National Under 18 Championships - 2015

[Dee-licious 1,949]

This is the best underage team I've ever seen. Country are unstoppable. Please someone offer Garland and Jamsr huge contracts. You want 2-3 picks in the first 20 of this draft

[ChaserJ 5,009]

Country v Metro just about to start, can watch the stream here:

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-06-07/u18-champs-vic-country-v-vic-metro

Also Petracca will be on Future Stars after Sunday Footy Show today.

Country are absolutely blitzing Metro. Metro are resting Balic, so a weaker Metro are further weakened. Parish back for Country.

[Wilson7 2,662]

I like the look of Tucker, Ainsworth & Schache

[Dee-licious 1,949]

Tucker, Parish, Matthersen, Schache, O'Kearney, and some good work from Weitering in the odd occasion it got to the back.

[KingDingAling 3,752]

Glen, he is some player this kid. Absolute stand out.

Others that have caught my eye, Tashevski-Beckwith (Metro), Collins (Country), Cole (Country), and Wietering (Country).

Parish is also a very precise kick, has done a few good things.

[whatwhat say what 22,700]

RD 2 in U-18 Champs - Full Replay

SA vs WA:

1st Qtr:

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-06/under-18s-wa-v-sa-q1

2nd Qtr:

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-06/under-18s-sa-v-wa-q2

3rd Qtr:

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-06/under-18s-sa-v-wa-q3

4th Qtr:

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-06/under-18s-sa-v-wa-q4

[spirit of norm smith 16,292]

For those that doubted Darcy Tucker... watch this game. He has the skills and toughness that our midfield needs.

[whatwhat say what 22,700]

What role did he play today?

[Whispering_Jack 29,805]

U18s: Returning prospect Darcy Parish stars as Vic Country downs Metro

VIC COUNTRY 6.7 9.7 12.12 14.14 (98)

VIC METRO 0.1 3.4 6.7 9.9 (63)

GOALS

Vic Country: Schache 2, Simpkin 2, Ainsworth 2, Parish, Mathieson, Capiron, Brodie, Cole, Mutimer, Johnston, Weitering

Vic Metro: O'Kearney 2, Gallucci 2, Cuningham, Crocker, Kerbatieh, Hardwick, McLarty

BEST

Vic Country: Collins, Parish, Berry, Tucker, Mathieson, Capiron, Schache

Vic Metro: Perry, Pearce, Gallucci, O'Kearney, Morgan, Cuningham

Country remains undefeated

Vic Country leads the race for Under 18 trophy

AFL under-18 national championships: Vic Country prove too good for Vic Metro

[Machsy 2,858]

For those that doubted Darcy Tucker... watch this game. He has the skills and toughness that our midfield needs.

I really don't think he stood out that much at all.

Mathieson kept getting it and making things happen.

Parish was silk, and should have been rusty.

Shame I've heard of minor attitudinal problems with both.

I'm relatively happy with tall defenders, but I think both Weitering & Collins will be 200 game AA defenders whoever they get drafted by.

Schache would be a dream result.

[Henrietta Lumbago 331]

From what i have seen of Schache he will go top in the top 3 Brisbane, St Kilda, GC and Carlton all need a big forward. We need a complete midfielder who accumulates lots of the ball, has a big body tackles hard and loves the contested situation, ideally a mixture of Brayshaw and Bontempelli...any of them in the mix??

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,115]

From what i have seen of Schache he will go top in the top 3 Brisbane, St Kilda, GC and Carlton all need a big forward. We need a complete midfielder who accumulates lots of the ball, has a big body tackles hard and loves the contested situation, ideally a mixture of Brayshaw and Bontempelli...any of them in the mix

Sounds like Petracca. We need a balanced midfielder who can carry the ball, has toe and creates.

[Henrietta Lumbago 331]

Sounds like Petracca. We need a balanced midfielder who can carry the ball, has toe and creates.

the success of VDB and Brayshaw who base their game around tackling repeated efforts to get the contested ball..these are the first things to cross off the checklist...players that have hardness at the contest...Fyfe,Dangermouse,Selwood,Cotchin all have that attack on the ball and hardness

[Dee-licious 1,949]

Right now it's best available at that stage. Parish, Tucker, Mathersen are all mids that we need. Schache would be scary with Hogan in the forward line and could play round 1. Weitering is great down back but do we have enough with McDonald's, Frost, Dunn, Garland, Fitzy and skinner should be available later in the draft.

Then there is Partington and Francis who could easily go top 5. Mid (danger) and a 191cm lead up forward who should be able to go through the midfield. It's a good draft to be at the pointy end of.

[KingDingAling 3,752]

From what i have seen of Schache he will go top in the top 3 Brisbane, St Kilda, GC and Carlton all need a big forward. We need a complete midfielder who accumulates lots of the ball, has a big body tackles hard and loves the contested situation, ideally a mixture of Brayshaw and Bontempelli...any of them in the mix??

That's good, I hope Schache does go top 3, likewise Francis (SA). I don't think St Kilda or GC will take forwards, but I agree Brisbane and Carlton will.

This would put us closer to Parish or Weitering. Can't see it happening, but it is only early days.

I thought Glen (VC) looked classy.. very calm and does not waste it.

Edited June 8, 2015 by KingDingAling

[whatwhat say what 22,700]

If Francis and Schache do go top two, picking up Weitering or a mid will be a very, very big decision (on the presumption we have a top 3 pick that we don't trade).

I would absolutely be open to a Tyson / later pick for our first rounder situation again.

[Machsy 2,858]

Me too.

I think there'll be serious quality later in the first round like when we selected Salem.

Not sure who we'd get to be involved in such a deal though.

[ChaserJ 5,009]

From what i have seen of Schache he will go top in the top 3 Brisbane, St Kilda, GC and Carlton all need a big forward. We need a complete midfielder who accumulates lots of the ball, has a big body tackles hard and loves the contested situation, ideally a mixture of Brayshaw and Bontempelli...any of them in the mix??

Mathieson has a pretty good all round game and is a nice height. Likes the hard stuff, very good inside and neat kicking skills.

Matthew Kennedy (GWS Academy) is an interesting one. 187 cm's, pretty good jn all areas, and by rights should draw bids from teams picking in the top 5 for his services.

[Demon Disciple 12,068]

Is this draft consider a shallow one or on par, when compared to recent years?

[ChaserJ 5,009]

Yep. There'll be some good ones right at the top end, but it looks like it will fall away very quickly after the first round.

As it stands currently I'd have three key defenders (Weitering, Francis & Collins) legitimately in and around the top 10, can't remember the last time that happened. Although Francis projects as a genuine utility at AFL level.

[ChaserJ 5,009]

Early doors, but assuming that Schache, Weitering, Mills and Hopper will be off the table, I thought I’d throw out some of the names that should be around the mark for us come draft time.

At this stage I’d have very little problem if we selected one of Parish, Mathieson, Kennedy (GWS academy, a bid from pick 4 onward would be appropriate IMO). Parish offers skill and speed, which our midfield definitely needs more of. Mathieson is more inside, but think he’s probably (as far midfielders go) as sure a thing as there is in the top 10. Think Kennedy will get to GWS, but well worth a bid.

Curnow and Burton once they are back from injury, could also give us something to think about. Balic (query on pace?), Tucker, Dunkley, Partington and Bonner are others that could jump up here, but need to do a bit more.

I think 2^nd round pick potentials could be Mckay (Vic Country), Ryan Clarke. The WA boys Dylan Smith & Greg Clark (WA) could be good gets there, but think they could easily play their way into late the first round. Milera, Parella, Markov from SA look handy as 2^nd-3^rd round selections. Parella especially could be that developing ruck type we need.

[Freddy Fuschia 735]

Matthew Kennedy (GWS Academy) is an interesting one. 187 cm's, pretty good jn all areas, and by rights should draw bids from teams picking in the top 5 for his services.

Kennedy has done a knee (medial?) and probably out for the year. Might also (conveniently for GWS) drive his bidding price down.

[Whispering_Jack 29,805]

Kennedy has done a knee (medial?) and probably out for the year. Might also (conveniently for GWS) drive his bidding price down.

It must be contagious for those academy lads. Sydney's #1 academy draft prospect Callum Mills is also going to miss the under-18 national championships with a shin injury ~ Callum Mills to miss . Swans insisting they're not playing ducks and drakes to reduce his price.

[Freddy Fuschia 735]

Bailey Rice, a father son eligible for either of Carlton or St Kilda is also injured. The injuries to the other two probably won't change the bidding but Rice definitely could go a bit later as a result of going under the radar.

[Whispering_Jack 29,805]

Team selection for this weekend's games and note the replay for the first one is on Fox Footy Channel:-

Western Australia v Vic Metro

Saturday 13th June, 2015, 11.20am AWST

Domain Stadium*

Western Australia

B: J Taylor, Glass-McCasker, Watson

HB: Harrold, Rotham, Naughton

C: Ah Chee, Snadden, Schoenfield

HF: M.Taylor, Clark, Waterman

F: Zurhaar, Mirco, Jones

FOLL: Goddard, Mountford, Ridley

I/C: Daniels, Cronin, Curtin, Smith, Stewart, Hinchliffe

EMG: Power-Pepper & Petrevski-Seton

Petrevski-Seton

IN: Jones, Waterman, Naughton, Daniels, Rotham, Stewart, Goddard, Hinchliffe, Curtin

OUT: Ehlers, Strnadica, Bennett (all rotated), Hura (quad strain), Florenca (calf)

Vic Metro

B: Collins, Whitehead, Beddison

HB: Phillips, Firns, Balic

C: Leonardis, Clarke, Pearce

HF: Perry, H.Thompson, Cunningham

F: Kerbatieh, Silvagni, Hardwick

FOLL: J Smith, Parsons, Gresham

I/C: Fiorini, Moore, Lok, Cameron, Gallucci, Batty

IN: Collins, Balic, Firns, Phillips, Clarke, Silvagni, Gresham, Moore, Fiorini, Batty

OUT: Answerth, Keppel, Houston, Morgan, Kovacevic, Tashevski-Beckwith, McLarty (all rotated), Crocker (ankle- 2/3 weeks), O'Kearney (soreness), T Thompson (illness)

UNAVAILABLE: Jeffs (knee stress fracture - 5 weeks), Weideman (foot fracture -indefinite), Matera (foot stress fracture - 4 weeks)

* Fox Footy Channel replay Sunday 14 June at 11am

And the big game (apparently not televised) and the possible decider -

South Australia v Vic Country

Sunday 14th June, 2015, 11am

AAMI Stadium

South Australia

B: Agostino, Westhoff, Evans

HB: Wildman, Surman, Bonner

C: Dew, Snelling, Milera

HF: Nunn, Allen, Partington

F: Hoare, Ladhams, Brind

FOLL: Parealla, Francis, Haysman

I/C: Tahana, Graham, Combe, Presbury, Dawson, Markov, Bampton

IN: Hoare, Presbury, Dawson, Bampton

OUT: Olekalns, Redman (both rotated)

Vic Country

B: Sexton, K. Collins, White

HB: Tucker, Weitering, Berry

C: Glen, Holmes, Capiron

HF: Simpkin, Schache, Broadie

F: Ainsworth, McKay, Parish

FOLL: Nyuon, Mathieson, Cole

I/C: Cox, Eades, Poholke, Buykx-Smith, Johnston

UNAVAILABLE: Rice (shoulder), Skinner (knee)