2008 AFL National U/18 Championships

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Originally Posted by Tippaz

as an Ess fan i'm super keen on Rich. he's exactly what we need.

just curious that they say he was "held" by Kirkwood.
as i thought tagging was supposed to banned at U18s. (which is a good rule)

Yeah, that point came up after the game (I agree it's a good rule for viewers, but it would be beneficial to recruiters to see how the player responds to a tag) - it would be interesting to see if there's a penalty for offenders or not. Kirkwood was by Rich's side at every stoppage without impeding his run with the arms loosely around the waist like the best AFL taggers do. He reacted well to Rich's actions and when Rich did touch it he couldn't get a clean break through and was forced to soccer it off the deck/give of a handpass. Depends how strict the 'tagging' interpretation is by the umpires, but I thought it was fair as there was no clear obstruction involved.

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Player Report from SA vs Tasmania

Eye catchers: SA v Tas

By Jason McCartney
7:26 PM Wed 04 June, 2008

Throughout the remainder of the 2008 NAB AFL under 18 championships, AFL youth and high performance coordinator and former AFL star Jason McCartney will give afl.com.au his thoughts on the players who caught his eye.

Here are his assessments after South Australia overcame a gallant Tasmania by 45 points at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA v TASMANIA

South Australia

Rhys O'Keeffe - He ended up with 20 disposals, but what I liked about him was that he had five hard-ball gets. He played as a rebounding, running half-back; he's a left-footer and he looks to be really hard at it. He runs the lines and is a straight ahead type of player. As a taller, running half-back, Rhys really complimented South Australia's key defenders. I thought on the day, he was one of their better players and I hadn't seen him before.

Paul Cahill - He came to our December AIS camp as one of the athletes who was close to getting a scholarship and we wanted to have a look at him. Paul stands at 192cm and he has a massive vertical leap, and he uses his great spring in the way he plays. He was pretty lively at full-forward and I thought he really turned the game for South Australia in the second half when he pushed out to centre half-forward. He only had the 10 disposals and kicked two goals, but he took five contested marking and stood out in the third quarter. Something happened around him all the time and if he didn't win the ball, he made sure the crumbers got it, so he was important throughout the game.

Matthew Martin - He is a 196cm key position player and the ball didn't get past him really at centre half-back or full-back. He was really strong overhead and for his size showed excellent agility. He handballed more than kicked - I don't know if he's got a heap of confidence in his kicking - but he was the rock South Australia built its defence around. I hadn't seen him before, so it was good to come across him.

Dale Armstrong - He had 22 disposals and I remember him playing in the under-16s last year. His ball use wasn't super during the under-16s carnival, but he has a great ability to continually win the ball. He was in the midfield and gave South Australia a lot of supply.

Hamish Hartlett - He didn't have a super game; he only had 11 disposals, but he kicked a couple of goals. For South Australia to do well in this carnival, it needs Hamish to stand up. Still, the 11 touches he had were just silk quality. He's played senior footy and he frees the arms in a tackle and is able to dish off under pressure. Once he gathered the loose ball with one hand, swiveled and two players hardly laid a glove on him before he steadied to run inside 50 and kick a goal. He wasn't prominent but the things he did were really good. Jackson O'Brien from Tassie ran with him and Tasmania named O'Brien its best - that's how much Hamish Hartlett is rated.

Lewis Johnston - He's a boy I've had a little bit to do with in the program. He's a key position player - centre half-forward or full-forward - and although he didn't have a lot of ground time, he made the most of his opportunities kicking four goals. He's a beautiful kick of the footy and a beautiful finisher.
He's got great timing in his leads and is quick off the mark.

Tasmania

Mitch Robinson - Mitch won the Harrison Medal in division two and I thought he was outstanding against South Australia. He did tire late in the game, but playing along the wing and in the midfield, he really took them on. He's a line-breaker and a penetrating kick. Mitch had 22 disposals and seven inside 50s and was super impressive. He probably set the scene for the whole team, taking on the opposition and his teammates followed his lead. He was really good.

Tom Allwright - He's a strong body-type at 185cm and 83kg. He played wing and through the midfield and was fantastically hard at it. He won 22 disposals and was really instrumental. He had a good division two series and continued it on this match.

Jesse Crichton - He's a bit of a lightweight at 183cm and 66kg. He's got the moppy, blonde curly hair and was super impressive. He really stepped up to the plate and plays with great intensity. He's got good speed and makes good decisions. He's a left-footer and ended up with 15 disposals. Jesse really does look like a league player and he's AIS eligible this year, so he'll come under the selectors' note. He's an exciting prospect as a bottom-aged kid. He really stepped up in elite older-age company.

Jacob Hislop - He is the younger brother of Tom, who plays at Essendon. Jacob is really hard at it and he kicked a great goal in the third quarter; a snap from the boundary line. He led the way and had 17 disposals, four clearances and six tackles, so he could really hold his head high.

Bart McCulloch - He didn't have a super game, but he continued to impress. He kicked three goals from limited opportunities and played a lone hand up forward and in the ruck because Aaron Cornelius didn't have the greatest game against South Australia. Bart ended up being the main target and his mobility at 198cm - you'd think he'd have a pretty bright future.

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Player Report from WA vs NSW/ACT

Eye catchers: WA v NSW/ACT

By Jason McCartney
7:37 PM Wed 04 June, 2008

Throughout the remainder of the 2008 NAB AFL under 18 championships, AFL youth and high performance coordinator and former AFL star Jason McCartney will give afl.com.au his thoughts on the players who caught his eye.

Here are his assessments after Western Australia ran away from New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory by 70 points at Subiaco Oval on Sunday.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA v NEW SOUTH WALES/AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

Western Australia

Matthew DeBoer - He stood out and was the leading possession winner for Western Australia with 24 disposals. He also had three tackles and seven inside 50s. Matty was eligible for the draft last year - as a 17-year-old - but chose not to nominate. He played through the wing and midfield and displayed a terrific work ethic. He created and used the ball well, going inside forward 50 and he's also had some senior experience this year at Claremont, showing some good form. He had experience at under-18 level last year and was very good first-up.

Kane Lucas - I've been super impressed with Kane for a while. He just continued on with the way I've seen him play during the AIS series. He played wing/half-forward and gained 21 disposals and four clearances. He uses the ball very well. More importantly for Kane, he's a great decision-maker and it looks as if he's got a lot of time with the footy when he's got it in his hands.

Michael Walters - Another AIS boy, Michael was quality. He didn't waste a possession after starting in the midfield in the first half and spent the second half up forward. He's extremely creative and booted three goals. He also ended up 20 possessions and had a really good game.

Lance Daly - He showed a little bit and kicked five goals. I hadn't come across Lance before, but he played predominantly as a key forward and at 191cm, he presented really well. He looked like a good forward and played the percentages all of the time. It will be good to see how he progresses through the carnival. Lance showed natural goalkicking instincts and he really looked the part.

John Bennell - John was another player I hadn't seen much of. He's an indigenous boy and he kicked four goals and showed great agility, pace and forward pressure. He's typical of the indigenous boys coming through and is exciting with the footy in his hands. It was a really good, consistent first up game from him.

Nick Naitanui - One of the big guns only had the eight disposals, but he had 20 hit outs and six tackles. He is unique. I haven't seen many players with that type of agility and ability to jump in the ruck. Also at ground level, his second and third efforts and the way he follows up is fantastic. The way he picks up the ball, sidesteps and takes on the opposition is great. But the thing for me in this match was to see him chase and tackle and not many of those tackles were in-close grab-'em tackles. They were chase downs of small, quick midfielders. So you can see why everyone gets excited and there is definite potential there. Nick's footy education is also coming along, but we mustn't forget he's still new to the game. We probably got to try and keep a lid on him a bit, even though he is a freak athlete.

Daniel Rich - The other big gun was solid without being outstanding. He had the 15 possessions and being a senior premiership player at WAFL level last year, he had a pretty tight tag placed on him. He wouldn't have rated his game as outstanding, but it was solid.

New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory

Ranga Ediriwickrama - Ranga's performance was so pleasing. He won 25 disposals, 10 hard-ball gets and five tackles. His workrate is phenomenal, even though he turned the ball over a bit. He was up against elite company and found plenty of the footy. I think Geelong would be absolutely delighted to have picked him up via the scholarship scheme. And he's a real quality kid to back it up with. The word 'can't' is not in his vocabulary. He continually works and works, so it was good to see him go about his business.

Dylan McNeil - Playing through the midfield, he provided great ball use and I was really impressed with his work in close. He gained 18 disposals and had seven hard-ball gets. His ability to get in there and win the hard-ball was impressive, so he can hold his head high with his performance.

Kade Klemke - He looked really good. He played across half-back and read the play well. He used the ball efficiently and had 18 disposals and took eight marks. It was the way he read the play that impressed. He got into position well to receive the switch. He looked very assured as well.

Mitch Frail - He had the massive job of running around for a lot of the game with Nick Naitanui. Mitch is in his first year of footy, but he just did a couple of things that suggested to me that there might be a future there. His footy education is a long way back, but he wasn't overawed at the task of playing on Naitanui. Probably because he doesn't know a lot about footy, it may not have meant a lot to be playing on Nick. He's very athletic Mitch and presented when he went forward and won the ball a few times. His got nine touches, but there is a bit to work with, particularly with his size at 198cm, even though he is living to his name and at 74kg is frail. With time, he could be OK, because he has good agility. He'll learn a lot from this series.

Mitch Clisby - Mitch had 16 touches, but he was good with his ball use.

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Match Report from NSW/ACT vs Vic Country

NSW/ACT steal upset victory

By Matt Burgan
3:29 PM Tue 10 June, 2008

NEW SOUTH Wales/Australian Capital Territory pulled off a magnificent come-from-behind five-point win over Victoria Country at Henson Park in Sydney on Saturday.

The Rams 11.6 (72) overcame Country 10.7 (67), becoming the first division two team to knock off a division one side since the NAB AFL Under-18 championship format changed this year.

NSW/ACT trailed by 27 points at the main break, but bounced back strongly in the third term with six goals to one. The Rams managed to keep their slim three-quarter time advantage throughout the final quarter to secure victory.

Geelong scholarship holder Ranga Ediriwickrama was again a shining light for the Rams, continuing his outstanding carnival with 25 disposals and six hard-ball gets. He also sent the ball out of defence and into attack, claiming three rebounds and four inside 50s.

Mitch Clisby was NSW/ACT's second highest ballwinner with 18 touches, as big man Mitch Frail impressed in the ruck and up forward, collecting eight hit-outs and chipping in with two goals. Jordan Foster was his side's leading goalkicker with three majors.

For Vic Country, John Butcher shone with four goals, as teammate Tom Rockliff impressed again with two majors. Jack Ziebell returned from injury and had 15 touches and five inside 50s.

NSW/ACT Rams 3.1 3.1 9.5 11.6 (72)
Victoria Country 2.3 7.4 8.6 10.7 (67)

GOALS
NSW/ACT: Foster 3, Breust 2, Frail 2, Reed, Kirkwood, Ediriwickrama
Vic Country: Butcher 4, Rockliff 2, McKenzie 2, Ziebell, Stevens

BEST
NSW/ACT: Ediriwickrama, Duryea, Frail, Klemke, Clisby, Reed
Vic Country: Butcher, Sheahan, Hooper, Ziebell, Sidebottom

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Match Report from SA vs WA

WA too good for SA By Matt Burgan
4:25 PM Tue 10 June, 2008

WESTERN Australia remains undefeated in this year's NAB AFL Under-18 Championships after thrashing South Australia by 64 points at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.

The Sandgropers 15.12 (102) defeated the Croweaters 4.14 (38) in a curtain-raiser to the Port Adelaide v Carlton clash.

Although South Australia displayed some grit in the second term, Western Australia produced a commanding second half with nine goals to one.

Gun Western Australian duo Nick Naitanui (18 touches, 13 hit outs and five hard-ball gets) and Daniel Rich (18 disposals, eight inside 50s and four clearances) again showed why they are two of the leading draft prospects in the country with fine performances.

But the matches of Nicholas Olds (four goals), Stephen Hill (16 touches), Clancee Pearce (20 disposals) and Jesse Laurie (21 possessions) were also outstanding for Western Australia.

For South Australia, Lewis Johnston impressed and was his team's best. His six contested marks from 10 grabs was a feature of his play. He also claimed five inside 50s and was just one of four South Australian goalkickers.

Western Australia 5.2 6.4 11.9 15.12 (102)
South Australia 1.3 3.7 4.9 4.13 (37)

GOALS
Western Australia: Olds 4, Yarran 2, Bennell, Naitanui, Daly, Pearce, Jetta, Marsh, Warner, Hill, Ross
South Australia: Hartlett, Mardling, Cahill, Redden

BEST
Western Australia: Hill, Pearce, Laurie, Jetta, Naitanui
South Australia: Johnston, Schoenmakers, Cahill, O’Keefe

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Match Report from Tasmania vs Vic Metro

Tasmania upstaged by Vic Metro at home

By Matt Burgan
5:08 PM Tue 10 June, 2008

VICTORIA Metropolitan thrashed this year's NAB AFL Under-18 second division championship winners Tasmania by 67 points at Bellerive Oval on Monday.

Vic Metro 12.8 (80) defeated Tasmania 1.7 (13) on the final day of the Queen's Birthday weekend triple-header, which saw elite under-18 matches staged in New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania.

Metro never looked in doubt after leading by 33 points at quarter time. It was during this term when the Apple Isle registered its only goal, courtesy of Tyson Mihocek.

The Vics had several standout players including forward Tom Lynch, who bagged four goals. Lynch was also Metro's leading ball-winner with 21 touches. He also gained nine hard-ball gets and impressed with his contested marking.

The only other multiple goalkickers for the match were Aaron Purves (three) and Jack Watts (two), while at the other end of the ground, key defender Michael Hurley again impressed. Luke Shuey also gained 18 touches and was among Metro's best.

For Tassie, Tom Salter continued his excellent carnival with a game-high 26 disposals, as did Hunter Harrison Medallist Mitch Robinson and teammate Jesse Crichton, who both collected 21 touches each.

Tasmania 1.0 1.1 1.5 1.7 (13)
Vic Metropolitan 6.3 7.4 12.5 12.8 (80)

GOALS
Tasmania: Mihocek
Vic Metro: Lynch 4, Purves 3, Watts 2, Joyce, Gilchrist, Stanton

BEST
Tasmania: Robinson, Salter, Crichton, Davies, Hislop, Milverton, Allwright
Vic Metro: Lynch, Banner, Shuey, Sloane, Hurley, Strauss

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Player Report from Tasmania vs Vic Metro

Eye-catchers: Tasmania v Vic Metro

By Jason McCartney
11:55 AM Thu 12 June, 2008

THROUGHOUT the remainder of the 2008 NAB AFL under-18 championships, AFL youth and high performance coordinator and former AFL star Jason McCartney will give afl.com.au his thoughts on the players who caught his eye.

Here are his assessments after Victoria Metropolitan easily accounted for Tasmania by 67 points at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on the Queen's Birthday holiday on Monday.

TASMANIA v VICTORIA METROPOLITAN

Tasmania

Mitch Robinson – Mitch again took the game on. That was something that really stood out against Vic Metro. He won 21 disposals, the equal of Tom Lynch, who was Vic Metro's highest ball-winner. He broke the lines, attacked and delivered really well by foot.

Mitch also delivered the ball inside 50 three times and he really sets the standard for his side. He also had six hard ball gets and five tackles. He was a very good player in division two and he has performed just as well at this level.

Jesse Crichton – Jesse was really clean with his ball use and hands. He had 21 disposals, which included 16 handballs, but they were really creative. He's only a lightweight at the moment at 66kg, but he's ferocious in his efforts – and also made six tackles. Once again he took the opposition on and some of his teammates need to follow his lead.

Aaron Cornelius – By his own admission he had a shocker last round and this week he started down back. His work-rate and body language were much better. He worked his way into the game and then returned to his more familiar surroundings up forward.

He grabbed the ball quite cleanly towards the end of the game and he ended up with six marks. It wasn't a super game, but he was starting to look dangerous. I really think he is now set for a big game against NSW/ACT on Saturday, after some positive signs in this match.

Victoria Metropolitan

Tom Lynch – An AIS boy, Tom played centre half-forward and full-forward and late in the quarter he really presented well. He marked well in the air and was good at ground level. He ended up with 21 disposals and kicked four goals.

It was really pleasing for 'Lynchy', considering he is coming off a full knee reconstruction last year. He's only been playing since Easter, but his preparation is second to none. He did everything that was asked of him in his rehab and he's reaping the rewards now. He maintained his fitness levels at such a high level that he has been able to play good footy since returning. Tom was really good in this match.

Shaun McKernan – The brother of former North Melbourne ruckman Corey McKernan has been really impressive. He's rucking and playing off the bench, so he's probably only playing 50 to 55 per cent ground-time, but he's very similar to Corey. It's incredible how similar they are.

Shaun really attacks the ball in the air and launches himself at the footy. His ruck-work has been really good. He's athletic and he's a really strong lad at 196cm and 95kg. Shaun only had eight disposals, but his tackling was good and he does set his team up.

Vic Metro kicked 6.3 in the first quarter and a lot of that was due to Shaun's ruckwork and aggression in the middle. Like we saw with Corey in his hey-day, Shaun just hit the ground running. He's a bit of an ace up Metro's sleeve, because he could also play a prominent role up forward during the rest of the carnival. I don't think there would be many defenders who could go with Shaun, if Metro decided to play him in the goalsquare. There have been some really good signs for Shaun.

Michael Hurley – Another AIS boy, Michael was All-Australian at this level last year. He doesn't rack up the stats, but he plays a typical Michael Hurley game every week – playing in a key defensive post, either on talls, mediums or smalls. He's a rock in the back-half.

He's strong overhead and he uses his body really well. Michael rarely gets beaten. He's a natural defender and we haven't seen him up forward during the carnival, yet, but I know he can play forward – he has done for the Northern Knights. I see him as a natural defender, who can spoil with his left and right hand, which is really important. He also anticipates well, although he isn't naturally quick, but he reads the play well. Vic Metro also builds a lot of its rebound around him. He also has a strong body and has the ability to feed off.

[ravadongon]

Player Report from NSW/ACT vs Vic Country

Eye-catchers: NSW/ACT v Vic Country

By Jason McCartney
10:26 AM Thu 12 June, 2008

THROUGHOUT the remainder of the 2008 NAB AFL under 18 championships, AFL youth and high performance coordinator and former AFL star Jason McCartney will give afl.com.au his thoughts on the players who caught his eye.

Here are his assessments after New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory pulled off a magnificent come-from-behind five-point victory over Victoria Country at Henson Park in Sydney on Saturday.

NSW/ACT v VIC COUNTRY

NSW/ACT

Ranga Ediriwickrama – Ranga continued his great form throughout the carnival with 25 disposals and seven hard-ball gets. He has a terrific work-rate and he's got that ability to win his own footy. He's also got a really good mix of winning contested and uncontested footy and he's starting to use the ball a lot better.

At times, he hasn't been as polished with his disposal, but he's continually working at that and I wouldn't list that as a negative, simply because of the way he gets it and he really does set it up for NSW/ACT. He's been a real barometer for his side and their results have been largely due to Ranga's performances.

Mitch Clisby – Mitch played on the wing. He really worked hard both ways – in defence and carrying the ball through the midfield and inside 50. He was really good against Vic Country. He worked hard with 17 disposals and five inside 50s. He was quite prominent.

Mitch Frail – Mitch continued to do a few things again to show he has a future in the game. His third quarter set the game up for NSW/ACT. He kicked two of NSW/ACT's six goals during that period and was playing in the ruck and up forward at the time.

He took a really good overhead mark, backing back with the flight. He then went back and kicked the goal. He also got another goal from a free-kick. It was quite breezy and, although NSW/ACT was kicking with the wind, when he kicked those two goals, it really did lift the team. Once again, he was very good below his knees. He also distributed well by hand and finished with 11 disposals and four clearances for the game, as well as his two goals.

Kade Klemke – Across half-back, he continually read the play well. He seems to have a really good head on his shoulders and I would think he has got really good leadership capabilities as well.
His decision-making has also been good, although he did make one poor decision late in the game, when he played on from deep in defence. He went to dish off and Vic Country intercepted and got a goal out of it. But he was really solid all day and held his side's backline together. He finished with 16 disposals.

Vic Country

Jamie Sheahan – He's a boy from the Murray Bushrangers and is schooling at Assumption College. In the first quarter, he was matched up against Ranga Ediriwickrama, but they played off each other a fair bit. He's a really nippy midfielder and is a good disposal of the ball.
He's got a few tricks and has a good sidestep, so he was quite prominent for Vic Country. Jamie finished with 21 disposals. He took a couple of contested marks. So for his size at 178cm – he actually knows how to use his hips really well in a marking situation and he provided some good drive and had five inside 50s.

Steele Sidebottom – He's one of our AIS/AFL Academy boys. Steele just loves a contest – there's no doubt about that. He's a really good clearance player and he started at half-back in the first quarter and finished the match with seven clearances. He also spent a bit of time in the midfield and across half-forward as well. He had 22 disposals, seven hard-ball gets and seven loose-ball gets.

Steele also has nice balance and he is clever around the stoppages. His disposal, however, was not always polished in this match, but he was still one of Vic Country's better players.

Jack Ziebell – Jack was very prominent in our AIS tour and won the Ben Mitchell Medal, awarded by the players, and the coaching staff also votes on three games. It was Jack's first game in four weeks after a quad injury, so he'd be reasonably happy with his first performance back.
He has good disposals – is a really good kick with both feet – and he's a good decision-maker and reads the play really well. Jack played half-back/midfield and Vic Country used him forward late in the game. He claimed 15 disposals and five rebound 50s.

He's one of the leaders of the group and he was pretty disappointed with the result after the game, but he's only going to get better from that performance after a month on the sidelines.

John Butcher – He's another AIS boy. John kicked four goals and he was really dangerous early on when Vic Country was getting the ball in quick. He looked like he was going to take the game by the scruff of the neck but then the supply really dried up.

He was good in the air and at ground level. He probably missed two gettable goals, but he's a really good target for the Vic Country boys. He's 197cm and he's got reasonable agility and if he plays in front and has his arms up, it's very difficult for the opposition to get the ball away from him.

[ravadongon]

Player Report from SA vs WA

Eye-catchers: SA v WA

By Jason McCartney 11:27 AM Thu 12 June, 2008

THROUGHOUT the remainder of the 2008 NAB AFL under-18 championships, AFL youth and high performance coordinator and former AFL star Jason McCartney will give afl.com.au his thoughts on the players who caught his eye.

Here are his assessments after Western Australia thrashed South Australia by 64 points in the curtain-raiser to the Port Adelaide and Carlton clash at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA v WESTERN AUSTRALIA

South Australia

Lewis Johnston – He was outstanding. In a losing side, which went down by 64 points, he was a standout. Playing at centre half-forward, he took 10 marks, including six contested. He also had five inside 50s and he was by far the best key position player on the ground.

He presented really well, but what was really great was his lateral movement. And that is such a key for a centre half-forward – you can't be just that one straight lead-up player. You've got to move laterally. He did it really well and his hands were superb all day.
That should be a benchmark performance for Lewis. If he can get his work-rate up like that for the remainder of the carnival, it's going to cap off a great series for him.

Christopher Hall – There is a bit of quality about him. He played half-forward and does go through the midfield at times. He uses the ball exceptionally well and he had 15 disposals against Western Australia. He goes and wins his own ball – he had three hard-ball gets – and he is quite clever with his stoppage work around the ground.

He had five clearances for the match. He kicked a couple of goals in South Australia's previous match against Tasmania, so he's someone who has jumped out in the last couple of weeks.

Paul Cahill – From limited opportunities up forward he continues to look a handy player. His kicking isn't super, but his athleticism is impressive. If South Australia can get the ball quickly into its forward line, Cahill can use his great vertical leap to his side's advantage. He kicked one goal against Western Australia.

Matthew Broadbent – An AIS boy, Matty was a really solid contributor. He had 15 disposals and four rebound 50s, but his hands are really good in close. He had a run-with role with Daniel Rich, Western Australia's captain, and I thought Matty did an exceptional job.
I was a bit surprised in the last quarter when they moved Matty back to half-back. He has been solid in both matches for South Australia and is one to keep having a look at.

Western Australia

Stephen Hill – Stephen was prominent in the last round. His GPS tracking results at Subiaco Oval last round suggested he ran 15 kilometres, which shows he has a fantastic work-rate. He played on Hamish Hartlett during the game – one of the stars for South Australia – and Stephen just went about his business by winning the footy. He was good overhead, he finishes well and he covers the ground well with a high work-rate. He's also quite lively.

Stephen finished with 16 disposals, but he actually spent the third quarter deep in defence, when Hartlett went forward. What impressed me about Stephen was that he kept winning the footy in his run-with role and was very dangerous. There is a lot of quality about him.

Clancee Pearce – Clancee was good again, winning 20 disposals, and had four hard-ball gets through the midfield. He's hard at the contest and he had a couple of centre clearances. He's proficient on the run with his kicking, without being exceptional, but when kicking in from a stationary position, he turned it over a few times.

I won't make a judgment on it at the moment, but it's something I'll watch over the rest of the carnival. But he's been a very good player in two games.

Nick Naitanui – He was very good. In Western Australia's first game, he did some quite remarkable things – even though he only had eight or nine disposals – but he had five hard-ball gets and five clearances.

What really stood out to me about Nick in this game was that he was really challenged in the first contest of the match. He went up in the ruck and produced a great leap, but he copped a heavy knock from the opposition ruckman. But Nick got straight back up and kept going, so he responded really well.

He was very effective with his hands, his work in and around the contest was great and his interception work was quite remarkable. An interception on Lewis Johnston was initially a smother, but then he actually marked the ball and then went inside 50 and found a target. He's still getting most of his disposals in and around the ruck contests, but personally, I would love to see him spend a bit more time up forward so we can see a bit more of the total package.

Daniel Rich – He started well and had a good battle with Matty Broadbent and I think his work-rate was a lot higher this week than his previous match. He is a quality player who uses the ball well and his left-foot is quite deadly and penetrating.

He had 18 disposals, eight inside 50s and four centre clearances. He also has a strong body. Daniel was back near his best, but there is no doubt he's going to have to contend with run-with opponents throughout the rest of the carnival.

[ravadongon]

Shifter's Wrap: Round 2

Shifter's wrap: NSW/ACT's big day out

By Kevin Sheehan 12:35 PM
Thu 12 June, 2008

ROUND two of the NAB AFL under 18 championships produced a significant moment when qualifier New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory upstaged Victoria Country – the first time a NSW/ACT team has defeated a Victorian side at under 18 level.

It was a fine effort from the Rams after they trailed by 27 points at half time before upsetting the more fancied Vic Country by five points at Henson Park in Sydney on Saturday.

Aided by a breeze in the third quarter, the Rams kicked six goals to one to lead by five points at the final change.

An early goal to Vic Country's John Butcher – his fourth for the match – put his side in front before a spectacular mark was taken by the Rams' Jeremy Kirkwood. He then kicked truly from a tight angle to put his side in front.

In a seesawing final term, full of intensity, a goal to Vic Country's Jack Ziebell gave the visitors the lead again. A free-kick soon followed to Michael Foster, who kicked a goal from 20 metres out, giving the Rams the lead again.

A frantic final three minutes from both sides, full of courage and commitment, resulted in the Rams holding on for a historic victory.

NSW/ACT captain Ranga Ediriwickrama was at his energetic and prolific ball-winning best, with defenders Scott Reed and Taylor Duryea also among the Rams' standouts.

Medium midfielder Mitch Clisby (18 possessions) continued his good form for the Rams, who were also well-served by the excellent disposal work from defender Kade Klemke.

The luckless Vic Country team has now lost both its matches by less than a goal, but it should take some heart from the performances of onballer Jamie Sheahan and Butcher's four majors. Ziebell also made an impressive return from injury.

NSW/ACT now travels to Launceston on Saturday, where it will take on Tasmania at Aurora Stadium. Vic Country fronts Western Australia at Subiaco Oval on June 21.

On Sunday, Western Australia continued its impressive performances of recent years when it produced a convincing 64-point win over South Australia at AAMI Stadium in the lead-up to the Port Adelaide and Carlton clash.

Western Australia's pace and quick movement of the ball mirrored its win last round over NSW/ACT.

Again it was left-footed midfielder Stephen Hill and defender Clancee Pearce who set the standard and were the Sandgropers' best.

Spring-heeled ruckman Nick Naitanui provided his team with great supply at the stoppages, but his defensive skills and preparedness to run down and tackle opponents – both tall and small – was very impressive. It's what sets him apart from the other ruckmen.

The duel between Western Australia's Daniel Rich and South Australia's Matthew Broadbent in the midfield was absorbing. Both were good contributors for their respective teams. Rich's lethal left foot and Broadbent's attack on the ball and clean hands were prominent.

South Australia's best was undoubtedly Lewis Johnston, who showed outstanding mobility and skill in the air. He was the focal point all day. Defender Rhys O'Keeffe was also one of South Australia's best with his dash from defence.

At Bellerive Oval on Monday, Victoria Metropolitan made it two from two with a workmanlike 67-point win over home side Tasmania in the final match of round two.

The Vics played a much more direct style of play despite there being only one disposal difference between the two teams. But it was the Metro's 43 inside 50s to Tassie's 25 which resulted in the Vics' 12 goals to one.

Vic Metro forward Tom Lynch kicked four goals and won 21 disposals. He continually provided a consistent avenue to goal. Aaron Purves also impressed with three first-quarter goals.

Hard-working midfielders Mitch Banner and Luke Shuey were good players for Metro, while big men Shaun McKernan and Jordan Lisle again impressed with their attack on the ball and strong marking.

For Tassie it was again Jesse Crichton and Mitch Robinson who won the ball through the midfield. They were impressive with 21 disposals each, while they made good decisions and provided good run for their team.

Highly-credentialed key forward Aaron Cornelius started down back before switching back into his more familiar attack and worked hard for his team in the second half, providing a strong target. He also worked hard defensively in an encouraging display.

With round two completed, Vic Metro and Western Australia have emerged as the only undefeated sides. Those two teams will clash in the final match of the championships on July 9 at Telstra Dome in what looms as the potential title play-off.

But for the moment, Metro will now have a break before travelling to Adelaide, where it will take on South Australia at Adelaide Oval on June 22 to complete round three.