Swans Academy Talent

[bloodspirit]

Here is an article that refers to Nick Blakey but is primarily about another promising Swans Academy player who is a year behind Blakey and has just been selected for the AFL Academy, Josh Rayner: Josh makes top grade for AFL Academy - sydneyswans.com.au.

I can't recall hearing much about him but given the track records of other Swans Academy graduates who have gone on to the AFL Academcy (Heeney, Mills and Blakey is there now) it bodes well for another graduate to get selected down the track. I hope there are many more to follow, not just first round picks either.

[liz]

He's got a decent pair of thighs on him for a 16 year old! It's good that the academy is finally producing some taller players of potential draft quality. The Lions have done fantastically well with tall timber through their academy (Andrew and Hipwood just for starters), and even the Giants have picked up a handful and passed in the draft on just as many.

[Mug Punter]

A big pair of mitts on him too holding the Sherrin.

Josh could be the third draftee out of the powerful Willoughby/Mosman combine as a further indication that the heartland of the game in Sydney is really in the North and East.

I'd be interested to hear of Barracuda's opinion of the draft talent in the three to four years below this year's crop which appears to be quite disappointing from a draft level whilst at the same time doing very well in the Academy series. Young Barling is yet another Willougbhy junior on the radar as well and is in Rayner's year.

You'd hope that a good spread of draftees through the rounds will appear over time. We'll need to let the odd one go and I have no problem with that as long as we get the one we really want.

[crackedactor]

He's got a decent pair of thighs on him for a 16 year old! It's good that the academy is finally producing some taller players of potential draft quality. The Lions have done fantastically well with tall timber through their academy (Andrew and Hipwood just for starters), and even the Giants have picked up a handful and passed in the draft on just as many.

He looks pretty solid for a 16 year old. Can be a bit of a worry. I remember in the 1990s (I think) when Richmond choose Banik as number one draft pick. When he was a failure ,they conceded he was too big and strong for other 16 year olds, and that is why he dominated that age group, however as he grew older and other kids became bigger players, he no longer could dominant a game with his size and strength. Not that's a hard and solid rule as displayed by Dusty Martin.

[Mug Punter]

He looks pretty solid for a 16 year old. Can be a bit of a worry. I remember in the 1990s (I think) when Richmond choose Banik as number one draft pick. When he was a failure ,they conceded he was too big and strong for other 16 year olds, and that is why he dominated that age group, however as he grew older and other kids became bigger players, he no longer could dominant a game with his size and strength. Not that's a hard and solid rule as displayed by Dusty Martin.

The late bloomers can often be the best but then again some players are stars from an early age.

I would actually support delaying the draftable age by a year, let kids finish their education without the added stress of getting drafted. Not sure what the replacement would be, making the TAC, WAFL and equivalent comps go to Under 19s perhaps.

The current system suits us though. We have stated that we are taking a "less is more" approach to our Academy kids in their final year of school. Now, I'm sure this is genuinely done with a view to their overall welfare but the cynic in me says that perhaps our kids realise they have that second pathway through the Swans and perhaps become a little less footy focussed in their final year of school and thereby fall down the draft order. Not that they become slack in their footy, it just takes a slightly back seat for a period.

[Boddo]

Rayner & Barling will be our best prospects for the '19 draft followed by Nicholas Brewer as well. Midfielder.

http://aflsj.com.au/delahunty-rayner-selected-for-nab-afl-academy-3/

NAB AFL Under 16 Championships - M.afl.com.au

No Cookies | Daily Telegraph

[AB Swannie]

That photo certainly makes him look like a big unit for a 16yr old.

[Boddo]

I put this link in the trading/list/drafting thread but I'll add it here

https://m.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FFutureStarsTV%2Fvideos%2F1840130602670850%2F&show_text=0&width=560

They had Rayner at pick 20.

The top 20 as Future Stars put it:

1. Noah Anderson (Oakleigh)
2. Emerson Jeka (Western Jets)
3. Matthew Rowell (Oakleigh)
4. Hayden Young (Dandenong)
5. Deven Robertson (Perth)
6. Jack Mahony (Sandringham)
7. Kysaihah Pickett (WWT Eagles)
8. Liam Delahuntly (Coolamon)
9. Jamieson Rossiter (Eastern Ranges)
10. Luke Jackson (East Fremantle)
11. Cameron Taheny (Norwood)
12. Sam Flanders (Gippsland)
13. Karl Finlay (Norwood)
14. Mitch Fitzpatrick (GC Academy)
15. Anthony Davis (Claremont)
16. Dylan Stephens (Norwood)
17. Caleb Serong (Gippsland)
18. Jared Dakin (Launcestin)
19. Dylan Williams (Oakleigh)
20. Josh Rayner (Willougbly)

Unsure who else is an academy as information about NGA's is hard to find

[Meg]

Unsure who else is an academy as information about NGA's is hard to find

Isn't it just. And to date very little publicity about the NGAs.

I doubt many AFL fans actually know they exist. As an example, when I was in Adelaide for the Crows match I mentioned them to my relatives (some Crows supporters, others Port supporters) and they all looked blank.

[Boddo]

Isn't it just. And to date very little publicity about the NGAs.

I doubt many AFL fans actually know they exist. As an example, when I was in Adelaide for the Crows match I mentioned them to my relatives (some Crows supporters, others Port supporters) and they all looked blank.

Just like so many articles that regularly mentions Blakey but not Thomas. A few rankings from early phantom drafters have Thomas ranked a pick or 2 higher. I have them basically the same. Their both between pick 6-9 for me ATM. Lukosious is my pick for 1 atm. Rediculous about the non information imo

[liz]

Isn't it just. And to date very little publicity about the NGAs.

I doubt many AFL fans actually know they exist. As an example, when I was in Adelaide for the Crows match I mentioned them to my relatives (some Crows supporters, others Port supporters) and they all looked blank.

And if you hang out on the Draft and Trading forum over on BF, barely a month goes by without someone starting a new thread whinging about why every club can't have their own academy. One Essendon fan, who clearly is fairly knowledgeable, commented that the Bombers are likely to get far more "hits" from their Tiwi Islands zone than the Swans have gotten, to date, from their NSW zone (in response to a fellow Bombers fan complaining how advantaged we've been to secure Heeney and Mills and how our academy will be an ongoing structural advantage to the Swans).

[Meg]

And if you hang out on the Draft and Trading forum over on BF, barely a month goes by without someone starting a new thread whinging about why every club can't have their own academy. One Essendon fan, who clearly is fairly knowledgeable, commented that the Bombers are likely to get far more "hits" from their Tiwi Islands zone than the Swans have gotten, to date, from their NSW zone (in response to a fellow Bombers fan complaining how advantaged we've been to secure Heeney and Mills and how our academy will be an ongoing structural advantage to the Swans).

The whinging part doesn't surprise me at all (but pleased to hear there is one Essendon supporter providing some balance).

I've had exactly the same sort of exchanges on 'The Roar' a few times with posters complaining about the Swans' Academy. I've generally given up on posting comments there (waste of time, sadly not a true discussion site). But I will be back with a few choice comments when the NGAs' start flowing through with priority picks!

[liz]

The whinging part doesn't surprise me at all (but pleased to hear there is one Essendon supporter providing some balance).

I've had exactly the same sort of exchanges on 'The Roar' a few times with posters complaining about the Swans' Academy. I've generally given up on posting comments there (waste of time, sadly not a true discussion site). But I will be back with a few choice comments when the NGAs' start flowing through with priority picks!

The match autopsy thread on the Bombers board was unusual in several ways:

- a handful of Swans fans contributed (cordially and diplomatically) and were mostly welcomed. Usually it doesn't matter how cordial an opposition fan is in one of those threads. They are usually either told to piss of or they are mocked;
- quite a number of Bombers fans were defending the Swans' academy, and subscribing to the view that Heeney and Mills wouldn't even be playing AFL if it weren't for the academy
- a handful were even defending COLA, pointing out that there was no evidence that the Swans had ever misused the allowance, and that since it has been phased out, the Swans have not had any apparent difficulty not only fitting in Buddy's salary but also resigning pretty much every other player they wanted to resign. Some (Sydney residents) even defended its "fairness" based on the cost of living in Sydney
- a couple went even further, pointing out to their fellow Bombers fans that the clubs from the traditional states, especially the bigger Melbourne clubs, have inherent advantages arising from their size, media focus, participation in marquee games etc, and that some forms of equalisation were inherently reasonable for the northern clubs.

Overall it was a bizarre experience reading the thread.

[Meg]

Wow Liz! Amazing, I wish there were more constructive and civil discussions of that ilk amongst fans of different clubs.

[dejavoodoo44]

The match autopsy thread on the Bombers board was unusual in several ways:

- a handful of Swans fans contributed (cordially and diplomatically) and were mostly welcomed. Usually it doesn't matter how cordial an opposition fan is in one of those threads. They are usually either told to piss of or they are mocked;
- quite a number of Bombers fans were defending the Swans' academy, and subscribing to the view that Heeney and Mills wouldn't even be playing AFL if it weren't for the academy
- a handful were even defending COLA, pointing out that there was no evidence that the Swans had ever misused the allowance, and that since it has been phased out, the Swans have not had any apparent difficulty not only fitting in Buddy's salary but also resigning pretty much every other player they wanted to resign. Some (Sydney residents) even defending its "fairness" based on the cost of living in Sydney
- a couple went even further, pointing out to their fellow Bombers fans that the clubs from the traditional states, especially the bigger Melbourne clubs, have inherent advantages arising from their size, media focus, participation in marquee games etc, and that some forms of equalisation were inherently reasonable for the northern clubs.

Overall it was a bizarre experience reading the thread.

Are you sure that it wasn't just a dream? That doesn't sound at all like an autopsy thread, to me. Actually, I would've found it slightly disapppointing, as the main reason why I occasionally venture to a losing opponent's autopsy thread, is to merrily chuckle at all the bitter, twisted and deranged angst on display.