2013 NSW/ACT Team of the Year

Of the 51 currently listed players in the AFL that began their careers in this region, these 22 have exhibited consistent on-field excellence throughout the 2013 season.

The players were chosen by AFL NSW/ACT General Manager Tom Harley, Deputy General Manager Craig Bolton and Manager – Talent & Coaching, Darren Denneman.

2013 has seen an explosion of NSW/ACT talent with 13 players making their AFL debuts, including eight who have been named in the Team of the Year.

The Sydney Swans and GWS GIANTS have the most NSW/ACT players on their respective lists with their players making up nine members of this team, including Swans co-captains Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack and GIANTS co-captain Phil Davis.

McVeigh and Jack were named in the 2013 All-Australian team for the first time while McVeigh was also named the Swans’ Best and Fairest winner.

Hawthorn stars Isaac Smith and Luke Breust each finished the season with Premiership Medals.

The Hawks have three players in the final team while the Western Bulldogs also have three representatives.

Harley said the selection of this team marked another important moment for talent in NSW and the ACT.

“NSW/ACT talent has reached new heights in 2013 with 13 debutants capping off a remarkable year,” he said.

“It is the highest-ever number of debutants from our region and it is a reflection of their impact on the AFL that eight have gone on to make the NSW/ACT Team of the Year.

“With Kieren Jack named Swans co-captain alongside Jarrad McVeigh, for the first time ever we have a local team led by two of our most successful local players – a great inspiration for the young players across the state.

“We’ve also seen the rise of Zac Williams at the GIANTS – the first player to graduate from the Slater & Gordon GIANTS Academy, be picked on their list and then play for the side.

“Every player in the NSW/ACT Team of the Year is a role model for the next generation of AFL players across our region, and I hope we see another fantastic year in 2014.”

This year NSW and the ACT experienced a growth of over 20 per cent growth in participation across the state and territory, including the greatest number of children participating in the Auskick program nationally.

Ben McGlynn (Sydney Swans) – Wentworth

Selected by Hawthorn with pick 55 of the 2006 Rookie Draft, McGlynn broke through in the 2007 season, playing 21 games as a member of the Hawks’ midfield. Along with Josh Kennedy, he was traded to the Swans at the conclusion of the 2009 AFL season and converted to a small forward role. The 174cm-tall Wentworth local has benefitted from playing in his home state, entrenching himself in the Swans’ first-grade side (though he unfortunately missed out on the 2012 Grand Final victory with a hamstring injury).McGlynn has shown remarkable consistency in front of goal for the Swans, booting 30 majors in each of the last three seasons.

Brandon Jack (Sydney Swans) – Pennant Hills

Another Pennant Hills junior, Brandon Jack joined his older brother Kieren at the Swans when the club picked him at number 58 in the 2012 AFL Rookie Draft. A product of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy, the 19-year-old made his AFL debut in Round 11 this year against the Adelaide Crows and went on to play nine first-grade games for the season. The son of Rugby League legend Garry Jack, he has inherited his father’s genuine speed and will hope to utilise this as he develops into a dangerous small forward. He was rewarded for his breakout season with a spot on the Swans’ senior list for 2014.

Brent Staker (Brisbane Lions) – West Broken Hill

A West Broken Hill junior, Staker made a successful return to the Brisbane Lions’ first-grade side in Round 8 after missing the entire 2012 season due to two reconstructions on his right knee. A tall utility player at 196cm, the 154-game veteran and former West Coast Eagle primarily played up front and kicked 21 goals in 15 games this year.

Craig Bird (Sydney Swans)- Nelson Bay

A Nelson Bay junior, Bird’s value to the Sydney Swans lies in his utility. Asked to play as an inside midfielder, tagger, and defensive forward, amongst other roles, the 24-year-old shone in the 2013 season and finished eighth in the Bob Skilton Medal. A product of Nelson Bay, Bird was drafted by the Swans in the 2007 AFL National Draft and has already clocked up 110 games for the club.

Dane Rampe (Sydney Swans) – UNSW-ES Bulldogs

A Clovelly native, Rampe enjoyed an outstanding debut season with the Swans in 2013, winning the club’s Rising Star Award. Having attended Newington College, Rampe only really considered the AFL when he was scouted whilst playing in a round-robin competition with friends one Friday night. The 23-year-old spent time in the VFL and AFL Sydney competitions before being taken by the Swans with pick 37 in the 2012 AFL Rookie Draft. A strong defender, he made his debut in Round 1 of the 2013 season, going on to play 23 first-grade games for the year. He has been elevated to the senior list for the 2014 season.

Dean Terlich (Melbourne Demons) – Osborne

Though rookie-listed by the Sydney Swans in 2008, Terlich never got the chance to play with the club’s first-grade side and was delisted after a year at the club. Having honed his skills with Norwood in the SANFL, the Osborne native was selected in the 2012 AFL National Draft by the Demons and made his debut in Round 2 of this year. He enjoyed immediate success and became a key contributor to Melbourne’s first-grade side, averaging almost 20 disposals per game and finishing third in the Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Medal, awarded to the club’s Best and Fairest player.

Dylan Addison (Western Bulldogs) – St George

St George junior Dylan Addison arrived at the Western Bulldogs in the 2005 AFL National Draft as a second round selection (pick 27 overall) and made his debut in 2006. After beginning his career down back, Addison spent the second half of 2012 establishing himself as a defensive forward. His transition proved valuable with his increased versatility adding some grit to the Dogs forward setup. The 26-year-old played 12 games in 2013 with a highlight his four goals against St Kilda in Round 9.

Isaac Smith (Hawthorn Hawks) – Temora

A Cootamundra junior, Smith played 24 games in 2013 as part of the Hawks’ midfield and averaged 20 disposals per game. The 24-year-old’s outstanding season, capped off with a remarkable goal from 55 metres out in the Grand Final victory over Fremantle, resulted in Smith being awarded the club’s Most Promising Player for the 2013 season. Having moved to Victoria to undergo a Sports Management Degree at the University of Ballarat, Smith starred as a member of the VFL Premiership-winning North Ballarat side and, despite being considerably older than most other eligible draftees, was chosen by the Hawks with pick 19 of the 2010 AFL National Draft.

Jarrad McVeigh (Sydney Swans) – Pennant Hills

The Sydney Swans co-captain produced a stellar season in 2013, winning All-Australian honours for the first time and securing his second Bob Skilton Medal. The Pennant Hills product demonstrated his versatility when he made a smooth transition from the midfield to a key defensive role. The younger brother of former Essendon midfielder Mark McVeigh, he was also the recipient of the Paul Kelly Players’ Player Award for the 2013 season and tied with Josh Kennedy for the Paul Roos Award for the club’s Best Finals player.

Jarrod Witts (Collingwood Magpies) – St Ives

A physically dominant ruckman at 208cm and 113kg, Witts made his debut for Collingwood in Round 6, 2013 at 20 years of age. After graduating from Barker College on Sydney’s North Shore, he was chosen by Collinwood with pick 67 of the 2011 AFL National Draft. Witts played seven first-grade games in the 2013 season and will look to use his considerable size to his advantage in the future.

Jason Tutt (Western Bulldogs) – Ainslie

The Canberra product was recruited in the 2009 AFL Draft with the Bulldogs’ second round selection (pick 31 overall). A highly impressive debut performance indicated the pacey outside midfielder had the attribtes to compete at the highest level. Boasting an impressive tank and penetrating kick, the 22-year-old played eight senior games in his first three seasons before breaking through for 11 games in 2013.

Josh Bruce (GWS GIANTS) – Eastlake

Bruce hails from the Eastlake district of Canberra, and it was in the nation’s capital that he made his AFL debut for the GIANTS in Round 5, 2012. Having played only three first-grade games in the 2012 season, Bruce increased this number to 11 for 2013. A former NSW/ACT Rams Under-18s representative, he is a tall, athletic player with the ability to slot in to both the forward line and defence.

Kieren Jack (Sydney Swans) – Pennant Hills

The runner-up for the 2013 Bob Skilton Medal and co-captain of the Swans, 2013 was the best season for Jack in what is already an impressive AFL career. Named in the All-Australian team for the first time this season, the Pennant Hills product tied for eighth in the race to the Brownlow Medal with 19 votes. Though he suffered through a nasty bout of glandular fever that derailed his pre-season preparations, Jack remained healthy throughout the 2013 season and played in every game for the Swans, kicking 24 goals in as part of the club’s potent midfield.

Lenny Hayes (St Kilda) – Pennant Hills

A three-time Best and Fairest award winner at St Kilda, Hayes only played 14 games in the 2013 season but did enough to demonstrate that he’s as vital as ever to the club’s success. Having grown up in the north-west of Sydney, Hayes played with Pennant Hills and the NSW/ACT RAMS Under-18s before being drafted by the Saints with pick 11 of the 1998 AFL National Draft. The Norm Smith Medallist for the 2010 drawn Grand Final between St Kilda and Collingwood, Hayes’ strong and consistent play in the midfield has been recognised through selection in the All-Australian side on three separate occasions.

Luke Breust (Hawthorn Hawks) – Temora

Drafted by Hawthorn with pick 47 of the 2008 Rookie Draft, Breust has become an integral part of the Hawks’ dominance and was a member of the 2013 Grand Final-winning side. A 2011 NAB Rising Star Award nominee, Breust placed fourth in the Peter Crimmins Medal race (awarded to Hawthorn’s Best and Fairest player) in 2012, and ninth in 2013. A medium-sized forward, the Temora junior booted 40 goals and played every match for Hawthorn this year.

Mitch Clisby (Melbourne Demons) – West Broken Hill

A member of the NSW/ACT RAMS Under-18 side in 2008 alongside Luke Breust, Craig Bird and Taylor Duryea, Clisby spent four years developing and refining his game with North Adelaide in the SANFL. Drafted by Melbourne with pick 19 in the 2012 AFL Rookie Draft, the 23-year-old from Broken Hill was chosen as the Demons’ mid-season rookie elevation after impressing for Casey Scorpions in the VFL.  Clisby made his debut in Round 13 this year against St Kilda and immediately impressed, picking up 24 disposals for the game and finishing with eight games for the year.

Phil Davis (GWS GIANTS) – Marist Canberra

One of the inaugural co-captains of the GWS GIANTS alongside Luke Power and Callan Ward, Davis was the only GIANT to play all 22 games in 2012, the new club’s first season. A tall defender, Davis was drafted with the selection 10 by the Adelaide Crows in the 2008 AFL National Draft, and in August 2011 became the first active AFL player to announce that he would be moving to play for the GIANTS. The Marist Canberra junior played 13 games in the 2013 season after being sidelined from Round 6 through 15 with a back injury.

Sam Rowe (Carlton Blues) – North Albury

Originally drafted with pick 60 of the 2005 AFL Rookie Draft by the Sydney Swans, Rowe was delisted by the club at the end of 2007. The North Albury junior played for Norwood in the SANFL from 2008 to 2011, booting 112 goals in 86 games before Carlton drafted him in the 2011 AFL National Draft. The 25-year-old Rowe finally made his debut for Carlton in Round 2, 2013 after being diagnosed with testicular cancer last year and sitting out the 2012 season whilst undergoing chemotherapy. He played 10 games this season as a ruckman and a forward.

Taylor Duryea (Hawthorn Hawks) – Wahgunyah

A 2009 AFL National Draft selection for the Hawks, Duryea is a former representative of the NSW/ACT RAMS Under-18s side. His strong work in defence meant that he was recognised as Hawthorn’s Best First-Year Player at the club’s 2013 awards night. Originally viewed as a forward pocket, the 179cm-tall Duryea moved to defence in the middle of a 2011 season spent with Hawthorn’s VFL affiliate Box Hill. The Wahgunyah native’s consistently strong play was rewarded with an AFL debut in Round 3 this year, and he played 18 games for the season. He played in the Hawks’ VFL Premiership-winning side and was named as an emergency for the 2013 Grand Final.

Tom Hawkins (Geelong Cats) – Finley

A premiership-winning forward and son of former Geelong champion “Jumpin’” Jack Hawkins, Tom Hawkins kicked 49 goals to be Geelong’s leading goal-kicker for the second year running. Originally from the Riverina region town of Finley, Hawkins’ impressive combination of skill and physicality saw him drafted by the Cats in the 2006 AFL National Draft under the father-son rule. Though he was hampered throughout the 2013 season by an ongoing back injury, Hawkins managed to play through the pain and be part of the side’s finals campaign.

Tom Young (Western Bulldogs) – Wollondilly

Signed by Collingwood as a NSW Scholarship rookie at 17, Sydney University’s Tom Young went on to win the Best and Fairest award with Collingwood’s VFL team in his first season before being traded to the Bulldogs at the end of 2012. Young is a 191cm defender with clean hands and a willingness to take the game on and his defensive work saw him play average 16 disposals in his 15 games in 2013.

Zac Williams (GWS GIANTS) – Narrandera

Hailing from Narrandera, of the Riverina Football League, Williams was chosen as a zone selection in the 2012 Rookie Draft by the GIANTS. The midfielder became the first graduate from the Slater & Gordon GIANTS Academy to make their debut when he was elevated to the senior list and played for the GIANTS in Round 5, 2013. Just 18 years old, Williams was nominated for the 2013 NAB Rising Star Award after starring in the GIANTS’ Round 19 victory over Melbourne and he finished with 11 games for the year.