Academy games 2024

[dejavoodoo44]

Another strong quarter, to be ahead 59-1 at half time. The Suns hardly looked like scoring, so I'm wondering if they're fielding an understrength side, or if we've got more overagers? But anyway, both our ball movement and pressure has been much better.

On a very small sample size, I'm starting to like number 2. He looks to be a good decision maker and a couple of his quick handballs in traffic were important in a couple of our goals. He got another goal after taking a contested mark, racing away and getting a free, after being pushed when shooting. He also applied some useful tackling pressure.

When the Suns got the ball forward, I thought our tall, curly haired key defender (26?) did well with his intercept marking.

- - - Updated - - -

Second quarter picked up almost where the first left off. There's a good smattering of decently developed footy skills right across the park. Number 33 continues to be a standout, but I reckon number 29 also looks like he knows what he's doing.

The most impressive element is the tackling intent, endeavour and execution skill, right across the team. I reckon the Swans lads must have earned themselves a dozen HTB frees to half-time. And legitimate ones, where the tacklee certainly had prior.

Yes, it's been good to watch. I just wish we knew who we're watching.

[dejavoodoo44]

The tall defender is 27. No 26 just put through a set shot from around 55 metres.

[dejavoodoo44]

The Suns were a little bit more competitive in that quarter, but we still extended our lead to 80-14.

[dejavoodoo44]

Ended up winning 111-30. Generally seemed too strong all over the field for the Suns.

I thought 8, 24, 25 and 26 did plenty of good things around the ball, assisted by some decent ruck work from 29 and 36.

Up forward, 33 added another goal in the last, to make it four for the day ( I think). Also kicked a few behinds. His strong marking suggests that he's a decent prospect. 34 and 2 each kicked a couple of goals. Good things seemed to happen when 2 was near the ball, so I'm looking forward to seeing how he develops.

Also looking forward to this team's first match in the national championship, when we take on the Giants on 29/6. Hopefully we'll have both commentary and a team sheet.

[dejavoodoo44]

There's a post on the Swans academy instagram account, that names the guy (33) who kicked four goals as Aidan McCartney. Which I'm pretty sure is the son of Jason McCartney.

There's a story on the North website, from 7/7 last year, that says that Aidan attended the annual North father/son day, although Jason didn't attend, and that he was 14 years old at the time. Hopefully he'll keep playing for our academy over the next few years, to get in plenty of bonding, before possibly having to make a decision between North and us.

Obviously things can change over the course of a few years, but he does seem a talent and he's probably going to keep growing.

[dejavoodoo44]

Allies did reasonably well to be behind 18-13 at the first break, in rainy, slippery conditions that really should favour Vic Metro. That is, Vic Metro have got a lot of highly rated inside mids, who should be able to force it forward from scrappy contest to scrappy contest. Whereas, the most impressive feature of the Allies play in their previous games, was their run and gun rebounding. Which is much more difficult in the wet.

All of our Swans have had some good involvements, with perhaps Chamberlain doing the best so far.

[dejavoodoo44]

Vic Metro further increased their lead to 38-22. Allies not really helping themselves by kicking 2-10.

[dejavoodoo44]

Allies did well in that quarter to decrease the lead to 43-36. Vic Metro didn't do themselves any favours by only kicking behinds. Which is probably fair enough, since most of their shots were from debatable umpiring. Allies applying plenty of tackling pressure, but aren't being rewarded with HTB frees. Instead, the umpires are paying hanging on too long, over the shoulder, etc.

[dejavoodoo44]

Vic Metro ended up winning by around three goals. I found the umpiring infuriating for a fair chunk of the last quarter. The Allies were doing really well, to get the margin back to one point. At that time, I think the free kick count was 12-8 to Vic Metro. By the time the margin had been stretched out to 18 points, the count was 21-10, including some soft shots at goal.

But mustn't spend too much time grumbling. Of the Swans involved, I thought young Chamberlain was possibly our best. Playing half forward flank and wing, he attacked the ball hard, won ground ball and showed his pace. Sometimes his disposal was a bit astray, but there's every chance that he'll convert back to his KPF role in his draft year. Our other underager, Carmichael, impressed with twenty, generally effective disposals. Kevin Sheehan actually compared him to Callum Mills, but I assume that was half back Mills, rather than midfield Mills. I also thought Cochran did really well. May not have got a lot of stats, but his frequent spoiling and occasional intercept marks, disrupted a lot of attacks.

[dejavoodoo44]

I decided to search for more info on the players, who were named as our best in the recent U16 game against the Suns. Generally I was only finding the sketchiest information, except for one guy, Mason McGroder. He's the ruckman who was playing in number 36. I thought he had a good leap and looked pretty agile. But according to this article, that's seriously underselling his athletic ability. That is, he won the Australian U20 long championship as a fifteen year old, and among other achievements, he won a silver medal in the U18 4 x 400 relay.

Mason McGroder: Youngest Australian Athlete Heads to 2024 World Under 20 Championships | St George & Sutherland Shire Leader | St George, NSW

Like Aidan McCartney, it looks like he's got to make a decision whether to remain with the Swans, but if he does, he could be a very exciting prospect.

[i'm-uninformed2]

Deja: keen to get your take as someone who consumes more of this than most on Cochran. From the bits I’ve seen, he looks a third tall who’s fairly athletic and can run, reads the ball in the air well and do the basics of defence well. I’m not yet sure how versatile he is - could he, for example, both cover a Jack Gunston type and a smaller, nippier forward, which the best third talls do - and whether he has the deep, penetrating kick you sometimes want from that role. Competent, but no more is my observation on his kicking.

He certainly looks draftable but where would you place him alongside a couple of similar players from recent years in Weddle and Michalanney? Both in style and talent? And what do you think would be his real point of difference at AFL level?

[dejavoodoo44]

Deja: keen to get your take as someone who consumes more of this than most on Cochran. From the bits I’ve seen, he looks a third tall who’s fairly athletic and can run, reads the ball in the air well and do the basics of defence well. I’m not yet sure how versatile he is - could he, for example, both cover a Jack Gunston type and a smaller, nippier forward, which the best third talls do - and whether he has the deep, penetrating kick you sometimes want from that role. Competent, but no more is my observation on his kicking.

He certainly looks draftable but where would you place him alongside a couple of similar players from recent years in Weddle and Michalanney? Both in style and talent? And what do you think would be his real point of difference at AFL level?

I guess it will depend on how his body develops. If he puts on more muscle, I could see him becoming a genuine kpd. If not, I think he'd still make it as a defensive flanker, whose rebounding skills would be very handy.

In regards to his versatility, I'm not sure if I've seen him play on a small forward, but prior to this season, I've seen him play as a ruck, a big bodied midfielder and a key forward. So he is versatile.

And the fact that he seems to have only settled into defence this season, makes me a bit more bullish about his future. In that, I suspect that he's still learning the position. His rebounding has definitely improved since the start of the year, to the extent that it was very impressive in the game against WA. That performance had me thinking that in a few years time, it might be sorta awesome to have both him and Blakey coming out of defence. I suspect that now that he's settling more into the defence, he's reading the game a bit better and consequently has more confidence to take the game on.

His kicking is possibly a bit hit and miss, but that could be a result of both trying to rebound in a hurry and still learning what's an optimum target to hit and what's a bit too ambitious. But I think his kicking is pretty good, without being an obvious asset.

I haven't really seen enough of the players you mentioned, to rate him against them, but in regards to draft range, I'm not really hearing anyone talking him up as a high draft pick. So, I'm guessing that he would be most likely to go in the 25-45 range. Which I feel pretty sure we'd match.

[dejavoodoo44]

He's also has very good closing speed and consequently gets in plenty of spoils in marking contests and can apply chase down pressure.

[i'm-uninformed2]

I guess it will depend on how his body develops. If he puts on more muscle, I could see him becoming a genuine kpd. If not, I think he'd still make it as a defensive flanker, whose rebounding skills would be very handy.

In regards to his versatility, I'm not sure if I've seen him play on a small forward, but prior to this season, I've seen him play as a ruck, a big bodied midfielder and a key forward. So he is versatile.

And the fact that he seems to have only settled into defence this season, makes me a bit more bullish about his future. In that, I suspect that he's still learning the position. His rebounding has definitely improved since the start of the year, to the extent that it was very impressive in the game against WA. That performance had me thinking that in a few years time, it might be sorta awesome to have both him and Blakey coming out of defence. I suspect that now that he's settling more into the defence, he's reading the game a bit better and consequently has more confidence to take the game on.

His kicking is possibly a bit hit and miss, but that could be a result of both trying to rebound in a hurry and still learning what's an optimum target to hit and what's a bit too ambitious. But I think his kicking is pretty good, without being an obvious asset.

I haven't really seen enough of the players you mentioned, to rate him against them, but in regards to draft range, I'm not really hearing anyone talking him up as a high draft pick. So, I'm guessing that he would be most likely to go in the 25-45 range. Which I feel pretty sure we'd match.

Interesting. I didn’t appreciate he hadn’t enjoyed a long history as a defender. Some blokes improve rapidly and rise to the occasion - like Cleary last year. - so let’s hope he’s one.

[dejavoodoo44]

Interesting. I didn’t appreciate he hadn’t enjoyed a long history as a defender. Some blokes improve rapidly and rise to the occasion - like Cleary last year. - so let’s hope he’s one.

I've just noticed that the first Rookie Me power rankings has been put out for the season.

AFL Draft Power Rankings: June 2024 - Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central

They don't mention him, so I assume that they rate him outside the top forty. If they're correct, I'd say that would be a definite bargain. Our current picks are 18, 19 and 56, so that would probably get rid of the need to split pick 19, if the feeling was that he might be bid on at around pick 20. That is, we could cover a pick in the forties, with pick 56 and a late future pick.

Our other players that are draft eligible this year and are playing for the Allies, Andreacchio and Harrison, aren't mentioned either, but personally I think that if either are picked up, it'd be via the rookie list, rather than the main draft.