Academy AFL Academy 2024 vs Coburg Lions Game

[Davo-27]

Mraz outmarked, shouldve gone stronger at the ball, but Coburg Bella too strong

 

[Davo-27]

O'Farrell good spoil, followed by a good spoil from Trainor

 

[Davo-27]

strong grab from Gross

 

[Davo-27]

Smillie intercept and kicks from 50m out of bounds lol, Lombard to Mentha again, missed

1/2 time
AFL Academy 4.9 33
Coburg 7.4 46

 

[roos_fanatic08]

O’Farrell and Trainor been super impressive in the back half. O’Farrell not getting the intercept marks but lots of spoils and showing good defensive craft.

 

[noobermensch]

I'm going to have a bit of a whine. This is a big day in the lives of these kids and their families, a milestone day on the draft calendar. And we get a couple of commentators that clearly dont know any of these kids and are reading their names off a sheet trying to match names and numbers, along with a camera operator that at times struggles to keep up with the play.

At least they started the stream on time this year, so that's something. Surely there are TONS of budding commentators out there that follow the draft and know who these kids are that could be given a chance on the mic?

I might be being a bit harsh here.

 

[CountryLad]

I'm going to have a bit of a whine. This is a big day in the lives of these kids and their families, a milestone day on the draft calendar. And we get a couple of commentators that clearly dont know any of these kids and are reading their names off a sheet trying to match names and numbers, along with a camera operator that at times struggles to keep up with the play.

At least they started the stream on time this year, so that's something. Surely there are TONS of budding commentators out there that follow the draft and know who these kids are that could be given a chance on the mic?

I might be being a bit harsh here.

No fair enough.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

I'm going to have a bit of a whine. This is a big day in the lives of these kids and their families, a milestone day on the draft calendar. And we get a couple of commentators that clearly dont know any of these kids and are reading their names off a sheet trying to match names and numbers, along with a camera operator that at times struggles to keep up with the play.

At least they started the stream on time this year, so that's something. Surely there are TONS of budding commentators out there that follow the draft and know who these kids are that could be given a chance on the mic?

I might be being a bit harsh here.

Unfortunately it’s pretty common between these matches and the championship matches. It’s pretty frustrating that some commentators only know 5-6 names max.

 

[Futbolista]

I'm going to have a bit of a whine. This is a big day in the lives of these kids and their families, a milestone day on the draft calendar. And we get a couple of commentators that clearly dont know any of these kids and are reading their names off a sheet trying to match names and numbers, along with a camera operator that at times struggles to keep up with the play.

At least they started the stream on time this year, so that's something. Surely there are TONS of budding commentators out there that follow the draft and know who these kids are that could be given a chance on the mic?

I might be being a bit harsh here.

Well said mate. They will choose a want to be sports broadcaster in training (any sport) over subject knowledge every time.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Ashcroft been pretty wasteful with his disposal imo, plenty of dump kicks long down the line and out of the contest. Usually a lot cleaner.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

CampoRAHLY?
MoRARS?
MoRA-RES?
Tra-VAG-lia?

 

[RedmanWasHere]

CampoRAHLY?
MoRARS?
MoRA-RES?
Tra-VAG-lia?

Quoting myself here but, rule of thumb for Italian surnames featuring a GL fragment in it.

It's a silent G sound much like one you'd see in Coniglio.

Gotta get your tongue wrapped around it.


Callers only seem to get the anglo surnames right.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Ben Campo has bloody good hands. Ugly kicking action though

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Lombard been really impressive today, very clean and covering the ground really well.

Carlton would be licking their lips at the prospect of two gun midfielders who can play both inside and outside.

Hotton been really classy aswell, really like his movement. Find him hard to place though, not sure if ends up a half forward or midfielder at AFL level.

 

[CountryLad]

We got the score back on screen

 

[bluebaggerjuls]

Ben Campo has bloody good hands. Ugly kicking action though

hopefully we can fix that up because its clearly affecting his ability to have a penetrating kick on the run

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Still not sure where this Tra-VAG-lia stuff is coming from.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

hopefully we can fix that up because its clearly affecting his ability to have a penetrating kick on the run

Very Aaron Naughton like. Needs to go work with a bio mechanist or a kicking coach if he wants to fix it up imo. Still gets involved plenty with the rest of his game.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Bit of a basic summary from my perspective.

Curious to see if anyone saw it any different?

Luke Trainor BOG today, intercepted well and used his composure and kicking skill to impact the contest.

Taj Hotton was super impressive, with his movement and goal sense, but wasteful in front of goals though.

Father sons Levi Ashcroft and the Campreale twins were next best, all of them had plenty of disposals but at times were wasteful with their possession, especially kicking. GC Academy player was Leo Lombard was super impressive as well, kicking was on point and he covered the ground well.

Smillie was really good, probably the cleanest clearance player on the ground. Using his hands to open up space around the contest.

On the KP front Jobe Shanahan and Jack Whitlock drifted in and out of the match. Both had a couple of shots on goals each and both had a couple of really nice contested marks. Delivery to them though was very poor throughout the game. Down back, I thought Harry O’Farrell competed really well considering he was giving away 10-15kg to his opponents, didn’t get many disposals or marks, but his spoiling was fantastic, and the game really highlighted his closing speed.

Harvey Langford had some really nice moments playing across half back and on a wing. His long kicking was a real feature.

Christian Moraes drifted in and out of the game, had some good moments, but also was a bit wasteful with a few of his inside 50’s.

Jagga Smith was industrious…he had a fair few disposals, clearances and tackles but probably didn’t stand out all that much imo.

All in all it was a bit of a scrappy affair, but a few players put themselves into the spotlight more, particularly Trainor & Hotton.

 

[noobermensch]

Bit of a basic summary from my perspective.

Curious to see if anyone saw it any different?

Luke Trainor BOG today, intercepted well and used his composure and kicking skill to impact the contest.

Taj Hotton was super impressive, with his movement and goal sense, but wasteful in front of goals though.

Father sons Levi Ashcroft and the Campreale twins were next best, all of them had plenty of disposals but at times were wasteful with their possession, especially kicking. GC Academy player was Leo Lombard was super impressive as well, kicking was on point and he covered the ground well.

Smillie was really good, probably the cleanest clearance player on the ground. Using his hands to open up space around the contest.

On the KP front Jobe Shanahan and Jack Whitlock drifted in and out of the match. Both had a couple of shots on goals each and both had a couple of really nice contested marks. Delivery to them though was very poor throughout the game. Down back, I thought Harry O’Farrell competed really well considering he was giving away 10-15kg to his opponents, didn’t get many disposals or marks, but his spoiling was fantastic, and the game really highlighted his closing speed.

Harvey Langford had some really nice moments playing across half back and on a wing. His long kicking was a real feature.

Christian Moraes drifted in and out of the game, had some good moments, but also was a bit wasteful with a few of his inside 50’s.

Jagga Smith was industrious…he had a fair few disposals, clearances and tackles but probably didn’t stand out all that much imo.

All in all it was a bit of a scrappy affair, but a few players put themselves into the spotlight more, particularly Trainor & Hotton.

All good stuff, just wanted to add that Moraes (or was it Moares, Morares or Mores?) left the field after that knee in the back and didnt come back on. Was that late in the third I think? Tough blow as I thought he had worked his way into the contest nicely after a slow start.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

All good stuff, just wanted to add that Moraes (or was it Moares, Morares or Mores?) left the field after that knee in the back and didnt come back on. Was that late in the third I think? Tough blow as I thought he had worked his way into the contest nicely after a slow start.

That probably explains why it felt like he drifted in and out a bit!

Just read the AFL report and was surprised that Tom Gross had 21 disposals, didn’t feel like I seen him have that many touches.

 

[andleanback]

I'm going to have a bit of a whine. This is a big day in the lives of these kids and their families, a milestone day on the draft calendar. And we get a couple of commentators that clearly dont know any of these kids and are reading their names off a sheet trying to match names and numbers, along with a camera operator that at times struggles to keep up with the play.

At least they started the stream on time this year, so that's something. Surely there are TONS of budding commentators out there that follow the draft and know who these kids are that could be given a chance on the mic?

I might be being a bit harsh here.

This game used to be a fox footy production and played at the g. Seems like they’ve cut back costs

 

[GoTigers2015]

AFL Draft 2024: News, stats and scouting notes from AFL Academy v Coburg VFL match​

A Victorian key defender caught the attention of a raft of recruiters as he played a starring role for the AFL Academy side in a key exhibition match on Saturday.

Luke Trainor pushed his draft stocks in a match against VFL side Coburg at Ikon Park, overshadowing a host of big-name top-10 prospects to secure the best-on-ground medal with a huge performance down back.
The 194cm Sandringham Dragons product continually read the play well, was solid one-on-one against some bigger bodied opponents and took some quality intercept marks in the air.
He also provided plenty of drive off half-back for the AFL Academy side, racking up 20 disposals for the match.
Trainor trained with St Kilda during pre-season and has drawn some comparisons to Essendon’s Jordan Ridley

14

Jordan Ridley

Age

26

Ht

195cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.6

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

4.5

3star

M

6.4

5star

T

1.7

4star

MG

244.8

4star

D

17.0

4star

K

11.9

5star

HB

5.1

3star

M

6.7

5star

T

1.7

3star

MG

265.4

4star

D

13.8

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

4.2

4star

M

5.2

5star

T

1.4

4star

MG

208.2

4star

.
Some believe that he could also be developed into a tall forward in time.
In a draft pool that is expected to be dominated by midfielders at the top of the order, Trainor shapes as one of the leading key position prospects early in the year.

A quartet of father-son prospects also shone brightly in the AFL Academy’s 27-point loss to Coburg.

Levi Ashcroft – who is a father-son option for the Brisbane Lions – was the leading possession winner on the ground with 33 disposals playing a mix of midfield and forward roles.

Ashcroft also logged five clearances and kicked a nice goal in the third quarter.

Carlton father-son prospects Lucas and Ben Camporeale were both prolific across the afternoon.

Lucas racked up 25 disposals and seven rebound 50s playing primarily on the wing, while Ben gathered 24 disposals and two clearances spending his time across halfback and onball.

Adelaide father-son Tyler Welsh, son of Scott Welsh

Scott Welsh

Age

46

Ht

188cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.6

2star

K

6.9

3star

HB

2.7

2star

M

3.8

4star

T

1.4

3star

G

1.8

5star

No current season stats available

D

2.6

1star

K

2.2

1star

HB

0.4

1star

M

1.2

2star

T

0.2

3star

G

0.2

3star

, also caught the eye as a strong marking key forward, finishing with eight disposals, seven marks and a goal.

Other standouts included Gold Coast Suns Academy midfielder Leonardo Lombard (18 disposals, one goal) and Victorian midfielders Jagga Smith (22 disposals) and Josh Smillie (20 disposals).

Late inclusion Taj Hotton – who spent time on a wing and forward – gathered 16 disposals and kicked two goals.

The AFL Academy is set to play a second match against Footscray’s VFL side on April 27 or 28.

STATS AND SCOUTING NOTES ON EVERY PLAYER

Levi Ashcroft

33 disposals, 5 clearances, 1 goal

The Brisbane Lions father-son prospect started in the midfield but also spent some time forward. He was the leading possession winner on the ground, and finished with a nice third-quarter goal. His ability to break the lines at stages caught the eye.

Ben Camporeale

24 disposals, 2 clearances, 3 inside-50s, 4 rebound 50s, 6 tackles

The Carlton father-son prospect began the day in defence before spending some time onball. He was a key link-up player, primarily on the outside of the contest.

Lucas Camporeale

25 disposals, 7 marks, 7 rebound 50s

Spent most of the day on the wing, where he was able to get up and down the ground and provide some run and carry. Some of his kicks were better than others, though.

Leonardo Lombard

18 disposals, 4 inside-50s, 2 rebound 50s, 1 goal

An exciting prospect for the Gold Coast Suns as part of their Academy. Started in the middle and found plenty of the ball early. Gets from contest to contest, is a real competitor, has a nice side-step through traffic and possesses and clean hands. Was rotated forward for large potions of the match, kicking one goal in the second quarter.

Sam Marshall

18 disposals, 4 marks, 2 clearances

A Brisbane Lions Academy member who is boarding at Melbourne Grammar this year, Marshall started across half-back before spending time on a wing where he provided some run.

Ricky Mentha

9 disposals, 2 marks, 3 inside-50s, 1 goal

The small forward had limited opportunities. However, he showed some class when he was around the footy, snapping a lovely banana goal on the run in the third quarter and showing off a lovely spin out of trouble in the final term. Has some speed and some tricks.

Christian Moraes

16 disposals, 2 marks, 2 clearances

The Eastern Ranges product played on a wing and onball. He only had three kicks before being crunched in a marking contest during the third quarter and leaving the field.

Jagga Smith

22 disposals, 3 marks, 3 clearances

Traditionally a midfielder, Smith is spending some time as a forward this year to show his ability in another position. He started at half-forward, before rotating onball. He’s had better games but it is clear that he has some real talent and a high footy IQ.

Jayden Nguyen

12 disposals, 2 marks, 3 rebound 50s

A late inclusion for the Academy side due to some injuries. The 177cm Calder Cannons defender worked hard, primarily playing a lockdown role. He is part of Essendon’s NGA Academy.

Joel Cochran

13 disposals, 2 marks, 3 rebound 50s

Part of the Sydney Swans Academy, the 195cm tall rebounder spent most the day in defence.

Tom Gross

21 disposals, 5 marks, 3 clearances

Started forward and missed an early snap on goal before getting some midfield minutes. Took a nice contested park in the second quarter.

Harvey Langford

16 disposals, 3 marks, 4 inside-50s, 1 goal

The 190cm big-bodied midfielder had some moments onball and also spent some time across halfback and forward, kicking a goal in the opening term. Cracks in hard for the footy and showed off his penetrating kick at times.

Noah Mraz

7 disposals, 1 mark

Was a tough day down back for the defenders, including the 198cm Dandenong Stingrays product. He did his best to compete in the air but was outmarked by bigger bodies at times.

Harry O’Farrell

11 disposals, 5 marks, 2 rebound 50s

The 196cm Calder Cannons tall impressed in a key post in defence. He didn’t win a huge amount of the ball but showed some very good defensive craft and made some important spoils.

Jobe Shanahan

7 disposals, 1 mark, 1 goal

The 194cm key forward started well, slotting a first-quarter goal from a free kick in a marking contest. He missed two snaps on goal in the second and third quarters, but took a nice contested mark.

Josh Smillie

20 disposals, 5 clearances, 6 tackles

A big-bodied midfielder at 194cm who has drawn comparisons to Patrick Cripps

9

Patrick Cripps

Age

29

Ht

195cm

Wt

93kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.9

5star

K

9.8

4star

HB

16.1

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

5.8

5star

CL

7.4

5star

D

21.0

5star

K

10.1

4star

HB

10.9

5star

M

2.5

3star

T

3.8

4star

CL

6.3

5star

D

12.6

4star

K

4.8

2star

HB

7.8

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.2

5star

CL

1.4

4star

, Smillie has been discussed as a potential No.1 pick. He was busy early in the midfield, showing his strength around stoppages and cleanness at ground level. He was rotated across half-back and was rarely beaten there. Of Smillie’s touches, 10 were contested.

Luke Trainor

20 disposals, 4 marks, 3 inside-50s

Won the best-on-ground medal for his work down back. The 194cm interceptor from the Sandringham Dragons was seemingly everywhere and finished the game as the name on the lips of recruiters around the ground. He competed strongly against some bigger-bodied forwards, read the play well and worked hard up the ground. His kicking was clean and provided some rebound out of defence, with 14 of his touches being kicks.

Taj Hotton

18 disposals, 5 marks, 3 tackles, 2 goals

One of the additions to the Academy squad due to injuries, the hard-running Sandringham Dragons product started on a wing and covered the ground well. He applied some good pressure and slotted goals in the second and fourth quarters, but missed a couple of other opportunities.

Tobie Travaglia

15 disposals, 4 marks, 3 rebound 50s

A 187cm halfback from the Bendigo Pioneers, Travaglia showed his mobility, was brave in marking contests and won some intercepts. He generally looked composed when he won the ball back.

Oliver Dean

4 disposals, 1 mark, 8 hitouts

The 201cm Tasmanian toiled in the ruck all day but battled against some stronger and more seasoned opponents.

Jack Whitlock

9 disposals, 2 marks, 3 hitouts, 2 goals

An early-season draft bolter from the Murray Bushrangers, the rangy 200cm key forward made the most of relatively few opportunities. He kicked two second-half goals, including one from a nice contested mark in the last quarter. Was also used as a back-up ruck to Dean.

Tyler Welsh

8 disposals, 7 marks, 3 inside-50s, 1 goal

It wasn’t quite as big a game as his five-goal haul at Ikon Park in the under-18 national championships last year. However, the Adelaide father-son prospect and 191cm forward still showed some great signs as he presented well and took some strong overhead marks.

 

[PMBangers]

Hard to take much from the game when watching the replay, think Trainor cemented himself as the best KPP in the class heading into Champs but everyone else just had moments

 

[Jen2310]

replay.

Match Replay: 2024 Marsh AFL National Academy Boys v Coburg

The 2024 Marsh AFL National Academy Boys take on Coburg at IKON Park

www.afl.com.au