The AFL has today announced the 2024 Marsh AFL National Championships U18 Boys All Australian Team.
Eight representatives from the title-winning Victoria Metro squad were named in the All Australian team, including Jagga Smith who was named captain.
Victoria Metro took out the title with a thrilling one-point victory over Victoria Country at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
Larke Medal winners Harvey Langford (Victoria Country) and Leo Lombard (Allies) were both selected in the All Australian midfield. The duo tied for this year’s competition best and award with 21 votes, finishing two ahead of Smith in third.
Victoria Metro midfielder Levi Ashcroft and South Australian speedster Sid Draper both became dual All Australians at under 18 level after being selected as bottom-agers in 2023. The duo were both named on the interchange in this year’s team.
Hunter Harrison Medal winner Zeke Uwland was also selected in the All Australian team. The Hunter Harrison Medal is presented to the best player in the Academy Series, which involves non-Victorian Academy teams competing in the Coates Talent League.
The only bottom-age player selected in this year’s All Australian team, Uwland was named in the back pocket after starring for the Allies at the Championships, which continued his hot form from four Coates Talent League appearances for the Gold Coast Suns Academy, where he averaged 24.5 disposals and two goals per match.
Victoria Metro head coach Rob Harding was selected as coach of the All Australian team.
The 2024 Marsh AFL National Championships U18 Boys All Australian Team selection panel included Kevin Sheehan (AFL Talent Ambassador – Chair), Paul Hamilton (AFL National Talent Development & Competitions Manager), Tarkyn Lockyer (Marsh AFL National Academy Manager) and AFL club recruiters Michael Agresta (Carlton), Steve Conole (Brisbane Lions), Robert Forster-Knight (Essendon), Hamish Ogilvie (Adelaide Crows) and Adam Shepard (Collingwood).
The Marsh AFL National Championships – U18 Boys are the highest level of state and territory representative football featuring the country’s most talented under 18 boys footballers. Matches were played across Australia over the past two months.
Victoria Metro produced a perfect 4-0 record to reclaim the title from the Allies, who last year made history to take out the Championships for the first time.
Metro just edged out Victoria Country (3-1) for this year’s title, while the Allies, South Australia and Western Australia each finished with one win from their four matches.
Please find below player profiles for all players selected in the 2024 Marsh AFL National Championships U18 Boys All Australian Team, compiled by Kevin Sheehan.
Back Pocket
Zeke Uwland
Allies/Gold Coast Suns Academy/Burleigh
Date of Birth: 24/04/07; Height: 176cm
A skilful small defender or wingman who had an outstanding Championships as a bottom-aged player. Read the play superbly and used his left-foot to great effect. A prolific ball winner who wins the ball on the inside and outside. Average 23 disposals (15 uncontested) and six rebound 50s to be a star for the Allies and claimed Larke Medal votes in three of his four matches. His brother Bodhi has been a Telstra AFL Rising Star nominee for the Gold Coast Suns this year.
Full Back
Luke Trainor
Victoria Metro/Sandringham Dragons/Old Brighton Grammarians
Date of Birth: 10/04/06; Height: 194cm
An athletic tall defender who is strong overhead and displayed both dash and composure with his ball use on the rebound. Also showed he can play a more negating role deep if required for his team and even went forward in the last moments of the title-deciding game to kick the winning goal of the Championships. Averaged 19.8 disposals at 77% efficiency and 5.8 marks across the four matches for Victoria Metro. Comes from great AFL stock being the grandson of former Geelong and North Melbourne legend Doug Wade, as well as former North Melbourne president Tony Trainor.
Back Pocket
Harrison Oliver
Victoria Metro/Sandringham Dragons/St Bedes-Mentone
Date of Birth: 15/06/06; Height 181cm
A composed medium defender who helped set up the play for Victoria Metro, with his decision-making and precise left-foot kicking key features of his game. Across four matches of the Championships he averaged 16.2 disposals at 83% efficiency and averaged 3.2 tackles with his speed also a weapon in breaking the lines.
Half Back Flank
Tobie Travaglia
Victoria Country/Bendigo Pioneers/Sandhurst
Date of Birth: 26/10/06; Height: 187cm
An impressive athletic half back who had an outstanding Championships with his ability to intercept with his closing speed. His strong hands overhead and competitiveness also caught the eye. Set the play up for Victoria Country using the ball with precision, averaging 21.8 disposals at 85% efficiency along with 6.2 marks. His outstanding games against South Australia and Victoria Metro saw him placed fifth in the Larke Medal with 15 votes.
Centre Half Back
Clancy Dennis
Western Australia/Claremont/Mosman Park
Date of Birth: 28/12/06; Height: 194cm
Tall defender who stood out with his ability to either intercept mark or spoil, consistently making correct decisions in a composed fashion. A super competitive type, he was rarely beaten one-on-one. Featured among his team’s very best in their games against the Allies and Victoria Country. Averaged 11.2 disposals and 5.2 marks at the Championships while containing the opposition’s most dangerous tall forwards.
Half Back Flank
Lachie Jaques
Victoria Country/Geelong Falcons/St Mary’s
Date of Birth: 01/06/06; Height 184cm
A medium defender who showed great ability to read the cues and intercept mark then use the ball with precision on the rebound. He averaged 16.2 disposals at 78.5% efficiency and 4.8 marks to be a composed player down back for Victoria Country throughout the Championships.
Wing
Xavier Lindsay
Victoria Country/Gippsland Power/Leongatha
Date of Birth: 03/08/06; Height 183cm
A left-footed midfielder or half back, he displayed a high footy IQ reading the cues to win the ball before making good decisions on its distribution. A neat kick and aggressive tackler, he also showed good natural speed and agility. Was fantastic in his side’s win over Western Australia and finished the Championships in outstanding fashion with a best on ground performance against Victoria Metro, picking up 30 disposals. Overall, he averaged 22.7 disposals at 78% efficiency, 4.3 clearances and five tackles in his three matches, having missed the match against the Allies due to injury.
Centre
Leo Lombard
Allies/Gold Coast Suns Academy/Broadbeach
Date of Birth: 05/10/06; Height: 178cm
A prolific ball-winning midfielder who is super competitive and explosive. He brought those assets to the Allies, which together with his exceptional work rate and game sense saw him in the thick of the action throughout the Championships. Won the Allies’ MVP award and was then announced as the joint winner of the Larke Medal with Harvey Langford as the competition’s best and fairest. Averaged 26.2 disposals (10.5 contested), 4.8 clearances, 4.5 tackles to add All Australian honours to his developing CV.
Wing
Bo Allan
Western Australia/Peel Thunder/Halls Head
Date of Birth: 16/02/06; Height: 191cm
A left-foot midfielder and defender who added a real competitive edge to his team when he led them to an impressive win over South Australia after missing their opening match loss to the Allies due to injury. Has shown he can play very tight and provide run from defence but added the capability to play midfield and use his contested ball winning and speed to provide consistent drive forward. Averaged 20 disposals (7.3 contested), 3.7 clearances and six tackles and was also among his team’s better players against both Victoria Metro and Country.
Half Forward Flank
Tom Gross
Victoria Metro/Oakleigh Chargers/Old Trinity Grammarians
Date of Birth: 15/09/06; Height: 181cm
A medium midfielder or forward with a sharp competitive edge and explosive speed out of stoppage. He also can play on the outside as well as the inside. Was particularly outstanding on the wing against South Australia and finished the Championships as one of Victoria Metro’s best and most consistent players wherever he played, averaging 20 disposals, 3.5 tackles and three clearances.
Centre Half Forward
Jobe Shanahan
Allies/Bendigo Pioneers/Moama
Date of Birth: 02/08/06; Height: 194cm
An exciting tall forward who showed his mobility and natural leap to take the most contested marks (eight) of any player in the Championships. Provided a real presence as a forward target for the Allies and was at his very best in his team’s two-point loss to Victoria Country with 16 disposals, nine marks (four contested) and three goals to be one of the best afield in a dominant performance.
Half Forward Flank
Murphy Reid
Victoria Metro/Sandringham Dragons/South Melbourne Districts
Date of Birth: 30/07/06; Height: 180cm
A midfielder-forward who showed he has speed to burn which allowed him to burst away from congestion and use the ball with precision. Reads the game exceptionally well and is a prolific ball winner. He averaged 24.5 disposals (9.2 contested) 3.2 clearances and 3.2 tackles across four matches, which included dominant displays against South Australia and the Allies. Was rewarded by winning Victoria Metro’s MVP award.
Forward Pocket
Isaac Kako
Victoria Metro/Calder Cannons/Northern Saints
Date of Birth: 07/03/06; Height: 175cm
Small forward who was dynamic with his speed and lateral movement and extremely hard to contain. Works extremely hard to create opportunities for his team and is extremely unselfish, but with his innate goal sense still kicked eight goals, including an impressive three goals in the decider. Overall averaged 14.5 disposals (50% contested) and was an important contributor in Victoria Metro’s Championships win. Is eligible to Essendon under the AFL’s NGA rules.
Full Forward
Harry Armstrong
Victoria Metro/Sandringham Dragons/Ormond
Date of Birth: 14/06/06; Height: 195cm
A left-footed tall forward who gradually built into the Championships with three goals against South Australia and then starred with five goals against Victoria Country. His contested marking and accurate kicking were standout features. Mobile and with sure hands on the burst, he proved a difficult player to contain with his athleticism and skill set. Finished as equal goalkicking leader for the Championships with nine goals.
Forward Pocket
Joe Berry
Victoria Country/Murray Bushrangers/ Wangaratta
Date of Birth: 18/04/06; Height: 180cm
A crafty left-footed small forward who proved to be one of the most dangerous players of his type throughout the Championships. Presented on a lead with real speed as well as working hard up the ground to win the ball. He has elite one-touch hands at ground level and innate goal sense, finishing as equal goalkicking leader with nine majors and averaged 13.2 disposals and three tackles.
Ruck
Alex Dodson
South Australia/Sturt/Payneham
Date of Birth: 15/06/06; Height 203cm
A developing ruckman who is extremely athletic and competitive. His mobility is a great weapon in winning the ball around the ground, with his vertical leap and reach both assets at stoppages. Missed the opening game due to basketball commitments, having won a gold medal playing for Australia at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany earlier this year. Emerged as the number one ruckman in the Championships with his performances in his three matches for South Australia, averaging 17.3 disposals, three marks, 3.7 clearances and 19.7 hitouts.
Ruck Rover
Harvey Langford
Victoria Country/Dandenong Stingrays/Mount Martha
Date of Birth: 15/03/06; Height 190cm
A left-footed medium midfielder who had an outstanding Championships and was joint winner of the Larke Medal as the best and fairest player with Allies midfielder Leo Lombard. Strong overhead and a star at stoppages, he used the ball effectively by hand and foot. Averaged 25.5 disposals (7.7 contested), 6.2 marks and 6.2 clearances to also be rewarded with Victoria County’s MVP award.
Rover
Jagga Smith (C)
Victoria Metro/Oakleigh Chargers/Richmond
Date of Birth: 28/01/06; Height: 181cm
A lively and creative midfielder who was a prolific ball-winner on the inside with elite distribution by hand and foot. He showed the rare ability to step through congested situations and maintain his composure. Averaged 29.2 disposals (13.8 contested) at 82% efficiency with 6.8 clearances. Not only was he an influential part of the Championship-winning team, he also finished third in the Larke Medal and was honoured by being named captain of the All Australian team.
Interchange
Levi Ashcroft
Victoria Metro/Sandringham Dragons/Old Brighton Grammarians
Date of Birth: 18/12/06; Height: 179cm
A midfielder/forward who used his footy nous and clean hands to create for his teammates, as well as having an elite work rate and being an excellent decision-maker with ball in hand. Was dominant against the Allies and produced strong performances against both South Australia and Western Australia. He averaged 25.5 disposals at 73% efficiency to thoroughly deserved back-to-back All Australian honours. The son of Marcus, who played 318 games and won three premierships with the Brisbane Lions, he looks certain to join his older brother Will at the Lions as a father-son selection.
Ben Camporeale
South Australia/Glenelg/ Brighton Districts & Old Scholars
Date of Birth: 21/07/06; Height: 186cm
Playing predominately on the inside in the midfield, he used his hard running and contested ball-winning ability to open up the game for his team and drive them forward. A model of consistency, he averaged 26.8 disposals (10 contested), 4.5 clearances and 3.8 tackles to win South Australia’s MVP award. Along with twin brother Lucas, he is eligible to join Carlton as a father-son in this year’s Draft as the sons of former Blues star Scott, who played 233 AFL games for the club.
Sid Draper
South Australia/ South Adelaide/ Willunga
Date of Birth: 05/07/06; Height: 182cm
A powerful midfielder who showed resilience to overcome an injury-interrupted start to the season, battling stress fractures in his shins to return just before the Championships. Again showed some of his dazzling speed and agility from stoppages which saw him win South Australia’s MVP last year as a bottom-aged player. Averaged 21 disposals (eight contested) at 76.2% efficiency and 3.8 clearances to be now a back-to-back All Australian at under 18 level.
Sam Marshall
Allies/Brisbane Lions Academy/Sandringham Dragons/Old Melburnians
Date of Birth: 19/01/06; Height: 185cm
A midfielder who played on both the inside and outside. Used his hard running and football nous to accumulate the ball and provide consistent drive for the Allies throughout all four matches. Averaged 27 disposals (9.8 contested), four clearances and 3.8 tackles. Showed clean hands and the courage to take the game on throughout the Championships to his team’s benefit.
Logan Smith
Allies/GWS Giants Academy/Queanbeyan
Date of Birth: 24/09/06; Height: 204cm
Mobile ruckman whose craft around stoppages and ability to direct the ball to his team’s advantage, as well as his follow up to physically support his team at ground level, were features of his game. Averaged 10.5 disposals (seven contested) and 21.5 hitouts to give the Allies first use of the ball and really contribute to their competitiveness in all four matches. Led the Championships with 26 hitouts to advantages, highlighting his influence.
Coach
Rob Harding
(Victoria Metro)
Players by team
Allies: (5) Leo Lombard, Sam Marshall, Jobe Shanahan, Logan Smith, Zeke Uwland
South Australia: (3) Ben Camporeale, Alex Dodson, Sid Draper
Victoria Country: (5) Joe Berry, Lachie Jaques, Harvey Langford, Xavier Lindsay, Tobie Travaglia
Victoria Metro: (8) Harry Armstrong, Levi Ashcroft, Tom Gross, Isaac Kako, Harrison Oliver, Murphy Reid, Jagga Smith, Luke Trainor
Western Australia: (2) Bo Allan, Clancy Dennis
Please click here to see all results and replays from all matches in the 2024 Marsh AFL National Championships – U18 Boys.
