Academy: Gold Coast SUNS Gun Factory

GC2015

Norm Smith Medallist
May 27, 2013
6,521
8,036
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Our undefeated Academy team (which happens to be sitting on top of the NAB League at the moment) heads down to Melbourne this week to face the fourth placed Eastern Ranges. As much as it may hurt us come draft time, it's a good opportunity for our boys to raise their draft stocks. No doubt there will be a fair amount of scouts in attendance to see a top 4 NAB League clash and I expect Budarick's reputation to rise quite a bit after this game. Eastern Ranges don't appear to have much high end talent (at this stage anyway) so I'd like to think our boys will get the W in this one.

For those interested, our academy only plays one more NAB League game after this week against the Greater Western Victoria Rebels in Brisbane. So opportunities for the boys to show their ability in the NAB League is coming to an end next week. At the completion of that game, the boys will go into Allies mode and start preparing for the National Championship three weeks later. I think the model this year is far better in terms of exposure to top level footy for our academy kids because recruiters down south will have more to go on than just the four weeks of National Championships games. This year the recruiters will have more than double the amount of games to base their opinions on and we all know greater exposure should result in better players.

Let's just hope Budarick doesn't rocket his way into top 10 calculations and we're able to use our two first rounders this year on players outside our academy.
 

briztoon

Wannabe Draft Nuffie
Nov 28, 2015
26,156
32,473
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
NUFC, Philadelphia 76'ers
Our undefeated Academy team (which happens to be sitting on top of the NAB League at the moment) heads down to Melbourne this week to face the fourth placed Eastern Ranges. As much as it may hurt us come draft time, it's a good opportunity for our boys to raise their draft stocks. No doubt there will be a fair amount of scouts in attendance to see a top 4 NAB League clash and I expect Budarick's reputation to rise quite a bit after this game. Eastern Ranges don't appear to have much high end talent (at this stage anyway) so I'd like to think our boys will get the W in this one.

For those interested, our academy only plays one more NAB League game after this week against the Greater Western Victoria Rebels in Brisbane. So opportunities for the boys to show their ability in the NAB League is coming to an end next week. At the completion of that game, the boys will go into Allies mode and start preparing for the National Championship three weeks later. I think the model this year is far better in terms of exposure to top level footy for our academy kids because recruiters down south will have more to go on than just the four weeks of National Championships games. This year the recruiters will have more than double the amount of games to base their opinions on and we all know greater exposure should result in better players.

Let's just hope Budarick doesn't rocket his way into top 10 calculations and we're able to use our two first rounders this year on players outside our academy.
The Vic sides are now missing their best players to Private school footy.

I believe you’re pretty safe with your two first round picks.
 

GC2015

Norm Smith Medallist
May 27, 2013
6,521
8,036
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Our academy team plays their first NAB League game in Melbourne today at 1:15pm. Here's the lineup:

5i17Vco.jpg


Would be good to see them continue their undefeated streak.
 

Peel67skin

Norm Smith Medallist
May 21, 2017
8,387
3,941
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Other Teams
Liverpool
Our academy team plays their first NAB League game in Melbourne today at 1:15pm. Here's the lineup:

5i17Vco.jpg


Would be good to see them continue their undefeated streak.
Eastern ranger are killing it 67 to GC 11 with one quarter to go .
 

Gulliver72

Debutant
Apr 7, 2019
79
52
AFL Club
GWS
Was ugly.. I liked max pescud even if he put two rangers boys into the fence and grossly rest were muh
Thought Budarick was ok and Gore did some good things when swung into the middle. The suns were on the wrong end of the free kick count by a fair margin
 

OB11

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 4, 2010
6,706
10,351
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Other Teams
76ers
The academy had a good win today.

Based on the stats Ace had a real good game with 2 goals and 25 touches, Crossley and Budarik looked to have gone ok and Josh Gore with 2 goals.

For next year Davies seems to have been ok and Piscud looked to have had a good game with 4 goals.



On CPH1725 using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Aug 17, 2010
12,794
17,058
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Davies looks good. Also did well for the Australian team against NZ the other week...

https://m.afl.com.au/news/2019-05-07/australian-under17s-get-the-better-of-new-zealand
Another to impress was 189cm midfielder Alex Davies, a 17-year-old from the Cairns Hawks and Gold Coast Suns Academy who's been compared to Scott Pendlebury.
His clean hands and composure with the ball stood out, along with his pace for someone of his size.
Davies, who has prioritised football after having a basketball background, amassed 20 possessions (nine contested), five clearances and four tackles.
 

Peel67skin

Norm Smith Medallist
May 21, 2017
8,387
3,941
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Other Teams
Liverpool
Especially when they follow another club, but their first post is about another clubs academy kid.
I don't like to talk about academy players too highly, Callum mills is so overated now .
 
2019 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships
Queensland players in 50-man Allies squad


Gold Coast SUNS Academy
Paul-Oea Hewago (PNG/Broadbeach)
Connor Buderick (Labrador)
Ashton Crossley (Burleigh/Palm Beach Currumbin)
Alex Davies (Cairns Hawks)
Jack Johnston (Palm Beach Currumbin)
Matt Conroy (Hermit Park Townsville/Broadbeach)
Joshua Gore (Southport/Broadbeach)
Dirk Koenan (Palm Beach Currumbin)
 

GC2015

Norm Smith Medallist
May 27, 2013
6,521
8,036
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Anyone hear about 16 year old small forward Sam Hilton-Joyce kicking 5 goals in his senior QAFL debut for Surfers Paradise last week? He was awarded the Rising Star Nomination for his efforts last week. Despite only being 174cms at the moment, he apparently outmarked his taller opponents on multiple occasions, which is extremely impressive for someone of his age against grown men. He could be one to keep an eye on over the next two years!
 

Soggy72

Rookie
May 6, 2019
20
6
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Anyone hear about 16 year old small forward Sam Hilton-Joyce kicking 5 goals in his senior QAFL debut for Surfers Paradise last week? He was awarded the Rising Star Nomination for his efforts last week. Despite only being 174cms at the moment, he apparently outmarked his taller opponents on multiple occasions, which is extremely impressive for someone of his age against grown men. He could be one to keep an eye on over the next two years!
He can play, did well for southport last year
 

gcsunsfc

Cancelled
Oct 24, 2012
7,619
7,901
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Other Teams
Milwaukee Bucks
Anyone hear about 16 year old small forward Sam Hilton-Joyce kicking 5 goals in his senior QAFL debut for Surfers Paradise last week? He was awarded the Rising Star Nomination for his efforts last week. Despite only being 174cms at the moment, he apparently outmarked his taller opponents on multiple occasions, which is extremely impressive for someone of his age against grown men. He could be one to keep an eye on over the next two years!

Sounds like Dayne tinker zorko Mach 2


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

GC2015

Norm Smith Medallist
May 27, 2013
6,521
8,036
AFL Club
Gold Coast
He can play, did well for southport last year
Sounds like Dayne tinker zorko Mach 2
Hilton-Joyce kicked another two goals yesterday against top of the ladder Palm Beach Currumbin. 7 goals in 2 senior QAFL games is a very impressive return for a 16 year old. There were some familiar names running around in the PBC v Surfers game yesterday. The most notable of which was probably Ashton Crossley.
 

TheSecondComing

Senior List
Oct 13, 2017
195
182
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Patrick Murtagh has joined our academy after a successful few game for us in the NAB league.

As he is 19 he Will only have this year to impress us enough to be listed by the suns before graduating from the academy.

He’s 196cm and very athletic for his size, he come fourth at the state combine for standing virtual leap (81cm)

 

GC2015

Norm Smith Medallist
May 27, 2013
6,521
8,036
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Patrick Murtagh has joined our academy after a successful few game for us in the NAB league.

As he is 19 he Will only have this year to impress us enough to be listed by the suns before graduating from the academy.

He’s 196cm and very athletic for his size, he come fourth at the state combine for standing virtual leap (81cm)


Interesting read. 196cms tall, athletically gifted and a vertical jump of 81cms suggests he could be anything. Wouldn't be surprised to see him lining up as a key forward for our NEAFL team later this season.

Buddy Franklin is also 196cms tall and obviously athletically gifted but I'm not sure if his vertical jump as is impressive as Murtagh's. Anyway, let's hope Patrick can develop into something great! Bonus that he's a former TSS student that can help us infiltrate the union stronghold on talented private schoolboys.
 

gcsunsfc

Cancelled
Oct 24, 2012
7,619
7,901
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Other Teams
Milwaukee Bucks
Interesting read. 196cms tall, athletically gifted and a vertical jump of 81cms suggests he could be anything. Wouldn't be surprised to see him lining up as a key forward for our NEAFL team later this season.

Buddy Franklin is also 196cms tall and obviously athletically gifted but I'm not sure if his vertical jump as is impressive as Murtagh's. Anyway, let's hope Patrick can develop into something great! Bonus that he's a former TSS student that can help us infiltrate the union stronghold on talented private schoolboys.
I'm definitely happy for us to give these kind of guys a go - high variance but potentially high ceiling
A lot of the academy guys are decent natural footballers (Thinking Dawson, Scheer) but limited upside due to athletic limitations
 

GC2015

Norm Smith Medallist
May 27, 2013
6,521
8,036
AFL Club
Gold Coast
I'm definitely happy for us to give these kind of guys a go - high variance but potentially high ceiling
A lot of the academy guys are decent natural footballers (Thinking Dawson, Scheer) but limited upside due to athletic limitations
The comparable player that instantly entered my mind was Kurt Tippett. Latecomer to the game but his athleticism and height allowed him to make leaps and bounds ahead of kids who were definitely better footballers from a skill perspective. You can't teach 200cms (or thereabouts) and you can only improve someone's athleticism so much before they start to max out, BUT you can teach someone how to kick a football, mark the ball etc. It's why clubs are so willing to give these taller/athletic guys multiple years when they really don't deserve it. Joel Wilkinson was a great example of a player who was mostly drafted based on his athletic abilities and the hope was he would eventually improve his skills enough to warrant a spot our list but he never got there unfortunately.

Then we have cross code athletes like Alex Davies who are genuine standouts in football (as well as another sport) and we have to do our best to convince them to join our academy. I wish we had also convinced Tamuri Wigness to join our academy instead of pursuing basketball but you can't win them all.
 
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