AFL U19 National Championships trials: Vic Metro v Vic Country replay
A barnstorming display from the son of a Bulldogs champion has seen him rocket up draft boards — and he could be among the first names read out.
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Opposition clubs believe North Melbourne could bid on both Nick Daicos and Sam Darcy with the first pick in this year’s national draft as the son of Western Bulldogs champion Luke Darcy firms as a top-two selection.
The Dogs father-son prospect booted six goals for Vic Metro in one of two trial matches against Vic Country on Sunday.
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Darcy has shown his talent at both ends of the ground with Oakleigh Chargers in the NAB League this year as an athletic 197cm key-position player.
But recruiters view Darcy as being a key forward at AFL level, which was further backed by Sunday’s starring performance.
Collingwood father-son prospect Daicos was due to play in the same trial match alongside Darcy, but was managed after experiencing some hamstring tightness at training last Tuesday.
However, the son of Magpies great Peter Daicos and brother of current Collingwood young gun Josh Daicos is firmly in the frame for the No.1 pick after a blistering start to the year with Oakleigh.
While Darcy bagged six goals at one end of the ground in the second trial match, Dandenong Stingrays small forward Judson Clarke kicked five goals for Vic Country at the other end in another eye-catching display in front of a swarm of AFL club recruiters at Werribee’s Chirnside Park.
In the first trial match, Vic Country captain and Greater Western Victoria Rebels midfielder Ben Hobbs was a standout performer as an inside midfielder.
Hobbs won plenty of the ball and also floated forward to kick two goals.
Classy Sandringham Dragons midfielder Finn Callaghan was also impressive in that match for Vic Metro, as was captain Josh Ward.
Eastern Rangers midfielder Jake Soligo also made his presence felt with two nice goals in the first quarter.
The initial Vic Metro and Vic Country squads will now be cut down to final squads ahead of the NAB AFL Under-19 Championships.
The championships are set to kick off with a clash between the Allies and Vic Metro at Metricon Stadium on July 8 and wrap up in late September.
SQUADS: WHO PLAYED
TRIAL MATCH 1
VIC METRO
1 Harrison White (Western Jets)
2 Giorgio Varagiannis (Oakleigh Chargers)
3 Jake Soligo (Eastern Ranges)
4 Corey Preston (Eastern Ranges)
6 Josh Ward (Northern Knights)
7 Sam Clifford (Western Jets)
8 Marcus Windhager (Sandringham Dragons)
10 Joel Fitzgerald (Northern Knights)
11 Jack Newit (Calder Cannons)
12 Finn Callaghan (Sandringham Dragons)
13 Luke Cleary (Sandringham Dragons)
14 Luke Nankervis (Sandringham Dragons)
16 Liam Conway (Western Jets)
18 Blake Howes (Sandringham Dragons)
19 Mitch Owens (Sandringham Dragons)
21 Jed Rule (Oakleigh Chargers)
22 Dominic Akuei (Northern Knights)
23 Cody Raak (Western Jets)
25 Samuel Paea (Calder Cannons)
28 Sam Tucker (Calder Cannons)
29 Sam Grant (Northern Knights)
30 Dante Visentini (Sandringham Dragons)
VIC COUNTRY
1 Sam Conforti (Bendigo Pioneers)
2 Ben Hobbs (GWV Rebels)
3 Charlie Molan (GWV Rebels)
4 Joshua Rachele (Murray Bushrangers)
5 Cooper Whyte (Geelong Falcons)
6 Marcus Herbert (GWV Rebels)
7 Hamish Sinnott (GWV Rebels)
8 Harvey Gallagher (Bendigo Pioneers)
9 Miller Bergman (Dandenong Stingrays)
10 Bode Stevens (Bendigo Pioneers)
11 Zavier Maher (Murray Bushrangers)
12 Noah Gadsby (Geelong Falcons)
13 Sam Breuer (GWV Rebels)
14 Jamieson Ballantyne (GWV Rebels)
15 Oscar Faulkhead (Bendigo Pioneers)
16 Kai Lohmann (GWV Rebels)
19 Noah Bradshaw (Murray Bushrangers)
21 Joshua Gibcus (GWV Rebels)
23 Jai Neal (Dandenong Stingrays)
25 Angus Bade (GWV Rebels)
27 Josh Rentsch (GWV Rebels)
29 Achaung Agog (Murray Bushrangers)
30 Toby Conway (Geelong Falcons)
TRIAL MATCH 2
VIC METRO
1 Jake Arundell (Eastern Ranges)
2 Massimo D’Ambrosio (Western Jets)
3 Youseph Dib (Oakleigh Chargers)
4 Flynn Gentile (Calder Cannons)
6 Zac Taylor (Calder Cannons)
7 Lachlan Rankin (Oakleigh Chargers)
8 Darcy Wilmot (Northern Knights)
10 Paul Curtis (Western Jets)
11 Nick Daicos (Oakleigh Chargers)
12 Scott Beilby (Oakleigh Chargers)
13 Dylan Thomas (Oakleigh Chargers)
14 Luca Anderson (Oakleigh Chargers)
16 Karl Worner (Sandringham Dragons)
18 Ben De Bolfo (Northern Knights)
19 Braden Andrews (Oakleigh Chargers)
21 Joshua Goater (Calder Cannons)
22 Jackson Weatherill (Eastern Ranges)
23 Tyreece Leiu (Eastern Ranges)
25 Caleb Lewis (Sandringham Dragons)
27 Sam Darcy (Oakleigh Chargers)
28 Ben Woodfull (Oakleigh Chargers)
29 Matthew Gook (Calder Cannons)
30 Liam Podhajski (Calder Cannons)
VIC COUNTRY
1 Josiah Kyle (Dandenong Stingrays)
2 Cooper Alger (Gippsland Power)
3 Max Walton (Gippsland Power)
4 Colby Nayna (Dandenong Stingrays)
5 Cooper Hamilton (Bendigo Pioneers)
6 Connor MacDonald (Dandenong Stingrays)
7 Judson Clarke (Dandenong Stingrays)
8 Hugh Hamilton (Bendigo Pioneers)
9 Mitchell Knevitt (Geelong Falcons)
10 Blake Reid (Geelong Falcons)
11 Will Papley (Gippsland Power)
12 Will Bravo (Dandenong Stingrays)
13 Noah Gribble (Geelong Falcons)
14 James Cahill (Dandenong Stingrays)
15 Bayleigh Welsh (Dandenong Stingrays)
17 Bryce Milford (Dandenong Stingrays)
20 Lachlan Robinson (Dandenong Stingrays)
21 Jess McGrath (Gippsland Power)
24 Oscar Morrison (Geelong Falcons)
25 Justin Davies (Dandenong Stingrays)
26 Zac Tobin (Dandenong Stingrays)
29 Max Annandale (Geelong Falcons)
30 Jed Brereton (Bendigo Pioneers)
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