It promises to be one of the closest Under 19 Division One competitions on record with eight sides set to contest the 2015 competition.
St George Dragons will be the hunted going into this season as defending premiers after their Grand Final victory over North Shore. It was a worthy honour for the Dragons who finished minor premiers boasting the best attacking and defensive records in the competition.
They are likely to be again strong with a number of players from the South of Sydney set to add to their strong roster. Keep an eye on the electric Onur Selvi who will push for Premier Division selection under Terry Mudge this year.
North Shore will be aiming to go one better and will reportedly only lose five players from that Grand Final team. Undermanned, they defeated Pennant Hills last weekend in a trial and will be thereabouts in September given the strength of their feeder clubs. Captain Sudket Fraser-Krause, Darcy Baron-Hay and Ethan Harvey are players to watch.
Pennant Hills are likely to once again figure strongly in calculations. The Demons were below their lofty expectations finishing out of the finals in fifth last season after premiership success in Under 18s in 2013. This was in part due to a large number of their players tasting senior football throughout the year. Always a very strong breeding ground for talent, a Grand Final return wouldn’t be a surprise.
UNSW/ES are likely to throw their hat in the ring again. You only have to look at the dominance of the Maroubra Under 17 side who only lost one game last year in the Sydney Juniors competition to see the talent that will be likely to head across to the Bulldogs. They would be hoping to plug the leaks in their defence (third most points conceded) last year if they are to improve on their third place regular season finish.
Manly-Warringah GIANTS and South Coast loom as the sides that could go either way this year.
The GIANTS exceeded all expectations on way to a Preliminary Final finish after graduating from the Under 19 Division Two competition. They have a class training program and a Premier Division side that can do no wrong. It’s a true tale of success breeding success.
South Coast are a new identity in the competition this year. They are essentially a representative team from the area and it should be interesting to see how they go against the Sydney-based sides. Aidan Riley (Adelaide Crows) is an example of the prodigious talent to come from the area.
Sydney University would like to improve on their three wins in 2014. There are some good players already popping up in their inward transfer list with representative experience. They could prove to be the surprise packet in 2015.
East Coast Eagles have struggled in the last couple of years after dominating the former Under 18 competition in the years their Premier Division side also ruled the roost. They are hoping history can repeat itself with their first grade side back in the Premier Division competition.
Danny’s Predictions:
1st - St George
2nd - Pennant Hills
3rd - UNSW/ES
4th - North Shore
5th - Manly-Warringah
6th - South Coast
7th - East Coast
8th - Sydney University
Last Modified on 23/03/2015 13:51
