U18 Div 2 Championships

[barracuda]

I think the above is drawing a very long bow. Hayward has only just graduated from the underage competitions and he can't be expected to know much yet about forward line set ups in any AFL side. I think it is more relevant that he spent very little of the pre-season partaking in drills and game simulations with the main squad, focussing instead on running to build up his endurance. It's hardly surprising that he's got a lot to learn about how the team structures up, but that would be the case regardless of the club he played for.

No worries Liz, I agree. I was just using Will as an example of the Swan's requirement to play to their structures.

[liz]

No worries Liz, I agree. I was just using Will as an example of the Swan's requirement to play to their structures.

My comment wasn't a response to yours (which I didn't disagree with in the slightest). It was a response to the suggestion that Hayward's challenges in knowing where to run were due to the Swans being an overly defensive team.

[Pmcc2911]

Has anyone seen the team for the first academy game?

[barracuda]

Has anyone seen the team for the first academy game?

Yes,

L. Robertson
M. Carroll
C Flanagan
L Maze
J Osborne
S Wicks
N Eynaud
J Shumack
C Loone
P Tegg
B Stewart
N Blakey
J Stern
L Skrivanic
J Reinhard
J Hardman
D Smith
M Rogers
B Norton
J Bell
J Brown
A Kinash

[Mug Punter]

Yes,

L. Robertson
M. Carroll
C Flanagan
L Maze
J Osborne
S Wicks
N Eynaud
J Shumack
C Loone
P Tegg
B Stewart
N Blakey
J Stern
L Skrivanic
J Reinhard
J Hardman
D Smith
M Rogers
B Norton
J Bell
J Brown
A Kinash

Is Liam Maze an U18? (he must be).

He is a beast of an U18 year old player and I thought he played very well in the intraclub with very strong hands

Do you think he is of draft quality? Any others to watch?

[liz]

A handful of that team comes from the U19 ADS. Maze is one, I think, and Brown is another.

[Pmcc2911]

Thanks 'cuda

[barracuda]

Is Liam Maze an U18? (he must be).

He is a beast of an U18 year old player and I thought he played very well in the intraclub with very strong hands

Do you think he is of draft quality? Any others to watch?

Hi, Maze, Osborne, Robertson and Brown are the 19 year olds

Here is a little summary I put together to the best of my recollection:

L. Robertson: NDS 19 year old
M. Carroll: Pennant Hills, around 190cm, key defender, very good intercept mark
C Flanagan: 17 year old
L Maze: NDS 19 year old ruckman
J Osborne: Manly Wolves: Under 19 NDS 180cm solid midfielder, very good basketballer,elite endurance runner
S Wicks: Manly Wolves: 180cm joel selwood type, very clean quick hands and elite agility
N Eynaud: Pennant Hills: 176cm, very strongly built, good leader and quarterback type player, similar to a sam mitchell
J Shumack: Northshore bombers: 182cm, incredibly fit and strong physique, great work ethic and commitment. Like zeibal from North Melbourne
C Loone: Under 17 recently moved to North shore bombers: about 190cm. Looks like daniel talia
P Tegg: St george: about 174cm. Elite middle distance runner, very quick and agile
B Stewart: East Coast Eagles: 182cm, Elite middle distance runner, huge tank, great attack on the ball
N Blakey: Gun
J Stern: pennant Hills: 177cm An agile player who is starting to develop nicely. Good small forward
L Skrivanic: Pennant Hills: 184cm: Talented player who has had some injury challenges
J Reinhard: UNSW: 190cm: Good ground skills for a big guy, and can really make a difference in a game
J Hardman: UNSW 175cm :Exceptionally quick, Was more outside but is now developing into a tough contested player: Potential draft
D Smith Under 17
M Rogers Manly Wolves: 190cm, recently moved from Adelaide. Very good intercept and contested mark, The son of Andrew Rogers who played for Geelong in the 80s and West Torrens
B Norton: I think North Shore. 182cm Athletic competitor with quick clean hands
J Bell: 185cm: Fast, clean mover with a strong body. Potential draft
J Brown Under 19 NDS 183cm, very fit, elite middle distance runner, lots of NEAFL experience, potential draft
A Kinash: North Shore 185cm, big strong blond guy, growing bigger everyday

[Ludwig]

Thanks barra. Great summary. I thought Bell and Brown played well in the Neafl games last year. I haven't seen Maze, but Mug Punter really likes him.

We might have 4 draftable academy players this year, but none are likely to get high bids, if at all: Maze, Hardman, Bell and Brown. A strategy for this year's draft might be to see if we can swap our first round pick this year for a first rounder in 2018. It seems this year's draft is strong with good KPPs, but the best will be gone by the time our turn comes round. We have a lot of young players on our list now that need to get game time and we don't need another gun coming to the club challenging for a spot next year.

If Maze really does look a promising ruckman and Sinclair ends the season 4th in line, I would look to trade him and let Maze take his place in the queue.

[liz]

Thanks Barracuda. It's very generous of you to share those impressions with us. Your description of Blakey amused me - few words required to describe him, I guess.

[YoungGun Tigers]

Former academy player Will Broadbent lines up for Gippsland Power U18's in TAC cup. Makes as a bottom age player.
Fair lump of a lad.

[Mug Punter]

Thanks barra. Great summary. I thought Bell and Brown played well in the Neafl games last year. I haven't seen Maze, but Mug Punter really likes him.

We might have 4 draftable academy players this year, but none are likely to get high bids, if at all: Maze, Hardman, Bell and Brown. A strategy for this year's draft might be to see if we can swap our first round pick this year for a first rounder in 2018. It seems this year's draft is strong with good KPPs, but the best will be gone by the time our turn comes round. We have a lot of young players on our list now that need to get game time and we don't need another gun coming to the club challenging for a spot next year.

If Maze really does look a promising ruckman and Sinclair ends the season 4th in line, I would look to trade him and let Maze take his place in the queue.

The reality is that whilst it is clearly improving the general standard of junior AFL in Sydney is still well below the rest of the country. Not a criticism of the Academy as the gap is closing and quickly, just a statement of fact. It flows through to "elite" local senior football which Victorians usually rate as around the B Grade Ammo mark. And it's also why I get so angry when idiots like McGuire knock the system because we are doing the AFLs development work after they have neglected the area for decades.

Not sure if we will draft any of those kids but let's remember all clubs had a crack at Maze and Brown and they didn't even make a rookie list. I guess they could improve and be a late developer. I do like the look of Maze, yes, but more from the perspective that ruckmen develop later so I would think the rookie list would be his best bet but we can always match any bid of course.

At the moment the Academy has produced a couple of gems in Heeney and Mills who would otherwise have been lost, and for those two it has clearly been worth the investment. But the other graduates (thinking Davis and Hiscox) were very disappointing. It seems like there is very little genuine AFL standard depth and that needs to change. Blakey would have been a star wherever he grew up but clearly the Swans Academy has been good for him and I suspect he may have been off to Boarding School in Victoria had he not had the academy...

I will be very very interested to see how the Allies go up against the big boys in matches that really matter too.

Just a thought though, I wonder if we are taking a linger term view to our development given the extra year (or is it two) we have to call up or match academy products. For kids in other states the draft is really the be-all and end-all for development whereas we seem to take a more holistic approach as indicated by the 'less is more' approach taken this year - as many players take a gap year in the NDS maybe this is their big year not draft year? Any stars will still be picked up but I'll be interested to see how many NDS players get onto the list as 19 year olds