2025 Academy Games.

[dejavoodoo44]

Our U16 side play their first match of the national championships today at Manuka. It's against the Giants at 2.30pm. It looks like it's streamed via YouTube and the team lists are here.

QBE Sydney Swans Academy | THE BOYS ARE BACK Check out our line up set to take on the GWS GIANTS Academy ??? Our Top End Male Under 16s are ready for their Marsh... | Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/DLWk7GVP...B8&img_index=1

[dejavoodoo44]

Behind 8-7 at quarter time, in a scrappy but hard fought game. Our only goal was to the interestingly named, Duke Marshall-Orr: whose local club is listed as Melbourne Grammar. Nice lead to the pocket and conversion of the set shot.

I have to mention that Rafael Micheletti is perhaps the smallest kid that I've seen playing for our academy, at 156cm and skinny. However, he's still only 14 years old, so it seems that the club see some talent there, to select him as an underager.

[BFG]

Thanks for your posts deja.

I think the Allies are playing tomorrow? We have players in the side?

[dejavoodoo44]

Thanks for your posts deja.

I think the Allies are playing tomorrow? We have players in the side?

Should have four or five, but I haven't seen a team list.

[dejavoodoo44]

Some good pressure and pretty good ball movement in that quarter, to lead 33-15 at the half.

Our first goal was to Charles McLennan, who seems a skilful and pacy mid. He flashed past one of our players contemplating a shot from around 50, to kick truly from 40. Our next goal was to another Charles, in this case, Edwards. He took a strong mark on the behind line, then played on to score from close range. His junior club is listed as St Kilda City, which I assume is in Melbourne. So, I'm not quite sure how that works? Our final goal was to Marcus Hammoud, who was hit up by ruckman, Coen Hardy. Which was a bit of a redemption for Hardy, who a minute earlier, was put into space by a nice handball from Marshall-Orr, then sprayed the shot out of bounds, from about 20m out.

[dejavoodoo44]

In front 52-32 at the final break. Goals in that quarter were to Marshall-Orr, McLennan and overage ruck, Abe Race. The goal to Marshall-Orr was a particularly nice bit of roving, then a snap from a tight angle. He does have a resemblance to our Max King.

[dejavoodoo44]

Strong 74-45 win. We finished off the game early in that quarter, largely due to the efforts of Monte Cairns. I thought he looked pretty good as a big bodied midfielder, but he had some telling involvements when switched forward. Firstly he earned himself a HTB free, after a GWS defender stumbled on the half forward flank. He then put through the set shot from near the boundary. Next he chased down another GWS defender in the goal square, only for the free to be awarded to Dashiel Delaney-Fielding, who arrived late to finish the job. The young man with the law firm name then put through the kick. A couple of minutes later, Cairns took a strong overhead mark on the lead and once again kicked straight.

That made the goal kickers: Marshall-Orr 2, McLennan 2, Cairns 2, Hammoud, Edwards, Race, and Delaney-Fielding.

The margin should have been greater, except for the umpires not seeming to know the rules. Halfway through the final quarter, Hammoud was running in on goals, but scuffed his kick from about ten metres out, after a GWS defender put two hands in his back and shoved. Not long after, at the other end, a Swans defender handballed the ball through, when being tackled on the behind line. Which I'm pretty sure you're allowed to do when under pressure, but it appeared that the umpire didn't think being tackled was sufficient pressure.

I was impressed with a number of players. The one that I was most impressed with was Charles McLennan. He spent most of the game playing on the ball, despite being quite slim. He moves well through traffic, is a good kick, covers plenty of ground and his chase down pressure caused plenty of disruption. Not far behind was Duke Marshall-Orr. He seemed to split his time between lead up forward, inside mid and outside mid. As I said earlier, he does remind me of Max King. I don't think he's quite got the pace of King, but he does have skills. And as I also said before, I thought Monte Cairns did well. In defence, I thought Levi Macri had a good game as a small defender. He saved a couple of goals with desperate defensive efforts and used the ball well when rebounding. Both our ruckmen, Abe Race and Coen Hardy, did well. Won plenty of taps and took a few strong marks. Although Hardy did miss a few gettable shots. Finally, I thought Marcus Hammoud showed a fair bit of pace and skill, alternating between midfield and forward line.

All up, quite an impressive win, where both our field kicking and defensive pressure was better than GWS.

[dejavoodoo44]

A brief Rookie Me preview of the Allies v WA game, which takes place at Marvel at 1.45pm. It follows the game between the all conquering SA and Vic Country. Both can be streamed via the AFL site.

PREVIEW | 2025 AFL U18s: Allies vs. Western Australia - Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central https://share.google/EhrvTKXbO6WzPozXS

[dejavoodoo44]

25-25 at the end of the first. Though the Allies had more of the territory, they squandered it a bit by kicking 3-7. Of our Swans, Carmichael has been his quietly efficient self, off the half back flank, with a bit of time in the middle. King took a high flying mark, but dragged the kick wide. I don't think Chamberlain came on till late, but had a few useful involvements. McNamara has been pretty good in defence.

[dejavoodoo44]

WA have been more accurate, to lead 45-40. Unfortunately, the main culprit for the Allies has been our Max King, who has kicked 0.3 from set shots and an out of bounds from a shot on the fly.

Of our players, Carmichael has been the most impressive. He's the leading disposal getter with 16, with most of those being effective. He's very good at making himself an option to receive possession. If Jake Lloyd retires at the end of the season, we could have a ready made replacement. Chamberlain, McNamara and Kyle have all had some useful involvements, but aren't really screaming "draft me!"

[dejavoodoo44]

WA slightly increased their lead to 71-61, after again being a bit more accurate. King did get a goal, however, after being given a holding free on the behind line. Carmichael still the leading possession winner.

[BFG]

Keep the updates coming deja, cheers

[Dow]

Was a thrilling match, Annable, Waller and Patterson really look like AFL players in the making of the Academy boys Carmichael played the best leading possession winner for the Allies hard to know if he screams pick me or not he gets it but does he really hurt you, King had moments and you can see why he is highly rated, he is a COULD of player.
The other Academy boys from the 2 games I have seen so far I wouldn’t t be drafting them maybe a potential rookie in there.

[liz]

That was a good piece of play by Patterson to set up the winning goal - right up until the moment he kicked it to King. Except that King chose that moment to rule himself out of contention as a potential Swans draftee by actually managing to convert the shot.

The scoreboard - in terms of the number of scoring shots - suggests the Allies were the better team but it didn't really feel like that watching it. WA favoured moving the ball via short kicks, while the Allies favoured a run and handball style that always looked like coming unstuck, even when it didn't.

Carmichael had a solid game. King was pretty quiet but redeemed himself at the very end. The rest of our lads drifted in and out, mostly out.

I would like to see King play a full game as a midfielder. He doesn't look like a natural forward and I wonder if his talents would be more apparent if he could run around a bit more.

[dejavoodoo44]

Allies just managed to win a tense and hard fought game, 79-74. Though they did make it more difficult for themselves, by kicking 10-19. There were quite a few good performances.

Of our players, Carmichael did the most to enhance his draft chances. He was the Allies leading possession getter with 27. It seems to me, that he has the ability to see the game really well. In that he rapidly chooses a good target and then usually hits it. He's also constantly on the move, to make himself an option. He also seems to dislike the opposition getting the ball. So he is a decent one on one defender.

Max King had a game that was a little bit more glass half full, than half empty. While he did miss a few gettable chances in first half, he got a couple in the second. Which included what turned out to be the winning goal, when a fast moving Dylan Patterson, spotted him leading to the fat side. He then held his nerve, to steer through the set shot and put the Allies in front with a couple of minutes to go. He also took what was probably the mark of the day.

Our other players, Chamberlain, Kyle and McNamara, all did some good things, but didn't really get enough of the ball to stand out.

Of the other Allies, Daniel Annable was probably BOG. He almost carried the side to victory in the final quarter. Just what we need: Brisbane getting to claim another high quality inside mid, to go with the Ashcroft brothers.

It'll be interesting to see who Gold Coast take in the draft. The highly rated Addinsal was injured for this game and he joined the even more highly rated Uwland on the sidelines. That still left them with a couple of likely types, in Patterson and Coulson. Patterson is an obviously talented defensive flanker. He's lightning quick, elusive and a good kick. His best work of the day, was when he sliced through the midfield, to spot up King late. However, I thought he owed the side a couple of goals. One for when he gave away an unnecessary 50, when he whacked a player on the ground, the other when he got caught with the ball, after casually ignoring a couple of options. Coulson had a pretty good game as a midfield accumulator.

For WA, their fullback, Farrow, was possibly their best. Although his numbers were inflated by taking a lot of kick ins. Still, he did have some strong defensive efforts. Swadling in the midfield looked pretty classy. While I liked the game of the unfortunately named small forward, Wes Walley. He seems fast and skilful, and could possibly end up as a replacement for Michael Walters (assuming that he's tied to Fremantle, not West Coast).