U18 Championships / U18 Players

[GVGjr]

This bit of footage from YouTube might be if interest to some


U18

[Go_Dogs]

Their again seems to be a lot of good Aboriginal players this year again, a few that I would be keen for the club to look at including Wonaemirri who has been pretty good at league level this year for the Legs and a few others. Little Rioli's efforts will surely have him going to the Dons with their first pick, if not earlier.

[GVGjr]

Went to the footy today but this saves me from doing a summary.

Report from vflfooty.com

WA WINS AFL UNDER 18 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

AFL Under 18 National Championships Report
Reported by Michael Robinson (VFL Footy News)

Western Australia have won their 1st Under 18 National Championship in 8 years after thrashing South Australia by 77 points at Casey Fields today.

This is their 3rd National Championship after winning in 1985 and 1999. They are also the 1st non Victorian side since 1999 to win the title.

In the battle of the Victorian sides, it was even first half with Metro edging out to a 21 point half time lead. The 3rd Quarter was the decisive one as the Metro kicked 7 goals to nil and have a match winning 62 point win at the last change.

The country boys had a good last quarter but Metro boys still ran out comfortable 48 point winners.

Michael Hurley, Scott Simpson and Nick Cattapan were the best for Metro. Ben McEvoy,Nick Suban and Matt Austin best for the Country boys.

VIC METRO 4.3 7.6 14.8 17.8(110)
VIC COUNTRY 2.3 4.3 4.6 9.8(62)

Goals: VIC METRO: Maric 4, Grimes 3, Grant 3, Simpson, Polkinghorne, Kreuzer, Potts, Arrowsmith, Daniher, Cattapan VIC COUNTRY: Gaylor 3, Kay 2, Selwood, Ford, Normington, Hall

Best Players: VIC METRO: Hurley, Simpson, Cattapan, Farmer, Grimes, Kreuzer, Maric VIC COUNTRY: McEvoy, Suban, Austin, Curnow, Kangars, Normington, Selwood

In the 2nd game, WA dominated the game from the start with a bit of help from some undisipined play from SA and ran out comfortable 77 point winners.

Nicolas Naitanui was dominate all over the ground for the Sandgropers. Steven Browne and Cale Morton were also in WA's best.

Levi Greenwood was SA's best player along with Jared Petrenko and Scott Blesing.

A fantastic performance by the WA team they showed why they are national champions.

WEST AUST 5.1 9.4 16.7 20.11(131)
SOUTH AUST 1.2 3.5 4.6 8.6(54)

Goals: WEST AUST: Palmer 3, Notte 3, Gourdis 3, McGinnity 2, Sampey 2, Morton 2, DeBoer, Yarrin, Browne, Ellard, Jacky SOUTH AUST: Staple 3, Hartlett, Wright, Carr, Jesson, Day

Best Players: WEST AUST: Naitanui, Browne, Morton, Palmer, Pears, Rance, Rich SOUTH AUST: Greenwood, Petrenko, Blesing, Day, Thompson, Stable

FINAL LADDER
WEST AUSTRALIA 3-0 223%
VIC METRO 2-1 114%
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 1-2 75%
VIC COUNTRY 0-3 51%

LARKE MEDALLIST (Best Player for Div 1): Cale Morton (West Aust)

NAB MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS
WEST AUST: Rhys Palmer
VIC METRO: Matthew Kruzer
SOUTH AUST: Levi Greenwood
VIC COUNTRY: Nick Suban

ALL AUSTRALIAN TEAM MEMBERS (From Div 1 Teams)
WEST AUST: Chris Masten, Rhys Palmer, Daniel Rich, Patrick McGinnity, David Myers, Alex Rance, Cale Morton, Nicholas Naitanui
VIC METRO: Matthew Kreuzer, Addam Maric, Michael Hurley, Jack Grimes
SOUTH AUST: Brad Ebert
VIC COUNTRY: Nick Suban, Scott Selwood, Ben McEvoy

[southerncross]

Shifter's wrap: the NAB AFL U18 elite

7:29 PM Wed 11 July, 2007 | Back
By Kevin Sheehan,
Exclusive to AFL BigPond Network



News

CALE Morton had a fantastic set of three matches for Western Australia and he was duly rewarded with the Michael Larke Medal for the division one's best player in the 2007 NAB AFL under 18 championships.
He polled 19 votes to win the award from teammate Rhys Palmer (18), who also had a super tournament.
Morton played his best match in the final game of the carnival against South Australia at Casey Fields in Melbourne's south-east suburbs on Wednesday, where he won 27 disposals, took nine marks and booted three goals. He also sent the ball inside 50 on five occasions.
Playing through the midfield or pushing forward, Morton's kicking was exceptional, while he was quick across the ground.
He runs all day and has an outstanding endurance base, while his marking ability adds another dimension to his game.

Morton continually won the ball at will and at 192cm, he has the football world at this feet.
Four players received NAB most valuable player awards on the final day – Matt Kreuzer (Vic Metro), Nick Suban (Vic Country), Palmer (Western Australia) and Levi Greenwood (South Australia).
Metro ruckman Kreuzer provided great leadership and strength for his side, while he never stopped trying.

For a player of his size, at 199cm, he continually worked hard and pushed the ball forward, and he moves beautifully across the ground.
Although Metro was unable to add a fourth successive title – it won in 2004-05-06 – Kreuzer's prospects were not tarnished whatsoever and his reputation as one of the leading NAB AFL National Draft contenders remains as strongly as ever.
His consistency over the three matches was a feature of his game.
Suban was an eye-opener for Vic Country, as a left-footed medium-sized defender/midfielder.
He used the ball well from defence, while he has the happy knack of being able to turn out of trouble on his left side.
Suban is a hard-running, bottom-aged player and although he is not eligible for this year's draft, he certainly showed in these championships that he will be one to watch out for in 2008.

Palmer was the revelation of the championships.
He played very well against South Australia in the final match of the carnival, after two brilliant displays against Vic Metro (34 disposals) and Vic Country (36 possessions) respectively.
Palmer simply accumulated possessions at will, while he has great vision and uses his hands extremely well. He is a lovely left-footer and is a goalkicking midfielder who is not afraid to take the opposition on.
Greenwood was a very consistent player across the championships.
He won plenty of contested possessions, while he impressed above his head. Greenwood was very good in South Australia's first match win over Vic Country, while the half-back/midfielder thoroughly deserved his MVP award.

[southerncross]

At a guess is that we could be looking at some of the following players.
Rioli, Henderson, Notte, Gaertner and Rance but it all depend where we finish.

Morton and Myers would be the types of players that would interest us as well.

[southerncross]

Shifters Wrap (from AFL.com)

Shifter's Wrap: U18 All-Australians


WELL, another NAB AFL Under-18 Championships is over – and not just any championships. It was the 30th event since all states and territories joined in 1978, and it was the first year we scheduled the championships in four states over a 19-day period as it continues to evolve.

The final task of the championships was to announce the 2007 All-Australian Under-18 team, comprising the individuals who produced for their teams throughout the championships.

It is never an easy task, particularly given the requirement to announce a team almost immediately after the siren sounds, and a number of players can consider themselves a little unfortunate not to be included. They are South Australia's Levi Greenwood and Jared Petrenko, Western Australia's Tayte Pears and Steven Browne, Northern Territory's Peter Rolfe and Queensland's Dayne Zorko and Ben Gibson.

The selectors were myself (chairman), Alan McConnell (AIS/AFL high-performance coach), AFL recruiting managers, Scott Clayton (Western Bulldogs), Blair Hartley (Port Adelaide), John Peake (St Kilda) and Rohan O’Brien (West Coast).

Here's our best shot at the achievers for 2007:
2007 ALL-AUSTRALIAN UNDER-18 TEAM

Defenders : Nick Suban (Vic Country), Michael Hurley (Vic Metro), Alex Rance (Western Australia), Scott Selwood (Vic Country), Tom Collier (Tasmania), David Myers (Western Australia)

Midfielders:Daniel Rich (Western Australia), Rhys Palmer (Western Australia), Cale Morton (Western Australia), Matthew Kreuzer (Vic Metro), Craig Bird (NSW/ACT), Chris Masten (Western Australia)

Forwards: Brad Ebert (South Australia), Ben McEvoy (Vic Country), Jack Grimes (Vic Metro), Addam Maric (Vic Metro), Aaron Cornelius (Tasmania), Cyril Rioli (Northern Territory)

Interchange:Nick Naitanui (Western Australia), Aaron Joseph (Tasmania), Patrick McGinnity (Western Australia), Taylor Walker (NSW/ACT)

Defenders
Nick Suban – Victoria Country
17 years old, 178cm, 78kg, Nth Ballarat/Bacchus Marsh
Left-footed, small defender/midfielder who averaged 23 disposals showing good poise and disposal skills whether in defence or midfield. Ineligible for this year's draft, he made the most of his opportunity and won Victoria Country's Most Valuable Player Award.

Michael Hurley – Victoria Metro
17 years old, 192cm, 88kg, Northern Knights/Macleod
A tall defender/forward, Hurley kicks the ball long and extremely well with either foot. He also competes strongly in the air. Led the championships in rebounds from defensive 50 with 22, and was a good decision-maker with or without the football. He capped off a consistent championships with very good game at full-back against Victoria Country in the final round.

Alex Rance – Western Australia
17 years old, 194cm, 87kg, Swan Districts
Tall defender who showed great dash from defence in his three championship matches. His father, Murray, played for both the Western Bulldogs and West Coast, where he was captain. Already had a taste of senior football in the WAFL and is much improved. He ranked seventh overall in handballs for the championships, helping provide Western Australia with its quick ball movement from defence.

Scott Selwood – Vic Country
17 years old, 184cm, 81kg, Bendigo/Sandhurst
A medium defender/midfielder, Selwood averaged 21 disposals for the championships, which was capped off with 32 disposals against Vic Metro. He is a no-fuss small/medium player either in defence or the midfield. His brothers Troy (Brisbane Lions), Adam (West Coast) and Joel (Geelong) already play in the AFL.

Tom Collier – Tasmania
18 years old, 192cm, 86kg, Lauderdale
Tall defender who averaged 23 disposals and showed he could run the lines throughout the championships, providing rebound from the back half. Much improved player who has already been prominent for Tasmanian Devils in the VFL. He was ranked fourth overall in contested possessions, with 11 per match.

David Myers – Western Australia
18 years old, 190cm, 85kg, Perth
Tall, left-footed defender was fourth overall in disposals, with 84 for the championships – averaging 28 per match – playing predominately across half-back. A dashing player who shows great making ability and leadership, he won the Barassi Medal in the 2006 under-17 International Rules series against Ireland.

Midfield
Daniel Rich – Western Australia
17 years old, 185cm, 77kg, Subiaco
Left-footed medium midfielder who is quick, agile and tough. Penetrating kick and decisive decision-maker, his inside 50s ranked in the top 10 for the championships. Not eligible for this year's draft but clearly an outstanding prospect for 2008.

Rhys Palmer – Western Australia
17 years, 180cm, 76kg, East Fremantle
A left footed, medium-sized midfielder with huge engine and ball-winning ability, he led the disposals for the championships with 97 – averaging 32 per match. He also had 41 effective kicks. Palmer kicked nine goals for the championships, including five in a best-on-ground performance against Vic Metro at Subiaco. He won Western Australia's Most Valuable Player Award.

Cale Morton – Western Australia
17 years old, 192cm, 75kg, Claremont
A tall midfielder who can push forward and become a marking target, Morton is a one-touch player who had 75 disposals for the championships – averaging 25 a match. He also led the marks with 28 – averaging nine a match. Ranked second in effectiveness with his kicks, he topped off an outstanding championship by winning the Larke Medal for the best and fairest division-one player.

Matthew Kreuzer – Victoria Metro
18 years old, 199cm, 91kg, Northern Knight/Bundoora
A ruckman with enormous running capacity and agility, Kreuzer was a most consistent player in the championships, finishing fourth in the hit-outs. He showed great ability at the clearances, ranking in the top 10, and averaged five tackles per match. He won Vic Metro's Most Valuable Player Award, capping off an impressive championship.

Craig Bird – NSW/ACT
18 years old, 178cm, 76kg, Nelson Bay
Small midfielder who was third overall in disposals for the championships, notching up 85 possessions at an average of 28 per match (half of which were handpasses). His clearance work was ranked No.1, with 27 – averaging nine a match. He won 44 contested possessions at an average of almost 15. He won the Harrison Medal – division two's best and fairest award – and captained NSW/ACT to the title. Tied to Sydney Swans under AFL Scholarship Scheme.

Chris Masten – Western Australia
18 years old, 179cm, 78kg, East Fremantle
A small midfielder with enormous running ability and consistently high possession rate, Masten finished fifth in disposals for the championships with 76 – averaging 25 per match. He was third overall in clearances, winning 16. A fine leader, he captained Western Australia to the division-one title and has already played nine senior matches in the WAFL.

Forwards
Brad Ebert – South Australia
17 years old, 187cm, 86kg, Port Adelaide Magpies/Henley
Medium forward/midfielder with good aerial and disposal skills. Ebert also possesses tremendous courage with his attack on the ball. He finished in the top six for disposals in division one, averaging 22 per match. His average of 10 effective kicks per match, ranked him fifth in his division. He has already made his debut at senior level in the SANFL, and showed his potential leadership captaining South Australia as a bottom-aged player.

Ben McEvoy – Victoria Country
18 years old, 199cm, 90kg, Murray Bushrangers/Dederang-Mt Beauty
A tall forward or ruckman possessing agility, endurance and strong hands, McEvoy was ranked second for marks in the championships with 23 – averaging seven per match. He was also fifth for hit-outs with 41 – average 14.

Jack Grimes – Victoria Metro
18 years old, 187cm, 76kg, Northern Knights/Hurstbridge
Medium forward/defender who displays outstanding leadership abilities and versatility. Grimes has clean ball-handling skills and makes good decisions. He is also effective around goals.

Addam Maric – Victoria Metro
17 years old, 179cm, 80kg, Calder Cannons/Greenvale
A small forward/midfielder who kicked eight goals in the championships, including four against Victoria Country in the final game, Maric is a long and accurate kick at goal and displays pin-point accuracy with his snapshots. He provided his team with ball-winning ability through the midfield.

Aaron Cornelius – Tasmania
17 years old, 191cm, 80kg, Glenorchy
Strong marking tall forward who took 18 marks in the championships – averaging six per match. His seven goals included five against Queensland during Tasmania's first match at the SCG. He has a spectacular leap and a vice-like grip, whether on the lead or in a contested marking situation. Not eligible for the 2007 NAB AFL Draft.

Cyril Rioli – Northern Territory
17 years old, 178cm, 74kg, St Marys
A small forward/midfielder with a damaging left foot around goal, he kicked seven goals against Queensland in the final division-two match at Victoria Park. He was ranked sixth overall for effective kicks – 34 – and was first for goal assists, with seven over the championships. Extremely quick and strong with his tackling, his defensive pressure inside 50 is also an attribute.

Interchange
Nick Naitanui – Western Australia
17 years old, 196cm, 88kg, Swan Districts
A ruckman with exceptional athletic ability, including speed and vertical jump, he was ranked first in division-one hit outs – winning 72 at an average of 24 per match. He was also in the top 10 for hardball gets (five per match). He had an outstanding final match against South Australia, adding contested marking to his attributes. His tackling was also rare for a tall player – he had 19 for the championships at an average of six per match. He is not eligible for the 2007 NAB AFL Draft.

Aaron Joseph – Tasmania
18 years old, 178cm, 75kg, Glenorchy
A small midfielder/defender with outstanding endurance and ball-gathering ability, he was ranked second for disposals in the championships, winning 87 in three games at an average of 29. He also had seven score assists, ranking him equal-first in that category. He also showed ability to play a run-with role and work off his opponent.

Pat McGinnity – Western Australia
18 years old, 182cm, 75kg, Claremont
A medium-sized midfielder with good pace and ability at the fall of the ball, McGinnity can play a run-with role and he has the ability to win his own footy. He was very impressive in Western Australia's win over Vic Metro in the first division-one match, which was his debut at under-age level for his state.

Taylor Walker – NSW/ACT
17 years old, 188cm, 81kg, Nth Broken Hill
A medium-sized forward with strong hands, Walker was smart on the lead and accurate in front of goal. He kicked seven goals for the championships and had seven score assists, ranking him equal first in the championships. He is tied to Adelaide under the AFL Scholarship Scheme in NSW.

[southerncross]

A good write up on the other day about Chris Kangars. 193cm, 85kg and super quick so much so that the US Colleges are trying to entice him over to the States as part of an athletic scholarship. He wants to play footy though. Could be worth a look at.

[southerncross]

Perhaps mjp can tells us a bit more about Morris. I know the Jets were beaten on the weekend but this does mention a couple of local lads.

WESTERN Jets coach Mark Neeld expects another nail-biter when his third-ranked Western Jets face the Northern Knights at Williamstown this morning.

"We are expecting it to be a close game like we played in Round 2 (at Preston) when we won by seven points," Neeld said.

"We are expecting there to be a lot of contested footy in this game.

"In the conditions that we have had this week in terms of the rain, and normally down there it is pretty windy, it lends itself to some congested footy.

"Having a look at the two sides, and the way that we play, I would also be predicting a fair bit of run."

The Jets will be without Callan Ward, who hurt his knee in the under-18 championships.

"He has bursitis on the knee," Neeld said.

"It is nothing structural, nothing major. He may miss the following week, we are not sure.

"Everybody else that we are missing is really long-term . . . that won't be available for the rest of the year."

Neeld said the Jets were more concerned about developing players than their third place on the ladder.

He said that Steven Morris, son of former Richmond premiership half-back Kevin, was having an outstanding season.

"He had been injured for the best part of two years," Neeld said.

"He suffered from shin splints for years which hindered his progress. This year, he has played every game bar one.

"He has been terrific, he is one of the leaders of the club.

"He is extremely fit, dedicated.

"Now that his aerobic base has increased we put him in the midfield for a lot longer than we were able to at the start of the year.

"He has a good set of hands but he is the size of a player that needs to play in the midfield."

[mjp]

What do you want to know?

Morris is playing TAC Cup this year under the 19year old rule - and is eligible based on two factors:
- Considered 'draftable' by footy Vic.
- Missed significant parts of his eligible seasons due to injury.

That said, he turns 19 on December 31st, so he is the youngest overage player who will ever play TAC Cup.

Steven's primary strengths are his defensive pressure skills, attack on the ball and one-one contested marking. He played very well in the North vs South Vic u23 game earlier this year, kicking a couple of goals and being named in the best players, a game that showed his style of footy will work effectively against bigger bodies.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Eligible to go to Richmond under father/son but was overlooked.

[southerncross]

I reckon this young player is a chance to be selected by us.

A team in big league kick-starts hope on troubled Tiwi islands

Potential star … the Tiwi Bombers player Austin Wonaeamirri, who has freakish on-field agility, has gained a place at the AFL draft screening session.
Photo: Glenn Campbell

Lindsay Murdoch in Darwin
October 13, 2006


TEENAGERS are no longer talking about killing themselves on the Tiwi islands, which have the nation's highest suicide rate.
"The change has been amazing. Virtually overnight, the kids are walking tall and proud with smiles on their faces," says Brian Clancy, who has been associated with the islands for 20 years.
Not since a Japanese bomber crash-landed on the islands 80 kilometres north of Darwin in World War II has there been so much excitement on the Melville and Bathurst islands, which are known as the Tiwi islands.
At 2.30pm tomorrow Tiwi's Australian rules football team - the Tiwi Bombers - will run on to an oval in Darwin for their first match in the Northern Territory Football League.
The match is believed to be the first by an all-Aboriginal side in a major competition.
"The boys are ready to make history. They have been training virtually non-stop for four months," said the coach, Greg Orsto.
The islands, where football is an obsession, have produced seven AFL players, including Michael Long and Dean Rioli of Essendon, and Maurice Rioli, of Richmond. Scores of others have played at senior levels. About 900 of the 2600 people who live on the islands play football, which is said to be the country's highest participation rate.
Austin Wonaeamirri, 18, a back flanker described as a potential star because of his freakish agility, said players were very proud to be named in the first Tiwi Bombers side to play against St Mary's, the Darwin club that has recruited Tiwi islanders for decades.
But Wonaeamirri will miss the first match of a seven-week trial in the competition because he will be attending an AFL draft screening session.
Long, who won the Norm Smith medal and played in two AFL premierships, said football was not just a sport on the islands, but the "key ingredient of living in the communities". "Kids pick up a footy as soon as they can walk and never really put it down. It helps keep them focused away from the social problems. That's why having a Tiwi side in the NTFL is so important."
The manager of the Tiwi Islands league, Bill Toy, said some teenagers had given up smoking cannabis because they wanted to play for the Tiwi Bombers.
Every Saturday about 160 children, teenagers and adults play football on a local oval, many of them barefoot.
Officials of the NTFL-AFL, which administers football in northern Australia, said promoting the game on the islands gave teenagers a chance of overcoming social problems such as drug and alcohol abuse.
Tiwi islanders have an average life expectancy of only 48 years. They also have the country's highest rate of kidney disease. "The kids have new hope," Toy said.
The football season in the Top End is the reverse of the AFL, with the first round played in October.
The Tiwi league grand final, usually played in late March, has become one of the top tourist attractions in the Territory.
Dean Rioli, who played 100 games with Essendon, will play in the first match. Essendon sponsors the team, expected to play the full 21 rounds next year.

[Go_Dogs]

Interesting article - thanks a lot of posting that. I've been following Austin a bit this year, now a Norwood boy who seemed a very similar type to a few selections that we made last year. His form has been pretty decent too, with a BOG to boot early in the season. I'd be keen on him.

[LostDoggy]

brad ebert also looks a likely candidate to follow in his family footsteps and go in the top ten in this years national draft, midfielder who wins alot of the ball

[GVGjr]

brad ebert also looks a likely candidate to follow in his family footsteps and go in the top ten in this years national draft, midfielder who wins alot of the ball

Quality player. I wonder if he has the type of pace that Clayton normally likes. Perhaps a slightly slower version of Griffen.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Quality player. I wonder if he has the type of pace that Clayton normally likes. Perhaps a slightly slower version of Griffen.

Given the form we are currently in we would seem to be picking at around the 7-10 mark again. Do you think he would be the inside midfielder we would be looking to with that pick?