In a bid to secure further talent from NSW, the West Coast Eagles have today signed NSW Scholarship holder Alexander Sneddon.

 

The 17-year-old ruckman boasts 203cm and lists Dean Cox among his AFL idols. Currently playing for the Campbelltown Blues under-18s in the Sydney AFL, Sneddon’s athleticism is a feature.

 

Sneddon joins fellow NSW Scholarship players Jake King and Kieran Emery who were both signed by the club in June this year.

 

Initiated in 2006, the NSW Scholarship program is designed to attract young athletes from the greater Sydney region to Australian football by providing them with a direct path to the elite AFL competition with a long-term goal of contributing 10 percent of the national talent pool with NSW/ACT players.

 

And it’s fair to say its most recent product, Ryan Davis, is pulling his weight on the west coast. His relative inexperience well-documented, it was expected that Davis would play in the reserves for his WAFL side, Swan Districts, and work his way up through the ranks.

 

But after a piercing pre-season and some exceptional performances in intra-club matches, it was clear to all that Davis was out to exceed every expectation and raise every eyebrow.

 

He has made remarkable progress to date, playing eight AFL games after his round eight debut against the Kangaroos.

 

All eyes will be on the NSW youngsters King, Emery and Sneddon as they prepare themselves to follow in the footsteps of Davis and make their mark on Australian football.