RAMS stacked with Talent

The Riverina continues to be one of the top breeding grounds for AFL talent in NSW, with 27 players selected in the NSW/ACT RAMS squads for the upcoming U18 and U16 National Championships.
Wagga Tigers and Albury had the strongest representation, with both clubs providing three players each across the two squads, while Temora, North Albury, Lavington and Mangoplah-CUE all had two players picked.
The selected players will head into camp this weekend in Albury, with the first round of competition to be played in early June for the U18s and the U16 competition to follow in July.
Some of the Riverina players have finessed their footballing talents in the lead-in to Nationals at the Slater & Gordon GIANTS Academy, beginning their 2013 campaign in early November and developing their skills in the hope of one day becoming fully fledged AFL players.
RAMS Under-18 Head Coach Jason Saddington said he is excited about the challenge of a national tournament.
“We are extremely fortunate to have our players routinely involved in high level programs such as TAC Cup and Swans and GIANTS Academy programs.  The expertise of coaches within these programs allows our players to progressively develop their football skills, and more importantly their game awareness,” he said.
“The National Championships present a fantastic opportunity for our players to test their abilities against the best in the land, and we believe many have the attributes to stand up, be super competitive and turn heads.  We have fantastic resources on hand and aim to maximise the learning opportunity for all squad members through a challenging, enjoyable and rewarding environment.”
He praised exciting young Wagga Wagga talent Jake Barrett, a member of the Slater & Gordon GIANTS Academy, saying his desire to learn and his positive attitude will help him to have a big impact in the tournament.
“Jake is an elite endurance athlete with great character to compete,” said Saddington.
“Only taking up the sport three years ago, Jake has worked extremely hard on developing his skills to a level that has him primed to be a great contributor at the championships.”
Saddington also had good things to say about Albury product Kieran Ellis, saying his transformation from soccer superstar to representative AFL player in a short space of time was a fantastic achievement.
“Kieran is a great story in that he comes from an elite soccer background, first joining the Joss Talent Program only three years ago, and his elite running will be a great asset to us in the championships.”
The NSW/ACT RAMS are set to face Division One teams South Australia and Vic Metro before they contest the Division Two trophy against the Northern Territory, Tasmania and Queensland. The NAB National Championships are widely regarded as the starting point for future AFL footballers to begin their elite careers.
Fourteen U16 players and fourteen U18 players from the Riverina currently in the Slater & Gordon GIANTS Academy have been selected for the Rams State Squads. The players selected have been listed below.
U16 Rams State Squad selections:
Shaun Mannagh (Walla Walla)
Matthew Klemke (Henty)
Jake Marshall (Deniliquin)
Abraham Spargo (Scot’s)
Jay O’Donoghue (CDBHU)
Charlie Bance (Wagga Tigers)
Dylan McDonald (Albury)
Lachlan Flagg (Northern Jets)
Jock Cornell (Mangoplah-CUE)
Jack Irvine (Temora)
Sam Simmons (Mildura)
Harvey Daniher (Mangoplah-CUE)
Matthew Flynn (Narrandera)
Key Dates for U16 Championships
The U16 National Championships run from July  6-14; NSW/ACT play three games against Queensland, Tasmania and Northern Territory.
U18 Rams State Squad selections:
Michael Gibbons (Lavington)
Dylan Darby (Imperials)
Matthew Munro (Albury)
Jake Barrett (Temora)
Harrison Payne (Corowa-Rutherglen)
Kristian Cary (North Albury)
Brydon Hodgson (Lavington)
Kieran Ellis (Albury)
Ned Mabon (Hay)
Henry Delves (Griffith)
Andrew Wall (Wentworth)
Mitchell Mahady (North Albury)
Dougal Howard (Wagga Tigers)
Max King (Wagga Tigers)
Key Dates for U18 RAMS
May 16-19 – Camp in Albury including TAC Cup Match v Murray Bushrangers
May 23-26 – Camp in Coffs Harbour
June 1 – ROUND 1 v SA  in Sydney
June 9 – ROUND 2 v Vic Metro  in Melbourne
June 22 – ROUND 3 v NT in Sydney
For more information please check the Talent section of www.aflnswact.com.au