RAMS ready for round two of the U18 Championships
The NSW/ACT RAMS will be looking to make it back to back wins on Sunday when they come up against Vic Country for round two of the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships at Blacktown Olympic Park.
Only two changes have been made to the team that defeated Northern Territory by 41 points in their opening round match of the Championships.
Coming into the side is Sydney’s James Brain and South Coast’s Tyson Carracher while Harrison Cumming and Sam Milne have both been rested.
Looking to impress on Sunday will be Sam Schulz and Mark Whiley who have just signed with the AFL’s 18th club – Team GWS.
AFL (NSW/ACT) State Talent Manager Darren Denneman said a number of players will come in and out of the team throughout the Championships.
“When you’ve got a squad of 57 players you need to rest a few players and with the 17 year-olds not being eligible for the draft this year, they’ll most likely be the ones that will miss a few games,” Denneman said.
“James Brain comes in after being sidelined with a knee injury and he has been solid at the local level and for GWS, so he’ll be looking for a big game in the midfield.
“Tyson Carracher played for the RAMS in the TAC Cup and he comes back into the side after a wrist injury and will be looking to kick some goals up forward.”
The RAMS gained a lot of confidence out of their first match of the Championships with a number of players impressing, including Anthony Miles, Josh Bruce and Tim Segrave.
Standing in their way is a Vic Country outfit that has produced a number of current AFL stars. Last year’s influential midfielder at the Championships, Dustin Martin, has just been announced as the Round 10 NAB AFL Rising Star Nominee.
After a 42-point victory over state-rivals Vic Metro, the Country side will be full of confidence ahead of their clash with the RAMS.
“We are playing one of the powerhouses of the competition and from all reports Vic Country was very impressive last week against Vic Metro.,” Denneman said.
“Given the likely rainy conditions on the weekend, the match comes down to the midfield and who will use the ball more effectively.
“We need to make sure we are consistent over the whole game, and not just 80 percent of the game, because if we drop off we’ll lose.”
The RAMS play Vic Country at 10am at Blacktown Olympic Park followed by the Queensland and Western Australia round two match at 12:30pm.
This is the last time the Under-18 RAMS will play in Sydney for the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships. The RAMS’ next match will be against Queensland on June 19.
