs work on collecting it and getting it away there is a bit to work with. He is pretty physical and he picked up quite a few tackles in tight. He is not tall but neither is he short and he seems to have put on a bit of muscle over the last year. He seems to also have added some length to his kicks and I still rate him as close to the best kick in this draft. If you give him space he will hit a target and his delivery into 50 is great. He did not get a lot of space today but when he did he made things happen. He changed numbers at half time from 6 to 5 if anyone is watching the vision. If he continues like this I can see him rising up draft boards over the year.

Declan Watson - had a fantastic first half on the big name NSW forwards. He was quick and read the ball superbly in the air. He beat the likes of Marshall and Sproule time and again just by reading it better and reacting quicker. He also took the kick-ins and hit targets well. He copped a knee knock along the way though and really struggled in the second half. In the last he was seriously hobbling and that is when the NSW forwards got their goals. McCreadie played in this game and although McCreadie did a nice job on Ballenden I thought Watson looked the better prospect. McCreadie is getting top 10 talk. Watson looked to read the ball better and was a lot better with the ball.

Himmelberg - played mostly at the back today and did a really nice job as well. Where Watson was playing looser and was marking it, Himmelberg was playing closer and was punching from behind mostly. He got caught a couple of times but overall he went step for step with his opponent and was a real presence at the back. He judged the play well and looked pretty comfortable. He has very nice height, long arms and a good jump. Going forward he was involved in the chains and his disposal skills were neat. He hit his targets and generally did not try and go for too much. For some reason with Watson hobbled in the last they moved him forward and this was the stage that the NSW forwards got off the leash. Given Himmelberg is available to all teams I think he will be generating a bit of interest and it would not surprise me if he was in second round consideration.

Ballenden – He was well held by McCreadie and got outbodied a few times and was generally not leading as strongly as I have seen. He did pick up one nice mark inside 50 but overall he was not terribly effective. It is probably appropriate to mention though that the delivery was not particularly good. The game plan seemed to be to constantly bomb it onto the heads of the forwards. He rucked in the last with mixed success. He got up really well on a couple of occasions but on others hardly competed. It was similar with his defensive work. He had one great long chase in the forward 50 but too often he was jogging around. I think the effort levels from Ballenden need to go up. He moves better than I think most expect and he looks to have decent pace for a big guy but he needs to work harder. The talent is certainly there though.


Dadds – after I talked him up after the Aspley game I was expecting a fair bit from him. That did not eventuate and I hardly sited him all game. Very quiet.


Mason – played as a medium forward and had his moments in the game. He was probably the pick of the small / medium forwards for Qld and did some nice things. Fairly strong for his height and took a couple of good marks. He also delivered a couple of nice passes into 50 from memory. There is a bit to work with there and if he has a strong Div 2 Champs he might be a chance to be selected in the Allies squad. From there you never know.


Perry Warren – I didn’t really have him pegged until the second half after which I kept an eye out for him. He is a hard charging, hard jumping type who can make things happen. He created one goal with a nice collect after charging in from outside the square at a centre bounce but for the most part things did not quite click for him on the day. He was around it a bit and flew for a couple of big marks but the ball did not quite fall for him. There is a bit about him though.


Gold Coast Academy


Shawn Watson - was probably the pick of the two big forwards fro Qld. He started really strongly with a couple of first quarter shots including one goal off a really nice lead and mark. He looks like he has a great set of hands. He is a strong bodied KP who does not mind throwing himself about and he can clear the way for others even when he doesn’t get it himself. He did not get involved much in the second half and I would have liked to see more hard leading. It could have been at that stage he realised that his mids were just going to bomb it in long and so he was sticking at home. Overall the mids did not help the leading forwards too much with their delivery. This was my first good look at Watson and there is a fair bit to work with and he could easily end up as a very nice complement for Lynch.


Crossley - crash and bash bottom aged ruck who got in and mixed it up. Rucking needs some work but he did put in around the ground and did some nice things. Was close to the best of the rucks around the ground. Opponents knew when he was around and he is going to be a beast when he finishes developing. He could end up being a Mumford style ruck at AFL level which I am sure would please some of the GC mids looking for a bit more physical help in the middle.

Bowes - was close to BOG in the first half. Won clearances and did well enough clearing the contest. He read the ball off the rucks hands pretty well and positioned himself to receive it nicely. He was at his best though when he got it in space. He has some class about him and his vision is very good. He is one of those guys who seems to have that bit more time than others and can move through traffic with ease. He rested forward and was dangerous when he did so. He was quieter in the second half and I would have liked to see him work harder on his spread as that is when he can do the most damage. He did go on a couple of runs and showed some real zip when he put in.

Scheer - for the total game I would probably have had Scheer as my best for Qld. He started slowly but kept working all game and stood up when needed. He is a strong bodied mid who gives his team a real physical presence in the middle. He holds his feet well and reads the ball off hands nicely (probably not elite) and he gets to where he needs to go. He reminds me quite a bit of Armitage and that is what the GC can expect from him I think at AFL level. He did some nice things forward of the ball as well which was also encouraging.

Williams - played out on a wing and was classy when he got it. He is pretty outside though and did go missing for periods of time. He is a thin guy who plays with the flair often associated with indigenous players (he is not indigenous as far as I am aware). He moves through traffic well and times his arrival at space well. He is another who could have worked to spread harder but there is a bit to work with with Williams. Should make the Allies squad and is draftable.


Kempe – his lack of size really hurts him but he put in particularly in the second half when a lot of his teammates were dropping off. He is a small forward and he works hard up onto the wings. I am not sure he has the class to be picked to play at AFL level but the kid worked very hard yesterday and he did well.


Charlesworth – tallish half forward who was in and out of the game. He did some nice things but also had his share of brain fades. Overall I think he was okay but nothing more than that.
 

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