NSW/ACT players join AFL Clubs

The number of NSW and ACT players on AFL lists is on the rise following the NAB AFL Draft on the Gold Coast, with four more local players joining the twelve already pre-listed players.

This equates to a record 16 players on AFL lists in 2011 following the GWS Giants pre-listing six players and five others guaranteed to be rookie-listed by AFL Clubs on December 7.

One major coup for the TPP was 2010 premiers Collingwood primary-listing western Sydney locals Trent Stubbs with Pick 77 and NSW Scholarship holder Tom Young with Pick 104. Young has spent the past 12 months in Melbourne where he claimed the Best and Fairest this year for Collingwood’s VFL team.

The first player to be drafted last night who originated from NSW/ACT was 21-year-old Isaac Smith to Hawthorn with Pick 19. Smith was part of the TPP as an 18-year-old but then moved on to study in Ballarat. Smith was followed in the draft by Hay’s Ben Mabon who was selected by North Melbourne with Pick 71.

AFL (NSW/ACT) State Talent Manager Darren Denneman said all players should be congratulated on being drafted.

“This is a fantastic achievement for Ben, Tom, Trent and Isaac and a great reward for their hard work and commitment to developing their footballing abilities over the years,” Denneman said.

“To players who were unfortunate not to be drafted, there are still future
opportunities in the rookie and pre-season drafts this year and beyond.

“It is a testament to all involved at AFL NSW/ACT that the number of local players on AFL lists continues to rise.”
 
Eleven NSW/ACT players had already been pre-listed by AFL clubs heading into the NAB draft while Blake Bray joined the NSW/ACT contingent on November 23. The Greater Western Sydney Giants secured Jacob Townsend, Kurt Aylett, Sam Schulz, Anthony Miles, Mark Whiley and Josh Bruce and they will rookie-list Tim Segrave in the Rookie Draft.

On top of this, Hawthorn will rookie-list Sydney’s Will Langford and Wollongong’s Jack Mahony, the Adelaide Crows will place Merimbula’s Sam Martyn on their rookie-list as will St Kilda with Sydney local, Jackson Ferguson and Carlton with Tahmoor’s Blake Bray.

The majority of this year’s draftees participated in the Talented Player Program (TPP) during its inaugural year in 2006. Since then, when three NSW/ACT players were drafted, the number of locals on AFL lists rose to nine in 2009 and now 16 in 2010. 

Encouragingly of the total number of NSW/ACT players on AFL lists this year, six of them are from Greater Sydney. 

A further 39 players are already on NSW Scholarships with AFL Clubs. The Scheme ended in July this year to accommodate the introduction of the Sydney Swans and GWS Academies. The current Scholarship holders will remain with their respective clubs until they are eligible to be drafted when they turn 18.
 
The Academies will provide players with a direct pathway to their respective AFL Club where they will receive first-hand coaching from past players and experienced coaches.

AFL State Manager – NSW/ACT Development Simon Laughton said the future is bright for local players aspiring to make the AFL. 

“There are a number of opportunities now available for NSW/ACT players to make the AFL with the establishment of the two AFL Club Academies,” Laughton said.

“With at least 16 NSW/ACT players drafted this year it is not unrealistic to think this number will increase in the future especially with the expansion of the national competition to 18 teams.

“On top of this the new North East Australian Football League will provide local players from NSW and the ACT with more exposure to the elite competition with the Sydney Swans, GWS Giants, Gold Coast and Brisbane Lions all playing in the same competition next year.”

The NAB AFL Rookie Draft and NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft will be held on December 7 at 10am.

Player Bios:

Isaac Smith
Draft Pick: No 19, Hawthorn
Height: 187cm
Weight: 75kg
DOB: 30/12/88
Club: North Ballarat Roosters (Vic), Rebels (2006) 
Info: Isaac played for the Rebels in the Talented Player Program in 2006 where he weighed 62kg and was 180cm. Since then the medium forward has enjoyed an impressive rise – especially in recent months. Began the 2010 season playing with Redan in the Ballarat league in central Victoria. Was part of the Victorian team that won the national bush footy championships and was then invited to play with North Ballarat in the VFL. By the end of the year he had played in a VFL premiership. Has exceptional pace, endurance and agility.

Ben Mabon
Draft Pick: No 71, North Melbourne
Height: 200cm
Weight: 81kg
DOB: 14/06/92
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, North Ballarat Rebels (Vic) 
Info: Aggressive and athletic ruckman with excellent work ethic and technique with his stoppage work. NSW/ACT representative at the 2010 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.

Trent Stubbs
Draft Pick: No 77, Collingwood
Height: 186cm
Weight: 77kg
DOB: 26/03/92
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, East Coast Eagles (NSW)
Info: Medium forward was on a NSW scholarship with Hawthorn. An athletic player, he toured South Africa with the AIS-AFL Academy team and has attracted plenty of attention from recruiting scouts since.

Tom Young
Draft Pick: No 104, Collingwood
Height: 192cm
Weight: 89kg
DOB: 26/04/1992
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, Sydney University, Campbelltown (NSW)
Info: Tom Young, who hails from Bowral, about an hour and a half south of Sydney, played his junior football for the Wollondilly Football Club. The 188-centimetre signed with Collingwood  in 2008 and moved down to Melbourne at the end of 2009.  He played every VFL match (20) for the VFL Magpies the following season. The developing young gun excelled at halfback and averaged 19 disposals and four marks a game.

Sam Martyn
AFL Club: Adelaide Crows
Rookie-List: To be rookie-listed on December 7
Height: 185cm
Weight: 70kg
DOB: 07/04/1992
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, Merrimbula (NSW)
Info: Coming from an athletics background, Martyn has made the successful transition to AFL through the guidance of the AFL (NSW/ACT) Talented Player Program and the Adelaide Crows. Sam is an exceptional athlete and has developed at a rapid rate over the years. He will join the Crows in the NAB Rookie Draft on December 7.

Jack Mahony
AFL Club: Hawthorn
Rookie-List: To be rookie-listed on December 7
Height: 178cm
Weight: 79kg
DOB: 07/05/92
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, Wollongong (NSW)
Info: Strong and fast defending player with an ability to pick up possessions. 69 disposals over five games during the TAC Championship, at 62.3% efficiency.

Will Langford
AFL Club: Hawthorn
Rookie-List: To be rookie-listed on December 7
Height: 186cm
Weight: 76kg
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, Easts (NSW)
Info: Will, the son of Hawthorn great Chris Langford, plays with Easts FC in Sydney. Displaying excellent athleticism, Will plays across half back or in the midfield and has an outstanding training ethic. Will represented NSW in the AFL Under-18 competition in 2009, but missed in 2010 due to injury and illness.

Jackson Ferguson
AFL Club: St Kilda
Rookie-List: To be rookie-listed on December 7
Height: 193cm
Weight: 83kg
DOB: 23/10/92
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, Holroyd/Parramatta (NSW)
Info: Strong, tall defender. Surprisingly quick on his feet for a big man. Played three games in the TAC Cup for an average of seven possessions a game.

Blake Bray
AFL Club: Carlton
Rookie-List: To be rookie-listed
Height: 191cm
Weight: 83kg
DOB: 07/07/92
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, Western Suburbs (NSW)
Info: Tall forward who can take a good grab. Has immense power and speed for someone of his build. Averaged nine disposals at 58 per cent efficiency when representing NSW/ACT in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.

Tim Segrave
AFL Club: GWS Giants
Rookie List: To be rookie-listed on December 7
Height: 191cm
Weight: 86kg
DOB: 03/02/92
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, Murray Bushrangers (Vic)
Info: Tall defender from Corowa-Rutherglen in southern New South Wales who has power and pace to burn. Was an impressive contributor for the NSW/ACT Rams at the NAB AFL Under-18 championships.

Mark Whiley
AFL Club: GWS Giants
Draft Pick: Pre-listed
Height: 188cm
Weight: 84kg
DOB: 1/12/1992
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, Finley (NSW)
Info: Whiley was one of GWS’ first signings as a 17-year-old. Whiley, a rebounding defender from Finley has developed through the AFL (NSW/ACT) Talented Player Pathway.

Anthony Miles
AFL Club: GWS Giants
Draft Pick: Pre-listed
Height: 182cm
Weight: 75kg
DOB: 28/02/92
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, Murray Bushrangers, Albury
Info: Miles, an inside midfielder from Howlong near Albury, is hailed as a natural leader, having captained both the Under-16 and Under-18 NSW/ACT Rams at the NAB AFL Championships. Miles was runner up in the Murray Bushrangers TAC Cup Best and Fairest in 2009 as a bottom-age player.

Kurt Aylett
AFL Club: GWS Giants
Draft Pick: Pre-listed
Height: 190cm
Weight: 77kg
DOB: 02/04/92
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, Leeton-Whitton
Info: Aylett, who grew up in Leeton, played with the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup after moving south to attend boarding school in 2009. An athletic midfielder with an excellent endurance base, Aylett has been a part of the AFL NSW/ACT Talented Player Program since he was 13, playing for the state at both under-16 and under-18 level.

Sam Schulz
AFL Club: GWS Giants
Draft Pick: Pre-listed
Height: 183cm
Weight: 77kg
DOB: 19/09/92
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, Culcairn
Info: Shulz impressed for the Riverina-based Rebels during the NSW Under-18 Joss State Zone Trials at Coffs Harbour in January and has followed up with strong performances since. In February, the right-footer bettered Hawthorn premiership player Trent Croad’s vertical leap record (83cm) by 3cm during a camp in Melbourne.

Josh Bruce
AFL Club: GWS Giants
Draft Pick: Pre-listed
Height: 194cm
Weight: 92kg
DOB: 08/06/92
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, Eastlake
Info: Bruce is a key position prospect from Canberra’s Eastlake football club. Bruce’s great strength is his endurance running, which sets him apart from other players his size.

Jacob Townsend
AFL Club: GWS Giants
Draft Pick: Pre-listed
Height: 185cm
Weight: 75kg
DOB: 20/06/93
Club: NSW/ACT RAMS, Leeton-Whitton
Info: The 17-year-old was selected for the AIS-AFL Academy Program. He is a developing utility with great skills.