Andrew Capel’s Road to the Draft: King of match-ups off SA coach’s agenda
SOUTH Australian under-18 coach Tony Bamford says he will not pander to the wishes of AFL recruiters and manufacture a battle of the giants match-up between No. 1 draft contenders when SA plays Vic Metro next week.
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SOUTH Australian under-18 coach Tony Bamford says he will not pander to the wishes of AFL recruiters and manufacture a battle of the giants match-up between No. 1 draft contenders Jack Lukosius and Ben King as the Croweaters chase national championship glory in Victoria.
SA — unbeaten after its first two matches — has a strong chance of winning its first AFL under-18 division one championship since 2014.
It plays its final two games against the Allies in Geelong on Friday and the other unbeaten team, Vic Metro, at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
Bamford said the impressive Croweaters, who feature four potential top-15 picks in Eagle Lukosius, West Adelaide speed machine Izac Rankine and midfielders Jackson Hately (Central Diustrict) and Connor Rozee (North Adelaide), are focused on continuing their excellent form and producing their best team football.
He said he would not consider creating a mouth-watering individual match-up because a couple of recruiting managers have suggested gun talls Lukosius and King, from Vic Metro, go head-to-head in the final match, which will likely decide the carnival, so they can better gauge their talent.
Sydney general manager of recruiting and list strategy Kinnear Beatson and Collingwood recruiting manager Derek Hine told the AFL website it "makes sense’’ to see the pair square off.
“If we’re meant to be making comparisons and think these guys could be the next Nick Riewoldt or so on, let’s see them come up against each other,” Beatson said.
“This is the perfect opportunity to do it. One could play forward for a half and one back and then they could both swap ends together.
“It makes sense and I’m sure the industry would like to see it happen. It’s all beneficial for the boys as well, as they are more closely able to monitor where they’re at with their own development too.”
King leads the championships goalkicking race with eight while Lukosius, who has played one less game, is second with seven.
The pair are primarily key forwards but also can play well down back or even on the ball.
Hine also supports a Lukosius-King match-up, saying it would offer recruiters a valuable insight into the top talents.
“I reckon it’d be great and not just for us as clubs but also from a marketing tool as well for the public,’’ he said.
“If that was communicated out there before the game so people could get along I think it would add an extra element to the game.
“It’s great to see the better players play on better players, it gives more scope for us to assess each of them against the best.”
But former Port Adelaide Magpies player and coach Bamford, who is in charge of the SA under-18s for the first time, said he would play Lukosius where it best suits the Croweaters.
“The recruiters get plenty of opportunities to assess players so all we will be concerned about is picking our best balanced team,’’ Bamford said before the team flies to Victoria on Thursday.
“We don’t spend any time worrying about where opposition players are going to play.
“I’d imagine King would spend his time forward so for the match-up to occur we’d have to play Jack back, which isn’t impossible but he generally plays forward for us.
“I would have thought (Sturt’s) Riley Grundy (younger brother of star Collingwood ruckman Brodie) would be a good match-up for King.
“Riley has been a really positive part of our group, he’s developed really well in the past month and his one-on-one defending has been very good.
“It’s possible to have that (Lukosius-King) match-up that everyone is dreaming of but we won’t be looking to control that.’’
Lukosius and the King twins, Ben and Max (who is out for the season following a knee reconstruction), are considered the best three talls in this year's draft pool.
Bamford said he has been delighted with how his team, which has won its two home games against Western Australia (89 points) and Vic Country (27) by a combined 116 points, has performed.
“They are a great bunch of young men to work with, such a committed group, and I’ve loved being involved with them,’’ he said.
“We’re really confident that we can go over to Victoria and be really competitive against both teams that we play.
“Hopefully we do well but the trip is not just about the games but also giving our guys a few different experiences while they are there to help them with their journey.
“We’re going to take the team to some AFL clubs to see their facilities and we’ve invited a few of our ex under-18s in Jack Graham and Callum Coleman-Jones (Richmond) and Caleb Daniel (Western Bulldogs) to spend some time with the boys to share their experiences as well.’’
The 25-man squad SA is taking to Victoria is: Jackson Hately, Jez McLennan, Aaron Nietschke (Central District), Finn Betterman, Will Gould (Glenelg), Oscar Chapman, Connor Rozee, Boyd Woodcock (North Adelaide), Kade Chandler, Jacob Collins, Ben Jarvis, Jacob Kennerley, Tyler Martin, James Siviour, Luke Valente (Norwood), Hayden Sampson, Tom Sparrow (South Adelaide), Riley Grundy, Tom Lewis, Mihail Lochowiak, Hugo Munn (Sturt), Izak Rankine (West Adelaide), Martin Frederick, Jack Lukosius, Kai Pudney (Woodville-West Torrens).
THE PRIDE OF SA
THE South Australian under-18s have no intention of changing their victory song, despite criticism from Port Adelaide greats Kane Cornes and Warren Tredrea.
High performance and talent manager Brenton Phillips said the SANFL would not bow to outside pressure and that the song — based on the Adelaide Crows Pride of South Australia tune — “blends in’’ with what the young Croweaters are trying to achieve.
Cornes and Tredrea argue that it is too biased towards the Crows in a two AFL team town.
Phillips, who coached the SA under-18 team for 10 years before handing the reins to Tony Bamford this year, said SA’s junior football teams have sung the same song for more than a decade.
“It’s been around for as long as I can remember,’’ said Phillips.
“It’s in our handbook and my understanding is that it started 12 or 13 years ago when we had a great win against Vic Country in Melbourne and the boys didn’t know what song to sing so
they used the Crows song and just changed a few words around.
Sing it loud boys! Great win today! #SAPride ðŸ‘👋👊 pic.twitter.com/ANCcRJcvIJ
— SANFL (@SANFL) June 17, 2018
“Instead of saying ‘the mighty Adelaide Crows’, we say the ‘mighty SA team’.
“I don’t think that should be offensive to anyone so we’ve got no intention of changing it.
“We’re a proud South Australian team that is just happy to sing the song because it means we’ve won.’’
Phillips pointed out that under-age representative teams from other States use the songs of other AFL clubs, with a few words changed.
Vic Metro celebrates to North Melbourne's ‘Join in the Chorus' tune, Western Australia sing to Sydney’s ‘Cheer, cheer the red and the white’ and the Allies theme is to Richmond’s “We’re from Tigerland’.
MATURE AGE WATCH
Jack Hayes
Woodville-West Torrens
The key forward was dominant in the Eagles’ 47-point thumping of Glenelg at the Bay on Saturday with five goals from 18 disposals and eight marks. The 22-year-old brother of Eagles teammate and former Brisbane Lion Nick Hayes, who was drafted at pick six at the 2012 rookie draft but didn’t play an AFL game, has enjoyed a standout season which saw him make the SANFL State team in just his second year of league football. A nice size at 193cm, Hayes is athletic, a strong mark and accurate kick who would have attracted the attention of AFL clubs. “I love hitting the scoreboard and taking a few pack marks,” he said.
John Butcher
Central District
Former Port Adelaide key forward booted six goals in a matchwinning performance in the Bulldogs’ upset five-point win against South Adelaide at Elizabeth on Saturday. Butcher’s return was his best since joining the Dogs from the Magpies last year and came from 13 disposals and five marks. The 197cm, high-leaping 26-year-old, who played 31 AFL games and kicked 41 goals for the Power from 2010-16 after being a first-round draft pick in 2009, has been a strong focal point for Central in his two seasons at the club. A strong mark, Butcher’s poor kicking brought an early end to his AFL career.
THE QUOTE
“At 190cm, he’s a modern-day on-baller who has had an immediate impact at league level. It’s a bit surprising for a 17-year-old to be able to make that step up so quickly but he has an excellent work ethic and a real hunger to learn and improve his football. Jackson is a terrific runner who can spread really well while also having a presence in tight. His height gives him a point of difference and allows him to get his hands free at stoppages and create good clearances.’’
— Central District coach Roy Laird on Jackson Hately.
PLAYER COMPARISON
Hugo Munn = Tom McDonald
BEST OF THE REST
Bailey Smith
Midfielder, Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
Top-10 draft contender was brilliant in Vic Metro’s win against Vic Country at the MCG on Sunday. The classy, pacy runner kicked three goals from 20 disposals while also laying five tackles. The Sandringham skipper is blessed with speed and has been one of the stars of the AFL under-18 championships. An extremely hard worker, Smith is said to be obsessed with football.
Xavier Duursma
Midfielder, Gippsland Power/Vic Country
The 185cm onballer was influential for Country in its 26-point loss to Metro with 19 disposals, six marks, seven inside 50s and five clearances. The son of former Sydney and Melbourne player Dean Duursma and nephew of Jamie Duursma, who played 59 games for Sydney (25), Brisbane (one) and Melbourne (33), possesses breakaway speed and looms as a first or second round draft pick.
PICTURE THIS
SA under-18 captain Luke Valente when he represented the Croweaters for the first time at under-12 level in 2012.
SAY WHAT?
If I was Carlton this year and you get the number one pick, there’s a midfielder out there that you just go and grab. I’m a fan of the kid himself, not even the football, take the football away. I just know he is a good person. Those people last a long time in football. He is not just a good player, you’re getting a great attitude. If I was Carlton, I think they need a bunch of midfielders, you got Patrick Cripps and Charlie Curnow, you can build your team around them. You’ve got Paddy Dow now, you would add another midfielder to it. I don’t think you need another centre half-forward.
— North Melbourne great and AFL games record holder Brent Harvey on SEN about Vic Metro midfielder Sam Walsh.
SA DRAFT FLASHBACK
Ryan Griffen
Selected by the Western Bulldogs from South Adelaide at No. 3 at 2004 national draft.
Brilliant midfielder will on Saturday against Hawthorn chalk up his 50th game for Greater Western Sydney after playing 205 games and kicking 130 goals for the Dogs from 2005-14 before being traded to the Giants for 2013 No. 1 draft pick Tom Boyd.
Griffen, 31, famously described himself as a “careless, chubby country kid who wasn’t really obsessed with footy’’ before he was drafted. Born in Goolwa, he was so shy that he didn’t even travel to Melbourne for the draft — a star-studded one that saw Brett Deledio go at one, Jarryd Roughead at two, Lance Franklin at five and Jordan Lewis at seven — instead watching it unfold on television. “It’s been a good journey,’’ Griffen said.
AFL DRAFT ORDER
(After Round 14)
1. Carlton
2. Brisbane
3. St Kilda
4. Gold Coast
5. Bulldogs
6. Fremantle
7. Essendon
8. Adelaide
9. GWS
10. Hawthorn
11. North Melbourne
12. Geelong
13. Adelaide (from Melbourne)
14. Port Adelaide
15. Collingwood
16. Gold Coast (from West Coast)
17. Sydney
18. Richmond
19. Adelaide (from Carlton)
20. Brisbane
21. Port Adelaide (from St Kilda)
WORTH WATCHING
SOUTH Australia plays the Allies in Geelong at 1.40pm on Friday before meeting Vic Metro at Etihad Stadium at 4.10pm on Wednesday when it hopes it will be in a position to claim the AFL under-18 championship. Both matches will be telecast live on Fox Footy.
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