The next breed of AFL superstars has been scouted from the recent U14 State Championships held at Surfers Paradise 2 weeks ago. Teams from the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane North, Brisbane West, South East Brisbane, Queensland Country and Papua New Guinea competed in the week long championships where players were under the watchful eye of scouts from the AFL Lions Academy who named their 40 player squad at the beginning of this week.
Remarkably 3 players from the Darling Downs, Josh Stahlhut (University Cougars), Matt Joseph (Coolaroo) and Tye Hughes (Dalby) all gained selection into the 2009 Academy squad from their outstanding performances for the Country Kookaburra’s at the State Championships.
These 3 players were also a part of the history making U14 Darling Downs team who won this year’s Country Championships for the first time in the regions history.
All 3 players have been identified as being in the elite group of young footballers in the State and will undergo specialist training over the next year starting with an orientation session in late August at the GABBA followed by a testing session in the September school holidays.
The AFL Lions Academy objectives are to fast track the development of these individuals by providing first class coaching, facilities, infrastructure and support services and giving these players the opportunity to learn from AFL stars, who coach in the Academy.
Development Manager Keith Webb said that “Josh, Tye and Matt have been rewarded for many hours of hard work which started with pre season training way back in November 2008. These boys have showed great commitment to improving their game and are now reaping the benefits, we are all very proud of their achievements”.
A number of factors were taken into consideration when selecting the initial squad including fitness levels, skill levels and football knowledge. Feedback was also sought from all coaches and AFLQ regional managers on player’s attitude at training and in games, commitment and general behavior.
Congratulations to these boys on a fantastic achievement and stay tuned for regular updates on their progress in the program.
Last Modified on 10/03/2010 14:55
