NAB League 2019: Oakleigh Chargers finalise list ahead of season
Developing ruckman Nick Bryan looms as one of Oakleigh Chargers’ feel-good stories this year after emerging over the summer as an AFL draft fancy.
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Developing ruckman Nick Bryan looms as one of Oakleigh Chargers’ feel-good stories this year after emerging over the summer as an AFL draft fancy.
Bryan was listed among the best players in two of his three games last season, and appears set to be on recruiters’ radar in 2019.
Oakleigh coach Leigh Clarke said Bryan, a Glen Iris junior, had been one of the club’s most impressive performers over pre-season.
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He said 200cm Bryan first emerged through last year’s AFL Victoria Young Guns series.
“He’s really mobile, which is the impressive part with him. He’s got an immature body as you would expect at that age but certainly shows mobility to be able to play around stoppages and get up forward also,” Clarke said.
“I asked him a couple of weeks ago if he was fair dinkum about his footy and he was a bit scared to answer. I just wanted to know if he was fair dinkum because people want to know but he’s showing that signs that he’ll continue to trend upwards.”
Forward Tom Graham will be one of two 19-year-old father-sons on the list.
Tom’s father Mark played 223 games for Hawthorn before spending one year at Richmond, where he added a further 20 appearances.
Top-age player Zac Hart, Lachlan Johnson and Daniel Romero are also father-son prospects to watch.
Hart’s father Ben played in Adelaide 1997 and 1998 premierships, while Johnson old man Chris played in Brisbane’s hat-trick of flags in the early 2000s.
Romero could join the long list of father-sons at the Western Bulldogs after his father Jose played 122 games for the club.
Clarke said East Burwood key forward Hannin Mundy (191cm, 89kg) would be another to watch throughout the season.
“He’s had ongoing quad injuries … he’s had a frustrating 18 months. We haven’t seen the best of him by any means,” Clarke said.
“Two years ago he was a ruck that played midfield but at that size we’ve been playing him up forward. He’s really good one-on-one but we’ve just got to encourage him to be a little bit more mobile and get up and back a bit rather than just staying home and doing his work there.”
Noah Anderson, Trent Bianco, Dylan Williams and Matthew Rowell have already been touted as first-round national draft picks.
Rowell emerged as a contender during last year’s finals, named best afield in the grand final.
“We’ve set some pretty high standards for them so we’ll challenge them on maintaining those high standards and to go as high as they can,” Clarke said.
“They’re four individuals that don’t really need any pushing in the right direction. They’re all very driven. Bianco, Anderson and Rowell are completely driven — dot the i’s and cross the t’s — and Dylan Williams is probably a little bit more laid back but certainly passionate.”
Oakleigh opens its season against Eastern Ranges on March 24 at RSEA Park, Moorabbin.
2019 OAKLEIGH CHARGERS LIST
1. Lucas Westwood (Doncaster East)
2. Bailey Laurie (Beverley Hills/Caulfield Grammar)
3. Joseph Ayton-Delaney (Old Xaverians)
4. Nick Bryan (Glen Iris/St Kevins)
5. Trent Bianco (Doncaster)
6. Jeromy Lucas (Northern Jets)
7. Jay Robertson (South Belgrave)
8. Noah Anderson (Boroondara/Carey Grammar)
9. Will Phillips (Beverley Hills/Caulfield Grammar)
10. Zac Hart (Old Xaverians)
11. Matthew Rowell (Canterbury/Carey Grammar)
12. Lochlan Jenkins (Oakleigh/Mazenod College)
13. Luke Winter (Boroondara/St Kevins College)
14. Charlie Oglethorpe (Blackburn/Yarra Valley Garmmar)
15. Kaden Schreiber (Boroondara/Caulfield Grammar)
16. Lachlan Godden (Beverley Hills/Carey Grammar)
17. Giorgio Varagiannis (Beverley Hills/Caulfield Grammar)
18. Fraser Elliot (Blackburn/Box Hill High School)
19. Daniel Romero (St Kevins College)
20. Matthew Tighello (Waverley Blues/Salesian College)
21. Kaiya Jones (East Burwood/Whitefriars)
22. Thomas Graham (Old Scotch)
23. Dylan Williams (Surrey Park/Whitefriars)
24. Ben Jepson (Carey Grammar)
25. Jammara Ugle-Hagan (South Warnambool/Scotch College)
26. Daniel Orgill (Glen Iris/Wesley College)
27. Josh May (Surrey Park/Box Hill High School)
28. Lachlan Johnson (Strathmore/Scotch College)
29. Finlay Macrae (Kew Rovers/Xavier College)
30. Samuel Tucker (Kew Rovers/St Kevins College)
31. Jack Hindson (Boroondara/Trinity Grammar)
32. Mitch Bowman (Ashburton/Wesley College)
33. Noah Dempsey (Boroondara/Carey Grammar)
34. Vincent Zagari (Mazenod College)
35. Maurice Rioli Jr (Scotch College)
36. Ryan Valentine (Surrey Park/Camberwell High)
37. James Braddy (Surrey Park/Scotch College)
38. George Belcher (Kew Comets/Trinity Grammar)
39. Reef McInnes (Surrey Park/Scotch College)
40. Tom Furphy (Glen Iris/Scotch College)
41. Lachlan Ford (Xavier College)
42. Ted Kennedy (Hawthorn/Xavier College)
43. Tharial Ter (Northvale/Welington Secondary College)
44. Chris Spiteri (Doncaster/Whitefriars)
45. Oscar Lunny (Surrey Park/Koonung Secondary College)
46. Spiros Sklavenitis (East Sandringham/McKinnon Secondary College)
47. Nick Balderanos (Surrey Park/Salesian College)
48. Angus Hart (Ashburton/St Kevins College)
49. Harris Mastras (Kew Comets/Trinity Grammar)
50. Luke Stelling (Forest Hill/Whitefriars)
51. Will Hart (Glen Iris/Xavier College)
52. Nick Guiney (Kew Comets/Xavier College)
53. Flynn Maguire (Surrey Park/Whitefriars)
54. Joel Capetola (Kew Comets/Marcellin College)
55. Brayden Fleming (Surrey Park/Wesley College)
56. Luke Kelvie (Kew Rovers/Carey Grammar)
57. Sam Seach (East Sandringham/Auburn High School)
58. Dylan Thomas (Surrey Park/Wesley College)
59. Julian Gangi (Boroondara/Xavier College)
60. Connor Stone (St Kevins College)
61. Jamie Lay (Ivanhoe/Marcellin College)
62. Jacob Woodfull (Surrey Park/Wesley College)
63. Ben Rogers (Whitehorse Colts/Maribyrnong Secondary College)
64. Hannin Mundy (East Burwood/Box Hill Senior Secondary College)
65. Mark Steiner (Surrey Park/Carey Grammar)
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