Whispering_Jack

South Australia has the bye but remains the favourite to win the championships and it has the player who most experts regard as the likely #1 choice for the November national draft - AFL Draft Wrap: Is Jack Lukosius the best draft prospect this decade?

Tomorrow, it’s Western Australia v Victoria Metro at Optus Stadium (11.40am)

There are two games on this weekend in the 2018 National Under 18 Championships. Team Selection: National U18 Championships – Round 1 Today, it’s the Allies taking on Victoria Country at Blacktown (10.30am)

The AFL Under 18 Championships fixture - Note: • Yesterday’s game between SA & WA was moved forward from Round 3; and • The Vic Metro v Vic Country game from Round 3 and all Round 4 & 5 games will telecast live on the Fox Footy Channel.

The #1 contender for top spot in the November AFL Draft, South Australian Jack Lukosius starred in the opening of the 2018 Under 18 carnival with 4 goals 3 behinds. Along the way, he amassed 17 disposals and took 14 marks in his team's 89-point win over WA today. Teammate and fellow tall Hugo Munn also kicked four goals. U18: No.1 hopeful Lukosius dominates for SA South Australia 5.3 9.4 14.8 19.10 (124) Western Australia 1.1 3.3 5.4 5.5 (35) Goals South Australia: Lukosius 4, Munn 4, Jarvis 3, Chapman 2, Tarca, Hately, Valente, Nietschke, Rankine, Sampson Western Australia: Moore 2, English, Clark, Hill Best South Australia: Lukosius, Valente, Jarvis, Lewis, Hately, Gould Western Australia: Jackson, English, Greaves, Sturrock, Spooner

South Australia and Western Australia clash tomorrow in the first round of the AFL Under 18 Championships. Teams previewed by AFL Draft Central:- South Australia Western Australia The Teams:-

The Under 18 Championships commence at the weekend. Here's a preview of 20 prospects to watch at the championships from Callum Twomey of afl.com.au. The Victoria Country and Victoria Metro Squads have been finalised.

Players to watch in the AFL Under 18 championships

Squads confirmed for Victoria and Allies Trials

Knightmare’s most recent power rankings in the lead up to next month’s National Under 18 Championships - Midfielders make their move

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My research shows that Austin Bradtke's last official game was in a losing side with East Sandringham against Mordialloc Braeside in a South Metro Junior Football League Under 14's grand final in August 2014. The King twins from Haileybury College. Bradtke wore the number 25. Other teammates in that side with interesting names were Samuel Stynes and Darcy Tilbrook. I can't figure out how a team with those names lost the game.

A nice little boost for the club coming on the same day as it announced it has passed its previous membership record. Time will tell whether this speculative recruiting move pays dividends but the club’s development processes seem to be in a good way and Bradtke will have a fine teacher to learn from in Max Gawn who has coached young players in the past and is very good at it. The positive is that Bradtke did play representative football as a junior before he decided to concentrate only on basketball and he reached state level at that sport. And, at 17, he could still grow a few cm’s.

I'm completely over this romantic notion of players going to the club they supported when young. The game is so professional that the lure of your "beloved" club has to be secondary to the commercial factors. If anyone needs convincing then you only need to look at Dion Prestia, who from all accounts, comes from one of the most dedicated, rusted on Demon families you can find but, when the time came to leave the Suns, he chose Richmond. It works both ways of course. At the time, he was under a cloud with question marks about his knee and we don't know what Melbourne's particular needs and player payment situations were, but if it was all about close allegiances, I would have thought Prestia would have come to us in the end.

And in general draft news - AFL Draft Central weekend washup round 3 AFL Draft Watch: Father-son guns’ big weekend, Pick 1 fancies dominate in AFL Academy win Talent managers rate the best Academy prospects

Just quietly because I don’t want to put this young man under any pressure but congratulations to Tiernan Stynes (son of Jim) on making the South Metro Junior Football League Under 13 Boys Interleague squad. And the Demons continue to be mentioned as a strong chance to secure another famous son from two different sports, basketball and tennis - Austin Bradke as a Category B prospect.

A report on the North Melbourne v AFL Academy game here.

Callum Twomey has tweeted the result of the game and some stats. NAB AFL Academy 17.12.114 to North Melbourne VFL 10.11.71. That’s a comprehensive victory although it has to be added that North (who had a bye at the weekend) hasn’t previously fielded a stand alone team in the current incarnation of the VFL. Stats - Walsh (22 disp, 1 goal), West (16, 9 tackles), Jones (15 disp).

Yes, they do seem to be keeping a low profile. Fox Footy was advertising a live showing earlier in the week but I don’t think it eventuated. Are there any reports anywhere (not that they’re going to mean much to MFC fans at this point in time, given that our first choice in this year’s draft is likely to be close to 40 (in the absence of a brilliant trade).

Melbourne has been active in luring basketballers to the club. This bloke sounds interesting ~ Vic clubs chasing son of Australian sport champions

The Under 18 TAC Cup competition is going into its third round. Here are the wash ups from the first two rounds:- Weekend Washup Round 1 Weekend Washup Round 2 ... and from Knightmare Key talls dominate April's AFL draft power rankings

Just announced - Leigh Oak sold & Bentleigh Club to give up gaming rights.

True - the sky’s falling.

While you blokes have been ranting on about nothing in particular, you’ve missed some major BREAKING NEWS. Eyes on the ball please.

There seemed to be more of the little kids there but less teenagers. Possibly a venue like Luna Park would appeal to them a bit more than the G. The club might look at possibly alternating the venue to cater for that crowd.