Father-son prospects, AFLW Academy gun lead Calder Cannons squads

Calder Cannons’ Boys and Girls squads boast a number of AFL and AFLW Draft prospects, including father-son and Academy guns.

Calder Cannons will be keeping AFL and AFLW scout busy this winter.

The club has confirmed its Coates Talent League squads with a string of draft prospects looking to make their mark this season.

The Cannons boast a host of father-son prospects and AFL family links on the Boys side.

Jordan Croft (Western Bulldogs) and Alex and Luca Alessio (Essendon) are looking to follow in their fathers’, Matthew and Stephen, footsteps.

Ryan Eyre and Hugh Allison hope to follow their brothers, Josh (Essendon) and Matthew (St Kilda).

Declan Willmore in action for Calder Cannons. Picture: Hamish Blair

Meanwhile, AFLW draft hope Amy Gaylor is the club’s only AFL/AFLW Academy talent.

Ross Smith has handed over the Boys coaching reins to Andrew Sturgess and will focus solely on the Girls this season.

The experienced coach is confident in the depth of talent at his disposal.

“We’ve got some exciting 16-year-olds coming through as women’s football gets better and better each year,” he said.

“We’ve added some 17-year-olds and a couple of 18-year-olds to that and a couple of 19-year-olds staying on that we think are draftable types.

“Amy has been a standout, she’s still got a fair bit of development in her. She’s so dedicated to her football and fitness and shows great leadership.

“She’s a left-footer, an inside mid but has shown she can play on the outside as well.

“Matt Glossop, who heads up the AFL high performance, said she measured a speed at Vic Metro training that he hadn’t seen in a game from her.”

Kyla Forbes in action for the Calder Cannons. Picture: Graham Denholm

Strathmore junior, Gaylor, a 170cm midfield, is also a part of the Vic Metro squad, along with Cannons teammate Kyla Forbes.

Smith said the likes of Kayley Kavanagh, Maddison Albrecht, Ellie Sbeghen, Amy Trindade, Amelia Marino and Sarah Grunden were also talents to watch out for.

“Maddison has played basketball but has a really good mark and good kick and has some attributes we think will develop now she’s focused on footy,” he said.

“Kayley Kavanagh we think will push for Vic Metro, Sarah Grundell was in our program last year but focused more on school and has been phenomenal since coming back.

“Amy Trindale has some real talent, real skill, we think Ellie Sbeghen, who’s a 183cm ruck, is a good prospect and Amelia Marino is a new one who has really good running capacity.

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“Of the 17-year-olds, Kyla Forbes is already in the Vic Metro under-18s as a 17-year-old and Stephanie Mitchell is a natural football and Ava Gerada will be a really good player for us.”

On the boys side, Croft and Mahmoud Taha are in the Vic Metro squad.

Isaac Kako, Jayden Nguyen, Patrick Said, Damon Hollow, Nash King and Harry O’Farrell were in last season’s Vic Metro under-16 squad, underlining the Cannons strong future draft prospects.

The Cannons Boys will kick off their season on Sunday, March 26, when they host Gold Coast, while the Girls will have to wait a week before taking on Sandringham Dragons on Saturday, April 1.

Calder Cannons draft prospect Amy Gaylor. Picture: Morgan Hancock

CALDER CANNONS COATES TALENT LEAGUE SQUADS

BOYS

Luca Alessio (Strathmore)

Alex Alessio (Strathmore)

Hugh Allison (Strathmore)

Corey Barbaro (Aberfeldie)

Thomas Barnett (Maribrynong Park)

Conner Bassett (Aberfieldie)

Charles Bolmat (Pascoe Vale) 

Ryan Brodie (Strathmore)

Hamish Caine (Whittlesea)

Shane Clough (Gisborne Rookies)

Max Collier (Kilmore)

Jordan Croft (Maribrynong Park)

Isaac Cullen (Airport West)

Ryan Eyre (Kilmore)

Ethan Fitzpatrick (Kilmore)

Matthew Foley (St Bernards)

Kieran Gallagher (Westmeadows)

Hugo Garcia (Ivanhoe)

Maison Goodman (Ivanhoe)

Lachlan Hall (Aberfeldie)

Cooper Herbert (Laurimar)

Damon Hollow (Westmeadows)

Blair Huggins (Lancefield)

Dante Iacovone (Strathmore)

Isaac Kako (Pascoe Vale)

Nash King (Wallan)

Riley Leedham (Gisborne Giants)

Thomas Legudi (Aberfeldie)

Elliot Mahoney (Strathmore)

Sam McIlroy (West Preston)

Alistair McQuire (Fitzroy)

Kade Mueller (Strathmore)

Amin Naim (Strathmore)

Jayden Nguyen (Aberfeldie)

Harry O’Farrell (Maribrynong Park)

Rye Penny (Gisborne)

Curtis Powell (Kilmore)

Will Richter (Flemington)

Kayne Rutley (Keilor)

Harry Ryan (Strathmore)

Jack Ryan (Strathmore)

Patrick Said (Sunbury Lions)

Noah Scott (Pascoe Vale)

Daniel Shepherd (Fitzroy)

Mahmoud Taha (Pascoe Vale)

Xavier Thorburn (Macedon)

Zac Truccolo (Aberfeldie)

Lachlan Urbon (Sunbury Lions)

Joshua Whitfield (Essendon Doutta Stars)

Declan Willmore (Essendon Doutta Stars)

GIRLS

Maddison Albrecht (Craigieburn)

Grace Azzopardi (Sunbury Lions)

Chloe Baker-West (Strathmore)

Katrina Bau (Woodend Hawks)

Charlotte Beattie (Oak Park)

Camryn Bux (Doutta Stars)

Savannah Byrne (Oak Park)

Michaela Chalhoub (Moonee Valley)

Lara Churchill (Aberfeldie)

Bridie Collings (Gisborne Rookies)

Maisy Crowther (Woodend Hawks)

Amy Cullen (Essendon Doutta Stars)

Jasmina Curtis (Strathmore)

Alannah David (Gisborne Rookies)

Georgia Duggan (Strathmore)

Matilda Fitzpatrick (Strathmore)

Kyla Forbes (Aberfeldie)

Maddison Ford (Wallan)

Amy Gaylor (Strathmore)

Ava Gerada (Westmeadows)

Taylah Gilcrist (Strathmore)

Eden Grant (Sunbury Lions)

Meg Grogan (Aberfeldie)

Sarah Grunden (Keilor)

Faith Kassis (Aberfeldie)

Kayley Kavanagh (Strathmore)

Edith Kavanagh (Strathmore)

Montana Kerr (West Coburg)

Elise Koenig (Aberfeldie)

Camryn Liddle (Maribyrnong Park)

Amelia Marino (Strathmore)

Georgia Matthews (Essendon Doutta Stars)

Jade McClay (Diamond Creek)

Chelsea McDermott (Westmeadows)

Shauna McElligott (Aberfeldie)

Sarah McKinnon (Strathmore)

Stephanie Mitchell (Essendon Doutta Stars)

Talia Motta (Greenvale)

Amy O’Kelly (Gisborne Rookies)

Sarah O’Toole (Strathmore)

Adalita Pizzinga (Essendon Doutta Stars)

Jayla Rutley (Essendon Doutta Stars)

Ellie Sbeghen (Brunswick)

Reese Sutton (Sunbury Lions)

Alexia Todorovic (Gisborne Rookies)

Amy Trindade (Strathmore)

Yasmin Welsford (Strathmore)

Saskia Williams (West Coburg)

Amelia Wright (Westmeadows)