Academy Watch

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ludicrous.

The Suns academy ultimately performs better because they have the geographical advantage of having the boys in close proximity all the time, they all train together constantly at an AFL facility on a weekly basis for years with a small group of high quality coaches.

The Lions have Bne North, South, SC, DD, WB and train at crap locations, the coaches are spread thinner so the coaching quality is reduced and the boys are not training with other elite players altogether regularly at an elite facility.

I don't actually even have a solution to this problem, but thats the clear difference.

After all, its proven time and time again in multiple sports - you get better by playing and training with people as good as you or better. Lions acadmey is full of spuds by neccessity, as they have so many zones.
 
Miller1971 said:
Gilder #22
Macaulay #19
Cruice #5
Gillett #23
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Just watched the first half of the game against Tasmania and you're not wrong about Gilder, looks an absolute beauty. Strong, tall and quick, also looks like a smart footballer making good decisions, reading the game well and pulled off some real penetrating kicks either across ground or into the middle.
Gillet looks super mobile for his size and took a couple nice marks, looks like a decent prospect. Liked the look of Macaulay, was clean and made good, quick decisions in the middle. Probably not Cruice's best half of footy, was a bit fumbly and didn't quite hit his targets but still moved well and going off how good the other 3 looked I'll assume he just had a poor half.
 
mattsmob said:
Just watched the first half of the game against Tasmania and you're not wrong about Gilder, looks an absolute beauty. Strong, tall and quick, also looks like a smart footballer making good decisions, reading the game well and pulled off some real penetrating kicks either across ground or into the middle.
Gillet looks super mobile for his size and took a couple nice marks, looks like a decent prospect. Liked the look of Macaulay, was clean and made good, quick decisions in the middle. Probably not Cruice's best half of footy, was a bit fumbly and didn't quite hit his targets but still moved well and going off how good the other 3 looked I'll assume he just had a poor half.
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RMC has Greenaway as our best performer over the first two games. Medium rebounding defender.
 
briztoon said:
RMC has Greenaway as our best performer over the first two games. Medium rebounding defender.
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Yeah I saw that so kept an eye out for him, definitely stood out but I feel like a lot of it was based on effort and hustle work which isn’t a bad thing. More of a Gardiner/Answerth than Darcy Moore who Gilder looked a lot like.
 
Gilder is an athletic specimen. Runs like a midfielder, very good contested mark and elite at reading the flight and taking uncontested intercept marks.

Is a real hot head and a competitor as well. Has some breeding behind him, think his father played 200+ VFA games for Port or Willy and his grandfather is a VFA life member.

Prone to brain snaps, not overly confident and apparently quite an introvert - so some contradictions there. Hope for QLD footy that the academy can polish the diamond a bit, as the kid can play.
 

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briztoon said:
QLD U15 beat VIC U15 today at the national U15 carnival.

No idea how many academy kids in the team, will have to do some research when I have time.
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14 Suns Academy kids in the side, including some very very good ones. (Jie Murray, Dylan Patterson, Kalani White (Jeff White's son), Zeke Uwland )

about 5 Lions kids, none of them particularly great. 2007 not a great year for the Lions catchment, very strong for the Suns. Daniel Annabel probably the pick of the Lions kids.

2006 and 2008, the opposite - Lions v.strong. Suns not so much.
 
Miller1971 said:
14 Suns Academy kids in the side, including some very very good ones. (Jie Murray, Dylan Patterson, Kalani White (Jeff White's son), Zeke Uwland )

about 5 Lions kids, none of them particularly great. 2007 not a great year for the Lions catchment, very strong for the Suns. Daniel Annabel probably the pick of the Lions kids.

2006 and 2008, the opposite - Lions v.strong. Suns not so much.
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~19 academy kids. Where do the rest of the kids come from?

Obviously not in either academy, so parents holding them out, or the academies have failed to “identify” them.
 
Miller1971 said:
geographical advantage
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I have only limited academy knowledge. Am I missing something? You do realize that from geographical point of view Suns academy is dealing with much more complicated situation?

Suns do relocate most talented kids to GC to live with families or bring them from time to time to train and play on GC like just now Johnston from NT who stayed a couple of weeks on GC and trained with AFL team and played 2 VFL games including yesterday vs Lions.

Suns basically restructured the whole academy program last off-season including new staff, trainers.

Once Springfield base is finished Lions should be in good shape.
 
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Jirik13 said:
I have only limited academy knowledge. Am I missing something? You do realize that from geographical point of view Suns academy is dealing with much more complicated situation?

Suns do relocate most talented kids to GC to live with families or bring them from time to time to train and play on GC like just now Johnston from NT who stayed a couple of weeks on GC and trained with AFL team and played 2 VFL games including yesterday vs Lions.

Suns basically restructured the whole academy program last off-season including new staff, trainers.

Once Springfield base is finished Lions should be in good shape.
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over 80% of their squad live withing 20 minutes of their permanent central training base and they train together regularly. The best ones from their extended catchment are relocated on the GC to go to school and often part of a strong school based program as well.

The Lions academy have 5 zones in Bris South, Bris North, DD, Wide Bay and Sunny Coast. They don't train together hardly at all.

This is a structural issue that the Lions can't easily solve unless they invest in relocating the best kids, which is probably unlikely. Eg. St Peters has a new campus right near the Springfield base.

The Suns also have an open 'try out' option or session, they don't rely on just some random school carnivals and a bit of hearsay to send out invites to kids that might be good. There is no perfect way to identify talent, but having an open invitation to try outs is a good way to try and capture everyone.
 
briztoon said:
~19 academy kids. Where do the rest of the kids come from?

Obviously not in either academy, so parents holding them out, or the academies have failed to “identify” them.
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probably involved in the academies in some fashion, but due to where they live - might just be sitting it out until they are older.

there are 2 boys from Townsville and 1 from Mackay in the team - they are probably also suns academy in some fashion, so I guess you could say 17 x Suns kids are in the team.

There is a kid called grady Turner who is at Nudgee College on a cricket scholarship, he is from Prosperine - unsure if he's part of either academy, but can obviously play.
 
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QLD finished 2nd in the National u15 Carnival, losing to SA by 8 points.

6 x QLD lads in the All-Australian side, 4 of them from the Lions academy and the Medal for best player at the carnival won by a QLD kid from Sherwood Magpies.

Interestingly, there is another kid not picked in the QLD side (I thought it was a travesty) who I reckon is better than 5 of those 6 kids picked in the AA side, and he is also in the Lions academy and playing better club footy than anyone his age in SEQ.

Lions u16 side also defeated GWS by 100 points yesterday.

Bit of talent in the 06-07 birth years for Lions fans to look forward to
 
Thommo 42 said:
QLD finished 2nd in the National u15 Carnival, losing to SA by 8 points.

6 x QLD lads in the All-Australian side, 4 of them from the Lions academy and the Medal for best player at the carnival won by a QLD kid from Sherwood Magpies.

Interestingly, there is another kid not picked in the QLD side (I thought it was a travesty) who I reckon is better than 5 of those 6 kids picked in the AA side, and he is also in the Lions academy and playing better club footy than anyone his age in SEQ.

Lions u16 side also defeated GWS by 100 points yesterday.

Bit of talent in the 06-07 birth years for Lions fans to look forward to
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I watched the U16 game, and gave a write up in our draft thread.

Do you mind telling us about the Lions academy kids who made the AA team, and the player who missed out on the carnival.
 
Sure.

Kid that missed out is Jack Slater. He is 15, a midfielder that can also play at either end abs has an astonishing work rate, great kick of the footy and innately aggressive. Plays u16 Div 1 for Sherwood, but also plays QAFL Colts and will feature in finals at both levels.

All Australian Lads from Lions Academy.

Daniel Annabel - strong 15 year old midfielder plays out of Vic Point. Finds plenty of contested footy and uses it well. Great clearance player.

Oscar Barry - 15 year old ruckman from Coorparoo. Good in the air, aggressive and a high workrate. Not a huge kid despite being AllAus ruckman, which is a good sign as it means he can actually play and doesn't rely on size. Won best player of QLD State carnival

Jack Harrison - 15 year old midfielder/half forward. Elite footy IQ, great hands, good decision maker and loves the contested stuff. Hits up at the footy beautifully when playing fwd and finds plenty of footy on the ball. Father played 200+ SANFL games and I think was on Crows list, but didn't get a game. Plays at Sherwood.

Harrison Bridge - half back / wing. Still only 14. He won player of the national carnival. Elite penetrating left foot kick, good gooty IQ. He's an outside player, but gets into good positions and can break open a game with his disposal and run from half back. Also plays at Sherwood.
 
I note your comments on Gilder. Also a Sherwood lad, as is Greenbury. Though Greenbury is more a medium sized defender. Gilder is a 6'4 intercept marking weapon who is stupidly athletic, lightening quick and has a good dose of aggression.

Gilder really should be pushing for QAFL senior selection at Sherwood, but this year has opted to only play u16 and academy footy. He does train with the Seniors once a week under Adrian Fletcher though.
 
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