Preview: NSW/ ACT RAMS vs. Tasmania

By Bronte Kerr and Isabelle O’Brien.

When: Saturday June 20: 10am

Where: Fankhauser Reserve, Southport

Follow LIVE: LIVE blog at aflnswact.com.au, LIVE stream at afl.com.au

The stakes are high as the Division 2 National U18 Championships begins – a  make or break time for many players as they attempt to forge a pathway towards the AFL.

The NSW/ACT RAMS squad consists of players spanning the region, with locations as diverse as Gol Gol near Muldura, Nelson Bay in Northern NSW and the South Coast, as well as the Sydney region.  

The team, alongside head coach Tadgh Kennelly and assistants Jason Saddington and Michael O Loughlin, will hit the road north together following a morning train session on Friday.

The side will be without key players Matthew Kennedy and Callum Mills, who were both tipped by AFL draft expert Callum Twomey as two of the 20 most exciting talents of the Championships campaign.

Kennedy and Mills are both highly skilled and hard-working midfielders, and they’ll be missed by the NSW/ACT side when they take on Tasmania.

Another notable absence is midfielder and potential draftee Jack Irvine, who will miss the entire Championship series with an ACL injury.

The NSW/ACT midfield will have to come out with all guns blazing in order to compensate for the absence of these three exciting draft prospects.

Jacob Hopper (Leeton/Whitton) will be vital in NSW/ACT’s otherwise hampered midfield.

Despite previous injury concerns, the Level 2 AFL Academy Member is one to watch, and will captain the NSW/ACT side into Saturday’s game.

Hopper is highly regarded as a clean skilled and efficient competitor and is a likely draft prospect.

Up and coming defender Lachlan Tiziani (Murray Bushrangers) will be a welcome addition to the side, and has been honing his defensive skills in the NEAFL competition.

Tiziani has turned heads as a defender for the UWS Giants and is highly regarded for his ball skills and speed across the half back line.

Joining Tiziani in defence is North Shore Bombers defender Ryan Hebron.

Hebron, a mid-sized hard running defender, is known for his highly competitive nature and versatility in playing against a variety of opponents.  

NSW/ACT’s forward line will be strengthened by the inclusion of Harrison Himmelberg, a roaming forward who has recently relocated from Wagga to Canberra in order to play in the NEAFL.

Himmelberg is highly regarded for his elite level running capabilities and as a result is a dangerous prospect up forward.

Darren Simpson, the state football operations manager for AFL NSW/ACT said the NSW/ACT side is under no illusions about the tough task ahead of them this weekend.

“The Tasmanian side are known for their high intensity contested ball game and their physicality,” Simpson said.

“They are well-coached and well-structured so it always a difficult task beating Tasmania at any level, but the RAMS are looking forward to the challenge.”