Throughout the rest 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 Saturday’s round of matches.

TASMANIA v WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Jesse Crichton – Once again, Jesse was good. He kicked a couple of goals, had four tackles, 15 disposals and was really creative by hand. He had good poise and balance. I haven't seen him put in a bad performance since division two started.

Aaron Cornelius – I thought this was Aaron's best game in four or five games. He had 14 disposals, seven marks – three were contested – and this was a fine effort, considering the ball only went inside 50 for Tasmania 20 times. His second quarter was outstanding. He had six marks in that period. It was a really solid performance. He played on instinct, he played in front and his work-rate was high.

Maverick Weller – Maverick played his first game and we'll see him in the under 16s championships in a few weeks time. He played in the under 16s last year. Maverick finished with 16 disposals – including seven contested possessions. He was actually rated by Tasmania's match committee as its second best player. He's clean with the footy, makes good decisions and he's going to be one to watch out for in the next few years. We'll be looking at him closely in the under 16s and in the bigger picture, he could be in the mix for an AIS/AFL scholarship. It was great for him to get exposed at under 18 level.

Kane Lucas – Again, he accumulated possessions. He had the most uncontested possessions on the ground with 18, from his 20 disposals, but that was because he works hard and finds space. He also sets up well around the stoppages. Early on, he didn't use the ball as effectively as Kane normally does, but overall it was another good game.

Daniel Rich – He worked into the game, after a slow start. He ended up with 16 disposals and six clearances, but what's so dangerous about Daniel is that he is so penetrating with his left-foot. He also had seven inside 50s and it was good to see some defensive pressure, laying four tackles. There have been such high expectations on Daniel and although he hasn't quite achieved those standards, I wouldn't say he's a poor performer. He's been pretty consistent on two or three occasions and probably lowered his colours a couple of times, but it's great to see him working hard.

Chris Yarran – Chris had 16 disposals and seven tackles. He played forward and got into the midfield a bit, but he is very classy and uses the ball extremely well. It looks like he is coasting around in second or third gear, because he is such a great mover, but when he got up into the midfield, he put the foot down and accelerated a few times. There is still more in the tank from Chris, so that's a worry for Vic Metro on Wednesday.

Nick Naitanui – He had 15 disposals, including 13 handballs, but 10 were contested possessions, so in-and-around the stoppages, he was excellent. He also had 19 hit outs and really set the game up for Western Australia.

VIC COUNTRY v SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Vic Country

Nick Suban – Nick had 19 disposals, including nine contested possessions, five tackles and six inside 50s. He was very good through the midfield and back behind the ball. He's a left-footer and continually sets the play up by foot. He doesn't waste the ball and showed really good leadership again.

Steele Sidebottom – He had 17 disposals, 11 contested, with five tackles and four clearances. It was another good all-round performance. He used the ball really well from a half-back role.

Christopher Hall – He's been quite classy throughout all of South Australia's matches. Chris was opposed at times to Steele Sidebottom and he did really well with his 20 disposals, including 11 contested. He was good around the stoppages and quite clever with six clearances. He's got quick hands and more importantly he does use the ball really well by foot. He's also a nice mover and finisher on the run.

Matthew Broadbent – Matthew has been very consistent throughout all games. He has been averaging 14 or 15 disposals throughout the carnival and he gained 14 against Vic Country, with five inside 50s and four rebounds. I think he really set the game up for South Australia with his attack on the footy. He also carried it and played with great intent. To just watch his game against Vic Country, you would think he had more stats than he did – such was his big influence on the game, so that was great.

Luke Tapscott – Luke came in to play a defensive role on young Andrew Hooper, who has provided Vic Country with a lot of run and rebound and has been really solid in the backline. Not only did Luke put a stop on Hooper, he also booted five goals and looked as if he really loved the contest. He kept his feet really well, loved the contested situations and to finish with five goals from just nine possessions was a great result for him and South Australia.

VIC METRO v NSW/ACT

Vic Metro

Michael Hurley – Michael was impressive again. The key defender didn't let the ball get past him and if he wasn't spoiling, he was marking everything. He had 15 disposals, including three strong contested marks and his rebound was excellent. He also uses the ball particularly well and is a penetrating kick. In the last quarter, he wandered down into attack – similar to a NAB Cup style of play – where he received the handball from Jack Fitzpatrick, who would not have kicked the distance, and Michael put the ball over the fence. What he lacks in leg speed, he makes up for with his anticipation. He's the type of player who gets in front and reads the ball really well. But overall it was yet another fine game from Michael.

Tom Scully – Tom is very classy. A left-footer, he predominantly played as a half-forward and finished with 15 disposals and applied some great forward pressure with seven tackles. He also kicked a couple of goals. Tom continually got to the foot of the contest and he always gets to the correct position. When he gets the ball and runs with it, he doesn't waste the footy. He's definitely one to keep an eye out for over the next year.

Kade Klemke – Again, he was good across half-back. He was opposed to Tom Scully at times and although Tom probably got away from him at times, Kade was really good overhead and made really good decisions. He had 19 disposals and provided great rebound – eight times – and was good in-and-around the stoppages in the back-half. Kade has been really consistent throughout the championships and I watched him play for the Murray Bushrangers last week and he was rock solid again.

Josh Bryce – He's only 186cm, but he has been used by NSW/ACT as a key defender and he has played well on most key forwards, including Tasmania's Aaron Cornelius. He started on Jack Watts and did okay. He is disciplined, and although he doesn't get a lot of the footy, he rarely gets beaten one-on-one. Josh was then moved to Tom Lynch in the second half and Lynch had a very good first half, as a lead-up forward, but Josh really quelled Tom's influence in the third quarter. So without winning a lot of the footy and looking at the coaches' votes for NSW/ACT, Josh was rated pretty highly again. He's been playing out of position and he normally plays half-back/wing for the Murray Bushrangers, but he has been a key position player for NSW/ACT and he can hold his head up high again.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL