Division 1 title heading west -- againWESTERN Australia is the toast of under-age football after the Sandgropers made it a clean sweep at the 2009 AFL Under-18 Championships at Etihad Stadium yesterday. The WA lads rose to the occasion when challenged by Vic Country in the third quarter to eventually win by 48 points, 16.14 (110) to 9.8 (62).
Like he has throughout the campaign, Brandon Matera, son of Wally and nephew of Peter and Phil, was among the goal-kickers, kicking two in the Sandgropers' win.
Nicholas Winmar and Clinton Garlett were good for WA today. Cameron Kickett and Broome's Gerrick Weedon also featured in WA's campaign, playing in earlier matches against NT and SA.
Allen Christensen (pictured, at top), who was one of his side's best in their win against NT last Saturday, was good for Vic Country against WA while team-mate Farran Priest (pictured, below), last year’s Morrish Medal winner (TAC Cup fairest-and-best), played in earlier matches.
Thunder hang on to win in thrillerA LAST-gasp goal by Charlie McAdam and a Leo Barry-like mark at the death by team-mate Cameron Jones have given Northern Territory the perfect send-off from an otherwise mixed under-18 national championship campaign.
The young Thunder side held on in an enthralling match against Queensland at Etihad Stadium yesterday to win by the slimmest of margins, 9.6 (60) to 8.11 (59).
McAdam, son of former AFL great, Gilbert, marked and goalled unopposed 20 metres out with about two minutes left on the clock in the final term to put NT in front. Neither side could gain much of an ascendency until that point but it wasn't until Jones took his match-saving mark inside the Maroons' forward 50m with mere seconds left that the result was sealed.
Standout performers for the Thunder were Deon Gordon, who was instrumental in repelling many a Maroon attack from defence, and ball-magnet Roland Ah Chee, who limped off late in the final term with injury.
Thomas Holland, from Thursday Island, was handy, if a little busy, for the Maroons in the backline and team-mate Anzack Newman, from Bamaga in Far North Queensland, also played well further upfield. Emerging draft prospect Rex Liddy, from Hopevale, sat out the final match due to injury. All three Queenslanders are products of the Cairns-based Cape York Academy.
The news was also good for South Australia with Byron Sumner named among the Croweaters' best in their 10.13 (71) to 9.7 (61) win against Vic Metro yesterday. South Australia's Indigenous contingent over the course of the championships was Derick Wanganeen, Daniel Scott-Collings and Tim Milera, and Sumner.
And the NSW/ACT Rams have claimed the Division 2 title after defeating Tasmania by 37 points, 13.6 (84) to 6.11 (47). Neither Colin Andrews (Wentworth) nor Leroy Eggmolesse (Lockhart) featured in yesterday's win, however both boys played in the Rams' earlier games.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Last Modified on 02/07/2009 18:51