The curtain may well have fallen on their clubs for 2014, but for 40 plus players the season importantly continues this weekend.
The AFL Victoria Young Guns match, a curtain raiser to Sunday’s Preliminary Final which draws talented players from all across Victoria - from the VFL, TAC Cup, community and country leagues - provides players another opportunity to impress AFL recruiting staff.
While no one can say with surety their recruitment was as a direct result of the Young Guns match, it’s worth noting that AFL listed players Sam Dunnell, Paul Seedsman and Andrew Collins all played in the Young Guns match in recent years.
And, last year the match featured James Toohey, who was rookie listed by Geelong.
It’s also worth noting that James Munro, Tom Gribble, Nick Rippon and Nick Prowse also played in last year’s match and they’ve all progressed to play meaningful roles with their respective VFL clubs this season.
Gribble was named in this year’s Peter Jackson VFL Team of the Year.
AFL Victoria High Performance manager Anton Grbac said the Young Guns’ origins dates back to an All Stars match that featured players who had played in Division 2 teams of the AFL U18 Championships and TAC Cup players who weren’t going to any of the Combines to give them more exposure in front of the recruiters.
Grbac said the Young Guns caters for players who may have been injured for a chunk of the season, whose team is out of the finals, and who recruiters would like another opportunity to see.
It’s basically for players age 23 or younger, but an older player can play depending on the interest from AFL recruiting staff.
“It basically expands the net for other players outside of the so-called talent pathway to get an opportunity to play in a good standard game in front of the recruiters,” Grbac said.
Bendigo Pioneer Jaden McGrath, a former AIS Academy member, who has missed a chunk of the season through injury, is one player who’ll play in the match.
Ben Cavarra, the Eastern Ranges premiership captain and dual best and fairest, who topped Frankston’s voting in the JJ Liston Trophy in his first VFL season, is another who’ll play.
Darren Flanigan, the AFL Victoria VFL Academy coach, said more than 140 nominations were received when this year’s Young Guns match was first mooted back in early August.
Flanigan said there was a mix of players from the VFL, TAC Cup to Old Trinity & Old Xaverians in the VAFA as well as stretching as far as Shepparton and Barwon.
Players are either nominated by their respective Talent/Region Manager, but those nominations receive greater weight if they receive an AFL club nomination. Multiple nominations from AFL clubs virtually ensures a player a place in the Young Guns match.
Pat Swayne from Frankston Football Club and Matt Jones from the Dandenong Stingrays will coach the respective teams.
The squad will train twice this week prior to the game, where final fitness tests will be done to determine availability for the match on Sunday, 11am at North Port Oval.
Hawthorn pair Matt Suckling and Ryan Shoenmakers will also play in the Young Guns this weekend.
Jake Aarts |
Bendigo Gold |
Sam Heavyside |
Bendigo Gold |
Jaden McGrath |
Bendigo Pioneers |
Blake Poyser |
Bendigo Pioneers |
Jake Maher |
Bendigo Pioneers |
Daniel Davie |
Bendigo Pioneers |
Dale Gawley |
Casey Scorpions |
Adam Saad |
Coburg Lions |
Ozgur Uysal |
Coburg Lions |
Michael Hartley |
Coburg Lions |
Aaron Cotte |
Eastern Ranges |
Chris Jones |
Eastern Ranges |
Ben Cavarra |
Frankston |
Josh Pickess |
Frankston |
Michael Randone |
Geelong Falcons |
Zak Sherman |
Geelong VFL |
Fraser Fort |
Geelong VFL |
Christian Buykx-Smith |
Gippsland Power |
Declan Keilty |
Gippsland Power |
Liam Nash |
Gippsland Power |
Ryan Shoenmakers |
Hawthorn FC |
Matt Suckling |
Hawthorn FC |
Tyrone Armitage |
Manly Warringah |
Connor Brown |
Murray Bushrangers |
Tom Holman |
Murray Bushrangers |
Jayden Short |
Northern Knights |
Garrett McDonagh |
Northern Knights |
Zach Ballard |
Northern Knights |
Bailey Jordan |
Northern Knights |
Tom Templeton |
Nth Ballarat Rebels |
Jesse Palmer |
Nth Ballarat Rebels |
Sam Bennett |
Nth Ballarat Rebels |
Nick Rippon |
Nth Ballarat Roosters |
Michael Powell |
Nth Ballarat Roosters |
Bryce Curnow |
Nth Ballarat Roosters |
Anthony Scott |
Old Trinity |
Guy Dickson |
Port Melbourne |
Blake Pearson |
Port Melbourne |
Nick Prowse |
Port Melbourne |
Jack Noone |
Sandringham Zebras |
James Munro |
Sandringham Zebras |
Elliot Le Grice |
Sandringham Zebras |
Daniel Willis |
Shepparton |
Tom Stewart |
South Barwon FNC |
James Darke |
Torquay |
Thomas Gribble |
Werribee |
Jake Sharp |
Werribee |
Jason Robinson |
Werribee |
Liam Carter |
Western Jets |
Duom Dawam |
Western Jets |
Last Modified on 14/09/2014 00:23