Throughout the remainder of the 2008 NAB AFL under 18 championships, AFL youth and high performance coordinator and former AFL star Jason McCartney will give afl.com.au his thoughts on the players who caught his eye.
Here are his assessments after New South Wales/Australian Capital TerritoryTasmania by 12 points at Aurora Stadium on Saturday.
TASMANIA v NEW SOUTH WALES/AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Tasmania
Ryan Harwood – He plays half-forward and moves through the midfield and moves really nicely. He's got great poise and good skills and he finished with 15 disposals. He wins his own ball – he also won four hard-ball gets – and he kicked two goals. He's been reasonably solid throughout the championships, but he was good against NSW/ACT.
Jake Cox – He was very good in the first half, but he fell away in the second half. Still, his start on the wing was very impressive. He has very good speed, is a left-footer and he was very attacking, taking the game on. He had 13 disposals – including 12 first-half touches – and four hard-ball gets.
Tom Salter – Tom has been very consistent throughout the championships – he's a hard-working midfielder with great endurance. He's very good at using his endurance and spreading from the stoppages. He's got the ability to break free. His hands are also very good in close, although I would suggest his kicking is marginal at this stage. He had 20 disposals and four inside 50s. Tom was Tassie's leading possession winner against NSW/ACT.
New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory
Taylor Duryea – He's a left-footer and is a really good disposer of the ball. He's got great composure and because he uses the ball so well, he's got that ability to really influence the game. He's got some really nice poise and balance and he can also win the footy as well. He gave his side great drive, winning 17 disposals, six hard-ball gets and five inside 50s, so it was a very good game from Taylor.
Dylan McNeil – A midfielder, Dylan is very good at the stoppages. He uses the ball well and he had 17 disposals and seven hard-ball gets. The big one was his clearance work – he finished with nine for the match. He also got four inside 50s. He's very creative in tight and when he does find space, he uses it quite well.
Scott Reed – Scotty is a Collingwood scholarship holder. He was very prominent early, starting at centre half-back and then changed through the midfield. He's a really good size at 193cm and can play a variety of positions. There is no doubt at the end of the year, from what I have seen over the last couple of years, Collingwood will look very closely at giving him a spot on its list. He had 17 disposals, three hard-ball gets and four inside 50s. Against Tassie, it was one of the best games I have with his kicking. He had really good penetration. His flexibility is great, being able to hold down a key position or push into the midfield. Scott also carries the ball and reads it well. He has zoned off a bit, but that's something he's aware of, but he's had a very consistent carnival.
Kade Klemke – He had 20 disposals across half-back and in the midfield. He has really good composure and he showed once again great composure. He tends to set himself up in a zoning position across half-back. He repels a lot of attacks from the opposition.
Josh Bryce – He played at full-back on Aaron Cornelius. Aaron started well and was pretty lively, but after the first quarter Josh got right on top of him. Josh only had the 10 disposals, but he had five hard-ball gets and he had some really strong efforts overhead. He was rated by the NSW/ACT coaching staff as its best player. Josh also had a good game on Cornelius in the division two final, so he's been able to back that up. What's impressed me about Josh is his ability to play key position and hold his own, although he's 186cm. He's also run through the midfield, so he's got adaptability, because at 186cm, he's not going to regularly hold down a key position. So he was quite good again against Tassie.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the clubs or the AFL.
