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Thread: U18 Div 2 Championships

  1. #1

    U18 Div 2 Championships

    The new look 6 team Div 2 format (4 Academy teams plus NT and Tasmania) kicks off this Sunday at 1pm at BISP with the Swans Academy taking on GWS.

    Academy: Sights set on GWS - sydneyswans.com.au

    Note the yound Blakey nailed four majors against North Shore seniors and can be seen taking a great overhead pack mark here, love the way he takes the ball out in front with his eyes only for the ball.

    This kid is a top top prospect. If he can play for the Allies as an under-ager that would be impressive and I can see him getting a good taste of senior footy for UNSW-ES and maybe even a couple of NEAFL games towards the end of the year.

    I wonder what the U18 status of the Albury kids is now re the U18 program now they are not eligible for GWS. Do they still play for the GWS in Div 2 or do they feed into Vic Country for U18 rep purposes now ? I would have thought the second would be more logical.

    Unfortunately I cannot make it out there but if anyone can get there and provide some reports that would be great

  2. #2
    The swans team has not yet been released. The GWS team has been released, all the ex GWS players are there except Brander:

    GWS.JPG

  3. #3
    It's a concern for Sydney Football that the North Shore Prem side gets trounced by the academy 1st team 76-18. North Shore are fancied as the Premier League top team. It's fully developed men against 17 and 18 years olds and the men got walloped. I guess the the 17-18 years olds are the best players at that age in the Swans Academy zone. It shows the difference between academy professionalism and amateur football.

    The Academy 2nd team only won against the North Shore reserves 72-62. This shows that the talent drops swiftly away after the top 20 academy players.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Joel Ridge View Post
    It's a concern for Sydney Football that the North Shore Prem side gets trounced by the academy 1st team 76-18. North Shore are fancied as the Premier League top team. It's fully developed men against 17 and 18 years olds and the men got walloped. I guess the the 17-18 years olds are the best players at that age in the Swans Academy zone. It shows the difference between academy professionalism and amateur football.

    The Academy 2nd team only won against the North Shore reserves 72-62. This shows that the talent drops swiftly away after the top 20 academy players.
    Hi Joel,

    I saw the game. It had good intensity, was pretty quick and physical. It didn't feel like it was North Shore's best team, perhaps they were missing the guys who are at sydney uni neafl. When I think about North Shore last year guys like Baron Hay had a big influence.

    The swans team has been intensively training together for a very long time; twice a week for years. The coaches are very involved and the boys are developed by the academy in the gym, on the track and with their home life. The level of preparation is well ahead of the prems clubs which is understandable. The prems clubs are community organisations whereas the swans are a business, and the academy is the talent arm of that business.

    We are all hoping the swans do well this weekend against GWS. The swans are considered to be the underdogs by those making the predictions, but there is no doubt the team will kill itself to win. There is a great deal of genuine respect and loyalty from the players to the academy and the support group. Jarrod Crouch is greatly respected by the players, and they really value the efforts made by the club and smithy to support them over the years.

    This is a very important game for these kids!

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by barracuda View Post
    The swans team has not yet been released. The GWS team has been released, all the ex GWS players are there except Brander:

    GWS.JPG
    Good to see 13 out of 23 there from ACT and Western Sydney, let's hope the Sydney contingent gets to at least 50% within 5 years.

    The GWS Academy catchment area is still a very very good one.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by barracuda View Post
    Hi Joel,

    I saw the game. It had good intensity, was pretty quick and physical. It didn't feel like it was North Shore's best team, perhaps they were missing the guys who are at sydney uni neafl. When I think about North Shore last year guys like Baron Hay had a big influence.

    The swans team has been intensively training together for a very long time; twice a week for years. The coaches are very involved and the boys are developed by the academy in the gym, on the track and with their home life. The level of preparation is well ahead of the prems clubs which is understandable. The prems clubs are community organisations whereas the swans are a business, and the academy is the talent arm of that business.

    We are all hoping the swans do well this weekend against GWS. The swans are considered to be the underdogs by those making the predictions, but there is no doubt the team will kill itself to win. There is a great deal of genuine respect and loyalty from the players to the academy and the support group. Jarrod Crouch is greatly respected by the players, and they really value the efforts made by the club and smithy to support them over the years.

    This is a very important game for these kids!
    How is young Blakey looking Barracuda.

    I had a good look at him through the SFL finals series last season and I must say I was impressed. Big tank for a kid that age, he just ran himself into the ground, sometimes almost literally. A bit of an ungainly running style and he kind of plays small in a way in that he is kind of hunched over but I think that is probably just a young kid growing into an adult body. Good kick, very strong contested mark and seems like a good style of lad.

    Who else are the Swans U18s to keep an eye on? Is the kid from Shellharbour in the squad? (sorry I forget his name but he played NEAFL last year, Bell?)

  7. #7
    - - - Updated - - -

    Hi Mug.

    Can I complement you on how well you understand the big picture of AFL in Sydney and NSW. You want GWS to succeed and grow the game in the Western Suburbs because you want the AFL game to grow and thrive in Sydney. Too many posters on these forums openly say "they don't care about GWS" and settle for the small minded "Swans only matter view" of football.

    I, like you want more kids playing Auskick, more kids in Junior and Youth Football, more AFL goal posts on ovals and more AFL activity in the Western Suburbs.

    Keep up the good work on big picture AFL thinking in Sydney. Your posts are highly respected by me.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Joel Ridge View Post
    - - - Updated - - -

    Hi Mug.

    Can I complement you on how well you understand the big picture of AFL in Sydney and NSW. You want GWS to succeed and grow the game in the Western Suburbs because you want the AFL game to grow and thrive in Sydney. Too many posters on these forums openly say "they don't care about GWS" and settle for the small minded "Swans only matter view" of football.

    I, like you want more kids playing Auskick, more kids in Junior and Youth Football, more AFL goal posts on ovals and more AFL activity in the Western Suburbs.

    Keep up the good work on big picture AFL thinking in Sydney. Your posts are highly respected by me.
    Thanks for the compliment

    Just to clarify, I don't care about GWS!

    I don't particularly like the way they have approached their entry into the Sydney market, with that idiot Sheeds insulting everyone left right and centre, their highly conflicted Chairman and the sense of entitlement they seem to exude as the Head Office Pet. And I think they have shown a lack of real interest in their own backyard, their commitment to the AFLW notwithstanding.

    If they are in a Grand Final, whether I'm ambivalent about whether they win or not will depend on who they play

    But I have moved from being very anti them to conceding that the Sydney pie is perhaps growing and perhaps concede that they can be a force for real good in the game in NSW and Sydney. And if that is the case I'll be glad. I'm still not quite sure if there is enough core support for them here and I do find their support very contrived (not to mention highly @@@@ing annoying) and the matchday experience there is truly nauseating (then again at least you don't have Sweet Caroline"). Judge them in 10 years I guess

    There has been an indisputable benefit in the second team in terms of media in that AFL is in the sports newscycle 24/7 now and that is important. The academy system has been an enormous success but to date but I really think that the Swans have tapped it properly as it was intended in Sydney, GWS need to get their act together here.

  9. #9
    Travelling Swannie!! mcs's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joel Ridge View Post
    - - - Updated - - -

    "they don't care about GWS" and settle for the small minded "Swans only matter view" of football.
    I'd suggest JoelRidge80 that 'they don't care about GWS' is not mutually exclusive to caring about the growth of AFL in NSW. I couldn't give two flying hoots about GWS - but I don't have a 'Swans only matter view' of football either. Like Mug, I'm very happy to see the GWS team made up of plenty of ACT/Western Sydney Boys.

    That doesn't mean however I can't wish for the Giants lose every game this season and finish dead last.
    "You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by mcs View Post
    I'd suggest JoelRidge80 that 'they don't care about GWS' is not mutually exclusive to caring about the growth of AFL in NSW. I couldn't give two flying hoots about GWS - but I don't have a 'Swans only matter view' of football either. Like Mug, I'm very happy to see the GWS team made up of plenty of ACT/Western Sydney Boys.

    That doesn't mean however I can't wish for the Giants lose every game this season and finish dead last.
    Hear, hear to all that. "JoelRidge80" is priceless.

  11. #11
    Veterans List aardvark's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bloods05 View Post
    Hear, hear to all that. "JoelRidge80" is priceless.
    Matt2017.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Mug Punter View Post
    How is young Blakey looking Barracuda.

    I had a good look at him through the SFL finals series last season and I must say I was impressed. Big tank for a kid that age, he just ran himself into the ground, sometimes almost literally. A bit of an ungainly running style and he kind of plays small in a way in that he is kind of hunched over but I think that is probably just a young kid growing into an adult body. Good kick, very strong contested mark and seems like a good style of lad.

    Who else are the Swans U18s to keep an eye on? Is the kid from Shellharbour in the squad? (sorry I forget his name but he played NEAFL last year, Bell?)
    I have seen Nick Blakey a few times recently. I would describe him as a special talent. Now very tall, over 190cm anyway. Clearly not physically filled out at all, so huge upside. Seems completely unflustered when playing but very deliberate and moves with great intent. He had absolutely no problem carving up the North Shore Prems players as 16 year old.

    Very strong overhead up forward, but also can dominate in the midfield. He is close to the best player in the academy already whilst still an underager. He has had the benefit of a dad who is a very good professional coach, but also over the years left him alone to develop.

    The rest of the squad is pretty solid. James Bell is a 186cm indigenous player who is quick, and can play inside and outside. He often has that x factor where he moves through traffic as though it is standing still. Jack Hardman is about 175cm but has electric speed. I think in the recent combine he got some freaky 20m sprint score.

    Of the rest of the squad, they are really solid as you would expect after a full 5 years of Academy training and guidance. Jeremy Schumak, Sam Wicks, Scrivinic, Mike Carroll, Joey Reinhart are probably the next group, but over the course of the year some new ones will emerge. All the players are drilled in the swans methods over years, very professional and very comfortable playing against big bodies.

    Given the Academy did not start with the sort of raw talent GWS has or the footy states have, they have produced some very good footy players. How all that work stacks up will be seen in the Div 2 championships. What ever happens the squad will have a good impact on the local sydney comp in years to come.

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