Father & Son & Academy Prospects

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Spent last night at Australian High Commission here in Wellington with the AFL Academy side and 16 club recruiters. Francis was in town but couldn’t make the Function. Will be watching the Academy play our NZ Seniors today at Westpac Stadium.

Had a great chat to Troy Selwood re Geelong’s recruiting approach and the Stephen Wells dynasty. He was and still is a great Jack Higgins fan. So were Geelong.

Seems comments re strong draft this year are on the money.

Haere Ra
 
We have had 3 players selected in Flying Boomerangs and World Team from this year's National Diversity Championships.
http://aflvic.com.au/12-vics-receive-national-selection/

2018 Flying Boomerangs Squad

Name Region
Mackenzie Cowley Tongala
Jordan Hynes Bendigo

2018 World Team
Moala Polata Tonga Robinvale

An article on MacKenzie Cowley
https://www.sheppnews.com.au/2017/11/15/119553/shining-star#

Playing for Tongala in the Murray Football League’s Under 14 competition this year he won the league’s best and fairest award medal with a staggering 51 votes out of a possible 54. In 15 games he was awarded best on ground votes and in the other three games he received the second votes.

Murray League general manager Dale Norman has verified it’s the most votes ever achieved in the four tiers of competition in the history of the league.

He also fitted in some games with the Tongala Under 17s and although giving away three years to a lot of his rivals never looked out of place.
 
GoTigers2015 said:
We have had 3 players selected in Flying Boomerangs and World Team from this year's National Diversity Championships.
http://aflvic.com.au/12-vics-receive-national-selection/

2018 Flying Boomerangs Squad

Name Region
Mackenzie Cowley Tongala
Jordan Hynes Bendigo

2018 World Team
Moala Polata Tonga Robinvale

An article on MacKenzie Cowley
https://www.sheppnews.com.au/2017/11/15/119553/shining-star#

Playing for Tongala in the Murray Football League’s Under 14 competition this year he won the league’s best and fairest award medal with a staggering 51 votes out of a possible 54. In 15 games he was awarded best on ground votes and in the other three games he received the second votes.

Murray League general manager Dale Norman has verified it’s the most votes ever achieved in the four tiers of competition in the history of the league.

He also fitted in some games with the Tongala Under 17s and although giving away three years to a lot of his rivals never looked out of place.
Click to expand...

Here's a pick of Cowley in action
18NGA0505_620.jpg
 

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Ajak Dang named in the bests again. Kid seems to be making a name for himself.




Edit: Kyle Clarke also named in the bests.
 
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Tigers Time said:
Ajak Dang named in the bests again. Kid seems to be making a name for himself.




Edit: Kyle Clarke also named in the bests.
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There was a write of him on AFL Draft Central. Note his kicking efficiency was one off the best in the league before the last game

#28 Kyle Clarke – For a smaller player, Clarke is really strong overhead. He took a number of really good marks and converted a set shot from 20m out in the third term and let everyone know how much he enjoyed it. He racked up quite a few clearances but the one knock for me is he can throw it on the boot at times and just aim for space. He is best when running in space because he lowers the eyes and hits up target going forward. Has good speed on the outside, Clarke attacks the footy hard and wins his own ball at the same time. A highlight was a great grab in front of the goals going back with the flight which led to his set shot goal.
 
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Bailey Lambert grew up in Brisbane and Sydney.

But a few years ago he gained an appreciation of his family’s ties to the Dandenong area.

On an AFL grand final weekend, his father, Craig, took him for a drive around the town, pointing out and talking about the places of his upbringing.

Lambert senior is one of Dandenong’s most famous football products. He played with North Dandenong juniors, winning a succession of best and fairests before going on to a distinguished league career with Richmond and Brisbane.

Later, he took on welfare roles with the Lions and GWS.

When Bailey was born in Brisbane in 1999, the Courier Mail newspaper pinged a pic of him with Craig and his mother, Melissa, a Lions scarf keeping him warm.

He was an early starter in Auskick. “I’ve played footy all the way through,’’ he said. “As long as I can remember it’s always been there.’’

A promising under-age player for Morningside and then Drummoyne, Lambert was in the Lions Academy and turned out for Redland in the NEAFL last season.

At the end of it, he decided to relocate to Melbourne and try out for Richmond’s VFL team.

That meant leaving his close family behind at age 18. The Tigers were mindful of the father-son connection but made him no guarantees. Still, more than once coach Craig McRae noted his dedication.

Two days before lists were due to be submitted to the VFL, Richmond told him he had made the cut. He’d been made to sweat.

“I was very, very nervous until they called it,’’ he said. “If I didn’t make it I was going to go back to Redland.’’

Lambert also needed a local team. Fittingly, he found his way to Noble Park, Greater Dandenong’s leading club. Richmond general manager Anthony Fagan pointed him there after speaking with Noble coach Mick Fogarty, who played with Craig Lambert at the South Melbourne Under 19s in 1984.

Bulls football manager Steve Coats goes back even further with Lambert senior: they played little league together in 1979.

And there was another link — Melissa Lambert’s parents, Richard and Noeline Williams, are long-time Noble members.

The onballer was quick to make an impression in the practice matches. “He’s a beauty,’’ Fogarty said in March, grateful for a late signing. “Really strong inside mid and a good user of the footy. Great kid too.’’

Last week Lambert produced his best game for the Bulls, kicking two goals as his father watched on from the balcony at the Moodemere St ground.

The day after he turned 19, he found out he was the Round 5 nomination for the Eastern league Young Gun award. “Nice one,’’ he said.

Lambert said his father had been a constant support.


“He really has helped me a lot,’’ he said.

“Big thing from him is, ‘The harder you work, the luckier you get’. You’ve got to push harder than everyone else. A lot of it’s not down to ability, it’s how hard you work.

“I think it’s helped that we’ve been hanging around AFL players pretty much all my life. You get to see what it’s like to be an AFL player.

“I’d like to get there one day, go as far as I can. Hopefully I can have a good year in the EFL and get a couple of VFL games and maybe push my name up.’’
 
GoTigers2015 said:

Bailey Lambert grew up in Brisbane and Sydney.

But a few years ago he gained an appreciation of his family’s ties to the Dandenong area.

On an AFL grand final weekend, his father, Craig, took him for a drive around the town, pointing out and talking about the places of his upbringing.

Lambert senior is one of Dandenong’s most famous football products. He played with North Dandenong juniors, winning a succession of best and fairests before going on to a distinguished league career with Richmond and Brisbane.

Later, he took on welfare roles with the Lions and GWS.

When Bailey was born in Brisbane in 1999, the Courier Mail newspaper pinged a pic of him with Craig and his mother, Melissa, a Lions scarf keeping him warm.

He was an early starter in Auskick. “I’ve played footy all the way through,’’ he said. “As long as I can remember it’s always been there.’’

A promising under-age player for Morningside and then Drummoyne, Lambert was in the Lions Academy and turned out for Redland in the NEAFL last season.

At the end of it, he decided to relocate to Melbourne and try out for Richmond’s VFL team.

That meant leaving his close family behind at age 18. The Tigers were mindful of the father-son connection but made him no guarantees. Still, more than once coach Craig McRae noted his dedication.

Two days before lists were due to be submitted to the VFL, Richmond told him he had made the cut. He’d been made to sweat.

“I was very, very nervous until they called it,’’ he said. “If I didn’t make it I was going to go back to Redland.’’

Lambert also needed a local team. Fittingly, he found his way to Noble Park, Greater Dandenong’s leading club. Richmond general manager Anthony Fagan pointed him there after speaking with Noble coach Mick Fogarty, who played with Craig Lambert at the South Melbourne Under 19s in 1984.

Bulls football manager Steve Coats goes back even further with Lambert senior: they played little league together in 1979.

And there was another link — Melissa Lambert’s parents, Richard and Noeline Williams, are long-time Noble members.

The onballer was quick to make an impression in the practice matches. “He’s a beauty,’’ Fogarty said in March, grateful for a late signing. “Really strong inside mid and a good user of the footy. Great kid too.’’

Last week Lambert produced his best game for the Bulls, kicking two goals as his father watched on from the balcony at the Moodemere St ground.

The day after he turned 19, he found out he was the Round 5 nomination for the Eastern league Young Gun award. “Nice one,’’ he said.

Lambert said his father had been a constant support.


“He really has helped me a lot,’’ he said.

“Big thing from him is, ‘The harder you work, the luckier you get’. You’ve got to push harder than everyone else. A lot of it’s not down to ability, it’s how hard you work.

“I think it’s helped that we’ve been hanging around AFL players pretty much all my life. You get to see what it’s like to be an AFL player.

“I’d like to get there one day, go as far as I can. Hopefully I can have a good year in the EFL and get a couple of VFL games and maybe push my name up.’’
Click to expand...

Sounds like a decent young guy. Obviously very motivated and doing well at a local level. Hopefully the tigers give him some VFL time and see what comes. Doesn't sound like a star. But 'young gun' award is a great tick for him.
 
theflea said:
Why are other clubs getting access to the academies players (non vic clubs excluded) when we cant?
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Can you give an example?
 

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Our good recruitment in recent times will have an added bonus in years to come. Picking up better players mean they will play longer and it is highly likely there will be more 100 gamers and potentially more f/s.

Players debuting in the:
  • 80s - 9 from 103 played 100+ games (8.7%)
  • 90s - 17 out of 92 (18.5%)
  • 2000s , 17 out 74 (23%) including 5 current players (Lids, Shedda, Riewoldt, Cotch, Rance)
So far this decade we have had 6 (Martin, B Ellis, Vlastuin, Grimes, Grigg, Houli) and 2 more on the cusp (Conca and Astbury). Would also expect most of the other 34 players on our list to hit a 100 games plus some that are drafted in the next two years. Hope they can start producing boys, a few young Dusties would be nice :thumbsu:
 
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theflea said:
I heard the hawks will get access to a supposed gun this draft time, but cant remember the name. It just appears as if they don't have to rely on going thru the draft like Esuava did for us.
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I believe the year he was drafted no club had access to the academy players yet, I know that’s the case with Jy Simpson who was too soon otherwise would have been st Richmond but we have the same access to players from our zone as everybody else does now.
 
theflea said:
I heard the hawks will get access to a supposed gun this draft time, but cant remember the name. It just appears as if they don't have to rely on going thru the draft like Esuava did for us.
Click to expand...
They’ll be subject to a f/s style bid that they can respond to like any academy player
 
Heisenberg_ said:
I believe the year he was drafted no club had access to the academy players yet, I know that’s the case with Jy Simpson who was too soon otherwise would have been st Richmond but we have the same access to players from our zone as everybody else does now.
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ah ok, so as long as they qualify for our area, we can grab them via the bidding system.
 
captain cotch 9 said:
I saw him at the ANZAC game.
He is quite tall for a 16 or 17 year old.
Id say he is already taller than Daniel.
He was wearing a club polo as well
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That would make him 180+ and he is still only 15 from what i have read

Hopefully he grows another 6-7 cm and becomes a big inside mid
 
THE_GUN said:
That would make him 180+ and he is still only 15 from what i have read

Hopefully he grows another 6-7 cm and becomes a big inside mid
Click to expand...

Does sound good considering where his father did all his best work.

However, if he's a 188 -190 wirey speed demon, with the usual freakish Rioli skills and tackling ability, TWO Rioli's in the forward line would be ........................... (fill in the appropriate adjective).
 

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