Expansion Giants Debut First Western Suburbs Academy Graduate

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Shameless bragging but I think our club takes a huge step in the right direction with a local Campbelltown junior debuting on Saturday. One day I hope our team core will be Western Suburbs and ACT juniors, but we have to start somewhere.

• PLAYER BIO
• STATS
• HISTORY

AT A GLANCE
Junior Clubs: -
Debut: -
Drafted from: St George (NSW)/NSW-A
Community Ambassador: Camden Cats JFC



PLAYER BIO
Nick Shipley became the first graduate of the GIANTS Academy in Western Sydney to join the club when he was selected with pick 64 in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft. Hailing from Campbelltown, Shipley is a tall, strong midfielder and a contested ball-winner. Shipley excels at stoppages, has good vision and clean hands with terrific work-rate. As well as being part of the Academy, Shipley also played with the club’s Reserves side in the NEAFL during his underage years.

SEASON PREVIEW
2018 2018
The GIANTfirstrst homegrown GIANTS Academy product found his feet in the NEAFL last year and finished the season with some solid displays at representative level. An inside midfielder with a strong work ethic, the former soccer player will only get better being in an elite environment on a full-time basis.

 

[NoobPie]

Shameless bragging but I think our club takes a huge step in the right direction with a local Campbelltown junior debuting on Saturday. One day I hope our team core will be Western Suburbs and ACT juniors, but we have to start somewhere.

• PLAYER BIO
• STATS
• HISTORY

AT A GLANCE
Junior Clubs: -
Debut: -
Drafted from: St George (NSW)/NSW-A
Community Ambassador: Camden Cats JFC



PLAYER BIO
Nick Shipley became the first graduate of the GIANTS Academy in Western Sydney to join the club when he was selected with pick 64 in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft. Hailing from Campbelltown, Shipley is a tall, strong midfielder and a contested ball-winner. Shipley excels at stoppages, has good vision and clean hands with terrific work-rate. As well as being part of the Academy, Shipley also played with the club’s Reserves side in the NEAFL during his underage years.

SEASON PREVIEW
2018 2018
The GIANTfirstrst homegrown GIANTS Academy product found his feet in the NEAFL last year and finished the season with some solid displays at representative level. An inside midfielder with a strong work ethic, the former soccer player will only get better being in an elite environment on a full-time basis.

Good stuff......though I doubt your core will ever be fully made up of western sydney and canberra players because, academies aside, the national draft will always necessitate a nationally sourced list

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Good stuff......though I doubt your core will ever be fully made up of western sydney and canberra players because, academies aside, the national draft will always necessitate a nationally sourced list

Yeah
I am a bit pumped right now. I do hope our list will have a constant feed of local juniors through the academy pathway th8ugh.

 

[PhatBoy]

I don’t dislike the Giants and they have a satellite team here in Bathurst, before they even existed as an actual afl team, Sheeds came out here and I did an interview with him about what they hoped to achieve. They’ve been pretty committed with their junior programs and Auskick, they are doing a lot more for overall NSW growth of the game than the swans ever did.

 

[Snookers]

I don’t dislike the Giants and they have a satellite team here in Bathurst, before they even existed as an actual afl team, Sheeds came out here and I did an interview with him about what they hoped to achieve. They’ve been pretty committed with their junior programs and Auskick, they are doing a lot more for overall NSW growth of the game than the swans ever did.

Sounds like proaganda to me. Are you Demetriou?

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Sounds like proaganda to me. Are you Demetriou?

Now now not everyone gets sarcasm.

 

[Snookers]

I’m a 34-year-old fat c*** that wears a Telstra headset all day.

Better than being a 34 year old fat c*** that wears a stack hat.

 

[RupieDupie]

Shameless bragging but I think our club takes a huge step in the right direction with a local Campbelltown junior debuting on Saturday. One day I hope our team core will be Western Suburbs and ACT juniors, but we have to start somewhere.

• PLAYER BIO
• STATS
• HISTORY

AT A GLANCE
Junior Clubs: -
Debut: -
Drafted from: St George (NSW)/NSW-A
Community Ambassador: Camden Cats JFC



PLAYER BIO
Nick Shipley became the first graduate of the GIANTS Academy in Western Sydney to join the club when he was selected with pick 64 in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft. Hailing from Campbelltown, Shipley is a tall, strong midfielder and a contested ball-winner. Shipley excels at stoppages, has good vision and clean hands with terrific work-rate. As well as being part of the Academy, Shipley also played with the club’s Reserves side in the NEAFL during his underage years.

SEASON PREVIEW
2018 2018
The GIANTfirstrst homegrown GIANTS Academy product found his feet in the NEAFL last year and finished the season with some solid displays at representative level. An inside midfielder with a strong work ethic, the former soccer player will only get better being in an elite environment on a full-time basis.

Shipley also didn’t mind utilising a DustyMartinTM Don’t Argue at the expense of a Collingwood player in the JLT Community Series.

I’ve hung around Queen Street Campbelltown before so can see where this skill will come in handy.

 

[Snookers]

Shipley also didn’t mind utilising a DustyMartinTM Don’t Argue at the expense of a Collingwood player in the JLT Community Series.

I’ve hung around Queen Street Campbelltown before so can see where this skill will come in handy.

209?

 

[TheSunGod]

Kid looks a player from what I’ve seen. Good signs if this is the standard the Giants Academy is pushing out.

 

[RupieDupie]

209?

Nah, I just drove down there once or twice and I think I went into a chemist on another occasion, but someone told me it used to be such a nice place but is now a bit overrun, to be quite honest everything looked fine to me. But I didn’t want this to get in the way of a good story.

What’s 209 like?

 

[citizen-erased]

Looked decent in the JLT.
Well done to the kid, and good luck.

 

[Gigantic]

Has made huge strides in the last couple years. Very excited to see him play.

 

[exxcessivve]

 

[Wayne Swan]

I don’t dislike the Giants and they have a satellite team here in Bathurst, before they even existed as an actual afl team, Sheeds came out here and I did an interview with him about what they hoped to achieve. They’ve been pretty committed with their junior programs and Auskick, they are doing a lot more for overall NSW growth of the game than the swans ever did.

Stupid comment, GWS are doing this as part of their academy program, the Swans are doing the same or more in their academy zones and have been for ten years.

Prior to the academies being created, it was the AFL's role to promote junior football in NSW, not the Swans role!

Good to see a western Sydney player finally make the grade. It will be a long tough grind out there to produce AFL players.

 

[Cicatriz]

I don’t dislike the Giants and they have a satellite team here in Bathurst, before they even existed as an actual afl team, Sheeds came out here and I did an interview with him about what they hoped to achieve. They’ve been pretty committed with their junior programs and Auskick, they are doing a lot more for overall NSW growth of the game than the swans ever did.

I disagree.
I came through the Swans development system back in the early 90s. If you weren't up there, you really couldn't understand how hard it was in Sydney for AFL. They grew the game as much as they could and the Giants wouldn't have stood a chance if it wasn't for the Swans.

 

[PhatBoy]

I disagree.
I came through the Swans development system back in the early 90s. If you weren't up there, you really couldn't understand how hard it was in Sydney for AFL. They grew the game as much as they could and the Giants wouldn't have stood a chance if it wasn't for the Swans.

Were you in Sydney?

There’s your answer.

Of course the swans broke ground and flew the flag. But they’ve never in my adult life made any incursion beyond the mountains that I can think of. I know they drew a fair bit of talent from the Riverina from a time but that didn’t develop the game there, it was already developed.

 

[PhatBoy]

Stupid comment, GWS are doing this as part of their academy program, the Swans are doing the same or more in their academy zones and have been for ten years.

Prior to the academies being created, it was the AFL's role to promote junior football in NSW, not the Swans role!

Good to see a western Sydney player finally make the grade. It will be a long tough grind out there to produce AFL players.

Yeah sorry but sending coaches to teach my kid and his year 3 classmates about the game, which isn’t hard to do, is a damn sight more than what the swans managed to do. It isn’t hard and it grows the game. I don’t give a f*** about the motive behind it, if they’re doing it, I’m impressed.

 

[Cicatriz]

Were you in Sydney?

There’s your answer.

Of course the swans broke ground and flew the flag. But they’ve never in my adult life made any incursion beyond the mountains that I can think of. I know they drew a fair bit of talent from the Riverina from a time but that didn’t develop the game there, it was already developed.

I was in Sydney. What I'm saying is they grew the game from zero to (call it) 50. The Giants (and the Swans) are now growing the game from 50 to 80.
They were dim, dark days in the 80s and 90s. My mates and I could literally play a game of footy behind the goal at the SCG. After Williams/ Healy and before Lockett, they were getting 4-6k to a game.

Well done to the Giants though. It sounds like they are having a fair crack.

 

[PhatBoy]

I was in Sydney. What I'm saying is they grew the game from zero to (call it) 50. The Giants (and the Swans) are now growing the game from 50 to 80.
They were dim, dark days in the 80s and 90s. My mates and I could literally play a game of footy behind the goal at the SCG. After Williams/ Healy and before Lockett, they were getting 4-6k to a game.

Well done to the Giants though. It sounds like they are having a fair crack.

Look that’s fair enough, but it seemed from a country perspective that once the swans had a firm enough foothold - so post-plugger I don’t think they were ever going to drop off the radar - it seemed like they didn’t try and go beyond what they’d already done. I can remember how s**t things were in the early 90s, most of the games shown up here were swans matches and it was pathetic to see the crowds. They won the city over and fair play. But there was a whole state that would have been even more onboard with a bit of an extra push.

Without the swans there’d be no giants obviously, and there’d be no Australian rules culture in Sydney at all. But they’ve seen an opportunity to push the game a lot further and I’m pretty impressed by how they’re doing it.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Are we supposed to be celebrating this disgraceful distortion of the so called "level playing field"?

Haha
If you read the OP he was taken with pick 65, it was us or soccer. Anothernoticeable graduate Finlayson was taken with pick 85 after a two year scholarship was given. Followed by 4 years development on our list to become an overnight sensation. Again us or no-one

 

[Ichabod Noodle]

But they’ve never in my adult life made any incursion beyond the mountains that I can think of.

Mountains? What are these mountains you speak of. The Swans never made an incursion beyond Glebe, let alone the mountains. Furthest west they ever got was about Petersham.

Telling point in that video posted above (and pivotal in Nick’s life) was the line “The Giants came to my school....”

 

[Ichabod Noodle]

Are we supposed to be celebrating this disgraceful distortion of the so called "level playing field"?

Field is not level. Never has been. Tilted so far towards Victoria that it’s been a disgrace for over a century.

Distortion?

Not even close.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Look that’s fair enough, but it seemed from a country perspective that once the swans had a firm enough foothold - so post-plugger I don’t think they were ever going to drop off the radar - it seemed like they didn’t try and go beyond what they’d already done. I can remember how s**t things were in the early 90s, most of the games shown up here were swans matches and it was pathetic to see the crowds. They won the city over and fair play. But there was a whole state that would have been even more onboard with a bit of an extra push.

Without the swans there’d be no giants obviously, and there’d be no Australian rules culture in Sydney at all. But they’ve seen an opportunity to push the game a lot further and I’m pretty impressed by how they’re doing it.

I think it's fair to say our focus is on junior development. I was neglectful in the OP and should have addressed the whole of our zone. We have two players on our list in Cumming and Tiziani from my hometown and that makes me immensely happy.

It is traditional AFL territory but the traditional pathway was SANFL scholarships and leaving home at a very young age for a select few. Cumming was able to stay home and grow up normally until he was drafted, with trips to Sydney to train and play NEAFL etc.

I guess the thing about Western Sydney talent is it's a very direct link to our plan to grow memberships through juniors and their families. Most won't make our list, but it's important there's a pathway. They can be converted to the game though. This goes for girls and boys and is why we were keen for a women's side.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

I am not falling for this stunt that you utilise to water down this alarming discrepancy.

You have made this thread about the GWS academy, the inequitable rules that undermine the integrity of the draft still exist, and GWS still had the power to take any of these players over and above other clubs if they wished to do so.

It must be stopped.

Chew on your liver if you wish, it will happen anyway.