Under 18s national championships: Geelong Falcons for Vic Country revealed

With Vic Country set to play its first game of the under-18s national championships on Sunday, coach Paul Corrigan has broken down each of the Falcons players selected.

While the under-18s National Championships have officially started, Sunday will be the first game for Vic Country, with last year’s runners up taking on South Australia at IKON Park.

The clash will feature six Geelong Falcons players getting their first taste of carnival football for the year, with all of the young stars harbouring dreams of getting drafted in October.

Falcons coach Paul Corrigan, who will also coach the Vic Country side this season, broke down each of the Geelong players and what football fans can expect from each of them.

Tom Anastasopolous

DOB: May 31, 2005

Height: 175cm

Club: Newtown & Chilwell

Position: Small Forward

Thomas Anastasopolous Picture: Mark Wilson

Corrigan says: He plays as a high small forward that can get up the ground. Tommy has elite endurance and elite speed, I think what he brings to our side is he’s got a really good balance of attack and defence, so he’s able to hit the scoreboard in attack but he can also put pressure on opposition to maintain ball in our forward 50. He’s had an outstanding start to the year so far, I think we will see him through the midfield at times but he almost plays as another midfielder anyway because of his ability to move up the ground and be a threat there. He gets in and around stoppages as a high half forward and works well back.

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Angus Hastie

DOB: September 19, 2005

Height: 189cm

Club: Geelong West

Position: Rebounding Defender

Corrigan says: He plays that third tall, intercepting defender role, but he’s great in the air and at ground level. He reads the play really well, he can get back and help his defenders and then also start attacks for us with great disposal use. He provides really good run and carry off the half back line. What he’s been able to do this year compared to his bottom age year last year is have a bit more of a balance between attack and defence. He’s been getting good numbers with ball in hand and he’s a metres-gained player, which is really impressive. He’s been really strong for us in all games so far this season. He’s got such great traits for offence and defence, he’s quick, he’s agile, he can jump and he’s got good endurance so he can get up the ground and then work hard back.

Angus Hastie. Picture: Mark Wilson

Plays like: Tom Stewart

Michael Rudd

DOB: May 14, 2005

Height: 192cm

Club: St Mary’s

Position: Key Forward

Corrigan says: He’s played forward for the Falcons for the past two years and he’s been really strong and consistent with his form. He can play that high half forward role, roaming sort of role, a bit like a Jeremy Cameron role where they get up the ground and then work back. He’s a tough match up playing deep because he is so strong and athletic, he’s a strong mark in the air and he’s a beautiful finisher when he gets the chance. But his field kicking is also really impressive for a big key forward. I think he’ll be play as a linking player between our defence and attack, he’ll work a lot through the middle of the ground for us, but he can also play deep as a one-out forward if the matchup is right.

Michael Rudd.

Plays like: Jeremy Cameron

Hamish Pierson

DOB: November 3, 2004

Height: 195cm

Club: Grovedale

Position: Key Defender

Corrigan says: Hamish will take on the bigger bodies from the opposition. There wasn’t a real plethora of key backs through our Vic Country regions and he performed really well for us early on in the season, he was really consistent in the Young Guns as well and he’s earned his spot because of his form. He’s a versatile player who can play smaller but we’ll look to use him on the taller forwards, he’s strong overhead and in the contest. He was a late developer who played a lot of school footy last year but didn’t get much of a chance in the Coates League with Geelong. He took his chances and an overaged player and he’s been really consistent who has earned his spot now.

Football AFL Talent League Geelong Falcons v Murray Bushrangers at Werribee Geelong Falcons 35 Hamish Pierson Picture: Mark Wilson

Plays like: Callum Wilkie

Tom Pierce

DOB: November 1, 2005

Height: 195cm

Club: South Barwon

Position: Key Defender

Corrigan says: Tom was a forward for us as a bottom ager last year but we had a chat about where we saw him developing even more in his craft and we spoke about him going back. We didn’t have a lot of tall defenders and I saw his chances down back, he trained there all pre-season and he’s been a key figure back there for us this year. He’s only six or seven games in as a key back so for him to earn Vic Country honours as a key defender is really impressive, he’s got a lot of room to grow. I think what he’s done really well is he hasn’t used his attacking traits as his main weapon, he’s learned how to defend and then he’s been able to bring the attacking traits into his game when he gets the chance.

Football AFL Talent League Geelong Falcons v Murray Bushrangers at Werribee Geelong Falcons 34 Thomas Pierce Picture: Mark Wilson

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Joe Pike

DOB: May 17, 2005

Height: 203cm

Club: Barwon Heads

Position: Ruck/Key Forward

Corrigan says: He’ll mainly be our ruck but Joe has the ability to push forward and kick goals. We’ve really liked his form in the forward line in the past few weeks, especially his last game was his most dominant where he had five or six shots at goal and in the wet he was marking the ball really well. We think he’ll be the number one ruck, but we’ll give him time on ground to push forward and work on that forward craft. He’s a more matured ruck and he’s a bit more filled out than some of the others around the competition so we’ve encouraged him to be really strong in the contest and his follow up work, and we want him using his size as a strength.

Joe Pike gets a goal. Picture: Mark Wilson

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Originally published as Under 18s national championships: Geelong Falcons for Vic Country revealed