Cross-divisional under-18 championship match moves to the Top EndFOOTBALL's 'Generation Next' will be on show in Darwin tonight with the surnames Kickett, Matera, Rioli and Winmar taking their place at Marrara Oval. The youngsters are part of the Northern Territory and Western Australian under-18 teams and they will be playing in a cross-divisional match as part of the AFL national championships.
Already, Brandon Matera, son of inaugural West Coast Eagles rover, Wally, and nephew of club greats Peter and Phil, has shown his wares with a brilliant solo performance against South Australia last weekend.
The match is the second for the teams and they are both coming off wins. NT have had a week off after defeating Tasmania in Melbourne during AFL Indigenous Round. And WA are flying high after their win over SA last Saturday in Perth.
Nicholas Winmar, Cameron Kickett and Matera back up for WA but Shannon Rioli will play his first game for NT. Strengthening the Thunder line-up is, ironically, WA's Deon Gordon, now playing for the senior Thunder in the QAFL.
The match is one of three today with the AFL SportsReady Cup Grand Final (3:15pm) between the St. Johns and Kormilda College schools, the KickStart Country Championships Grand Final (4:45pm), the culmination of a three-day camp attended by 160 under-15 footballers from remote communities around the NT, and the Northern Territory-v-Western Australia under-18 showdown (6pm).
NT and WA squads
NT Thunder (squad of 27 -- to be trimmed to 22 tonight): Scott Taylor, Deon Gordon, Steven May, Deon Staunton, Troy Taylor, Nathan Ahmat-Watkins, Jerry Wilson, Paul Cox, Charlie McAdam, Mitchell Taylor, Kieren Smith, Shannon Rioli, Tim Kelly, Roland Ah Chee, Curtly Reid, James Wray, Alex Johnson, Lindsay Lawler, Jacob Schaper, Cameron Jones, Lachlan Michell, Shaun Wilson, Corey Baxter, Pierce Liddle, Michael Gugliotta and Robert Hale.
WA: Travis Colyer, Aaron Elari, Brandon Matera, Clinton Garlett, David Swallow, Kane Lucas, Bradley Sheppard, Anthony Collica, Jamie Cripps, Alex Fasolo, Mark Hutchings, Rhett Maso, Blayne Wilson, Nicholas Winmar, Mitchell Duncan, Anthony Morabito, Jack Darling, Haydn Busher, Cameron Kickett, Joel Houghton, Nat Fyfe, Josh Donaldson, Chris Luff.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Friday, June 5, 2009
Last Modified on 05/06/2009 14:45