ONE-hundred and fifty of the top identified 2020 and 2021 AFL Draft talents have been named in the NAB AFL Academy Squads today. The program sees players from across each state and territory take part in high performance camps focusing on players’ on and off-field education throughout the month of December.

In what has been touted as a highly compromised draft in the sense that plenty of players are already attached to AFL clubs via either father-son or Next Generation Academy (NGA) and Northern Academies, there is plenty to like from all club supporters for not only next year’s draft, but the following year as well. Among the names over the next two years, Nick Daicos (Peter – 2021), Luke Edwards (Tyson) and Taj Schofield (Jarrod) are potential father-son selections, while Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Western Bulldogs), Reef McInnes (Collingwood), Coby Brand (Essendon), Connor Downie (Hawthorn), James Borlase (Adelaide) and Joel Western (Fremantle) are among some of the NGA prospects.

AFL National Talent Pathways Manager Marcus Ashcroft said it is an exciting time for the country’s best young talent.

“The new approach to the national NAB AFL Academy, introduced for the first time in 2018, will again ensure more of our most talented players have access to AFL facilities, while receiving the best quality coaching, high performance and well-being services in the country,” he said. “Importantly these players will spend more time in their home states, with year-round first-class support that will enhance their opportunity to perform at an elite level. “I congratulate all players who have been named in their NAB AFL Academy Squads today and I look forward to watching their development over the next few years.”

All five NAB AFL Academy Squads will come together for camps in the final month of the year as below:

Vic Country
Sunday, December 15 – Thursday, December 19.

Vic Metro
Sunday, December 15 – Friday, December 20.

South Australia
Friday, November 29 – Tuesday, December 3.

Western Australia
Monday, December 9 – Friday, December 13.

Allies (training at AFL clubs)
Monday, November 18 – Friday, December 20.

A select few of Under-17 and Under-18 players will also have the opportunity to attend national camps, with activities that include:

– NAB AFL Under-17 Futures players to spend a week at an AFL club (December 2019)
– The best 24 Under-18 players to represent Australia against VFL opposition (April 2020)
– The best 24 Under-17 players to represent Australia against New Zealand (April 2020)
– NAB AFL Under-17 Futures Game (2020 Toyota AFL Grand Final Day)

Of the 150 players named, the Oakleigh Chargers lead all-comers across the country with a total of 11 players named, followed by Geelong Falcons and Sandringham Dragons with eight each. Murray Bushrangers have seven players in the Academy squads, while the top represented sides from the Allies (Brisbane Lions Academy), South Australia (Glenelg) and Western Australia (East Fremantle) all have six.

The full list of NAB AFL Academy members are below:

ALLIES:

Brisbane Lions Academy: [6]

Tahj Abberley
Jack Briskey
Blake Coleman
Saxon Crozier
Noah McFadyen
Carter Michael

Gold Coast SUNS Academy: [5]

Alex Davies
Aidan Fyfe
Jack Johnston
Rhys Nicholls
Ryan Pickering

GWS GIANTS Academy: [4]

Jack Driscoll
Josh Fahey
Josh Green
Sam Stening

Murray Bushrangers: [2]

Charlie Byrne
Ryan Eyers

Sydney Swans Academy: [5]

Braeden Campbell
Errol Gulden
Kye Pfrengle
Marco Rossmann
Mark Sheather

Tasmania: [5]

Sam Banks
Jackson Callow
Sam Collins
Oliver Davis
Patrick Walker

—

SOUTH AUSTRALIA:

Central District: [3]

Isaiah Dudley
Corey Durdin
Lachlan Grubb

Glenelg: [6]

Kaine Baldwin
Luke Edwards
Riley Holder
Cooper Horsnell
Lewis Rayson
Will Schreiber

North Adelaide: [2]

Jamison Murphy
Tariek Newchurch

Norwood: [3]

Ned Carey
Cooper Murley
Henry Nelligan

South Adelaide: [5]

Arlo Draper
Zac Dumesny
Jason Horne
Nicholas Kraemer
Matthew Roberts

Sturt: [3]

James Borlase
Mani Liddy
Tom Powell

West Adelaide: [3]

Bailey Chamberlain
Jye Sinderberry
Riley Thilthorpe

Woodville-West Torrens: [5]

Lachlan Jones
Zac Phillips
Caleb Poulter
Taj Schofield
Henry Smith

—

VIC COUNTRY:

Bendigo Pioneers: [5]

Sam Conforti
Jack Ginnivan
Cooper Hamilton
Seamus Mitchell
Josh Treacy

Dandenong Stingrays: [2]

Will Bravo
Clayton Gay

Geelong Falcons: [8]

Tanner Bruhn
Toby Conway
Cameron Fleeton
Noah Gadsby
Noah Gribble
Oliver Henry
Charlie Lazzaro
Henry Walsh

Gippsland Power: [3]

Ryan Angwin
Sam Berry
Zach Reid

GWV Rebels: [5]

Joshua Gibcus
Ben Hobbs
Charlie Molan
Josh Rentsch
Nick Stevens

Murray Bushrangers: [5+2]

Dominic Bedendo
Tom Brown
Elijah Hollands
Zavier Maher
Joshua Rachele

Oakleigh Chargers: [1]

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan

Sandringham Dragons: [1]

Campbell Chesser

—

VIC METRO:

Calder Cannons: [4]

Cody Brand
Jackson Cardillo
Campbell Edwardes
Joshua Eyre

Eastern Ranges: [5]

Joshua Clarke
Jack Diedrich
Connor Downie
Wil Parker
Tyler Sonsie

Northern Knights: [2]

Nikolas Cox
Liam McMahon

Oakleigh Chargers: [10+1]

Braden Andrews
Nicholas Daicos
Youseph Dib
Bailey Laurie
Alex Lukic
Finlay Macrae
Reef McInnes
Will Phillips
Conor Stone
Samuel Tucker

Sandringham Dragons: [7+1]

Jake Bowey
Lachlan Brooks
Blake Howes
Ollie Lord
Archie Perkins
Josh Sinn
Dante Visentini

Western Jets: [2]

Eddie Ford
Cody Raak

—

WESTERN AUSTRALIA:

Claremont: [3]

Kalin Lane
Jacob Van Rooyen
Joel Western

East Fremantle: [6]

Richard Bartlett
Jack Carroll
Owen Dann
Finn Gorringe
Judd McVee
Brandon Walker

East Perth: [2]

Kade Dittmar
Jack Hindle

Peel Thunder: [3]

Tyler Nesbitt
Luke Polson
Isiah Winder

Perth: [2]

Logan McDonald
Nathan O’Driscoll

South Fremantle: [3]

Mitchell Brown
Ira Jetta
Shannon Neale

Subiaco: [2]

Matthew Johnson
Blake Morris

Swan Districts: [5]

Rhett Bazzo
Max Chipper
Denver Grainger-Barras
Ty Sears
Zane Trew

West Perth: [2]

Heath Chapman
Kellen Johnson