GWS Giants and Sydney Swans to unveil youngsters in AFLX tournament at Allianz Stadium

THE Giants and Swans have gone for a combination of superstar runners, recruits and rising talent in their squads for Saturday’s history making AFLX tournament at Allianz Stadium.

GWS Giants players visited the Starlight Room at The Children's Hospital at Westmead today. Pictured is (left) Adam Tomlinson, Luke Nikolic 4, and Matt de Boer. Picture: David Swift.

The Giants and Swans have gone for a combination of superstar runners, recruits and rising talent in their squads for Saturday’s history making AFLX tournament at Allianz Stadium.

GWS number one draft picks Tom Scully, Lachie Whitfield and fellow running machine Adam Tomlinson will lead the GWS side which also features recruits Lachie Keeffe (Collingwood), Dylan Buckley (Carlton) and draftees Aiden Bonar (pick 11) and Nick Shipley (pick 64, Campbelltown).

The event will be a voyage into the unknown for all those involved including the players.

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“It’s pretty much all-out attack and no defence which sounds like good fun,” Tomlinson said.

“With the smaller ball we could just about kick the length of the field.”

The Swans have gone for a similar mix with Dane Rampe, Jake Lloyd, George Hewett, Sam Reid and Nick Smith providing the top end talent and Ollie Florent, Nic Newman, Colin O’Riordan and Tom McCartin the youth.

Sam Reid (left) and Oliver Florent have been selected for AFLX. Pic: AAP

Richmond have named three of their premiership players Dan Butler, Jason Castagna and Nathan Broad while the Western Bulldogs have named a very young team captained by Jack Redpath.

Gold Coast’s Sam May will play his first game since badly injuring his hip last year and Brisbane have included Allen Christensen who hasn’t played at senior level since round 11, 2016.

The AFL are expecting between 10,000 and 15,000 fans for the event which will kick off at 4.10pm when the Giants take on the defending premiers Richmond.

“It’s a great concept because we are trying to grow the game in Western Sydney and this game allows us to go onto rectangular football fields which we couldn’t before,” Tomlinson said.

Tomlinson and some of his Giants team mates visited the Starlight room at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead to help put smiles on some young faces.

Defender Matt deBoer has a long association with the Starlight Foundation and sits on their advisory board.

“The kids don’t know exactly who we are but their faces light up and they really appreciate the visits along with their families,” Matt deBoer said.

“The Starlight Foundation do great work and I have been connected with the organisation for a long time. I used to go to the kids hospital in Perth when my brother Chris was visiting a friend of his who was being treated for cancer.”

Giants players visited the Starlight Room at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. Adam Tomlinson and Matt de Boer dropped in on Luke Nikolic, 4. Picture: David Swift.

AFLX SQUADS

GWS

6. Lachie Whitfield

9. Tom Scully

10. Aiden Bonar

11. Will Setterfield

13. Isaac Cumming

31. Jeremy Finlayson

20. Adam Tomlinson

25. Lachlan Keeffe

33. Lachie Tiziani

34. Nick Shipley

36. Harry Perryman

38. Daniel Lloyd

41. Jack Buckley

42. Jake Stein

43. Dylan Buckley

50. Sam Reid

SYDNEY SWANS

32. James Bell

41. Jake Brown

7. Harry Cunningham

13. Oliver Florent

6. Jordan Foote

42. Robbie Fox

29. George Hewett

44. Jake Lloyd

31. Harrison Marsh

30. Tom McCartin

28. Nic Newman

38. Colin O’Riordan

24. Dane Rampe

20. Sam Reid

27. Daniel Robinson

25. Ben Ronke

1. James Rose

40. Nick Smith

45. Angus Styles

22. Dean Towers