THIS weekend sees the division two teams take the stage for the first time in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.

Under the new format of the national championships, the sides will play three games over a two-week period, starting at Blacktown International Sports Park on Saturday.

Here are 20 players to keep an eye on during the carnival.  

NEW SOUTH WALES/ACT
Comments by state talent manager Darren Denneman

Nick Coughlan
Tall forward/defender
193cm/82kg
12/9/96
Murray Bushrangers/Albury/GWS Academy
"He's a great shape and size and I've seen him since he was a 13-year-old. He's had some horrendous injuries in the last 18 months and I think he's a real smokey. He can play back, midfield and forward and we'll probably play him forward to allow him to run at the footy."

Abe Davis
Tall forward/defender
193cm/90kg
27/1/96
UNSW-Easts/Sydney Swans Academy
"Abe has taken remarkable steps in the past 12 months. He was fantastic last year during the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships playing back, and this year he's predominantly played forward. He's a strong mark and competes hard, and when he gets good delivery he presents well and can kick goals. He's a good size and is really versatile but we'd like to see him play as a forward this carnival."

Abe Davis (right) fights for the ball for NSW/ACT in last year's U18s Championships 

Jeremy Finlayson
Tall forward
195cm/84kg
9/2/96
Hills Eagles/GWS Academy
"He's part of the Greater Western Sydney academy, and was originally from southern New South Wales and was relocated by the Giants last year. He's a mobile type, and is a really athletic running player who can kick the ball a long way. He looks very laconic but he does work quite hard and has really developed under Mark McVeigh's coaching at the Giants."

Jordan Foote
Midfielder
182cm/74kg
1/2/96
UNSW-Easts/Sydney Swans Academy
"He loves to work hard. He's a machine like that. He's looking to add some goalkicking to his repertoire and if he does that he will become very dangerous. He'd fit well in an AFL club environment because of his elite fitness levels. As a midfielder he's been really good for us."

Liam Griffiths
Midfielder
182cm/79kg
12/1/96
Ainslie/GWS Academy
"Liam's huge athletic numbers [and running ability] speak for themselves, so he's certainly applied himself to the tasks we've given him and got better every game. He's had a few little niggles this year based around his athletic stuff, because he is so quick and agile. He plays mostly on the wing."

Isaac Heeney
Midfielder
186cm/82kg
5/5/96
Cardiff/Sydney Swans Academy
"He's what we call a hybrid player, an inside and outside midfielder.  He's versatile and tough-as-nails, and has really come on in the last couple of years. Relocating to Sydney from Newcastle (as a member of the Swans' Academy) has taken away the travel he was doing and has helped his body, and helped him in terms of his football development. He gets physical in traffic and can then surprise you with his contested marking."

Callum Mills
Midfielder
185cm/77kg
4/2/97
North Shore/Sydney Swans Academy
"As a 17-year-old who isn't draft eligible until next year he's been unbelievable in the TAC Cup with his intensity through the midfield (Mills has averaged 30 disposals in five games in the competition this year). He's so competitive and he's very similar to Heeney in that regard." 

Callum Mills in action during the TAC Cup. Picture: AFL Media 

Jack Steele
Midfielder
186cm/82kg
13/12/95
Belconnen/GWS Academy
"Jack had a knee injury last year and has come back as an over-ager, and he's very impressive in terms of his work ethic. He plays taller than he looks because he can mark the ball strongly above his head, and is really good at getting on the end of goals. Last weekend against the Calder Cannons he had 38 disposals, 15 marks, nine tackles, 10 clearances and three goals."

NORTHERN TERRITORY
Comments by state talent manager Wally Gallio

Errin Wasley-Black
Medium defender
189cm/83kg
20/1/95
Rovers/Waratahs
"Errin shook off [not being drafted last year] and got back into his training program and concentrated on getting himself right for the NEAFL competition. He's played every game for the senior team and won the Rising Star nomination in round one. He's settled in and is trying to break in and be noticed again. He'll play off half-back, his contented ball has been really good this year and he has an ability to run and carry the ball with a penetrating left-foot kick."

Jack Musgrove
Utility
186cm/76kg
4/11/96
St Marys/NTFC
"Jack's played three games in the NEAFL seniors this year. He's really been working on his speed and endurance and he's come up well with that. He has an ability to play as a key position at both ends of the ground and as a tall midfielder, and that's how he's changed his game from last year. He's got a competitive spirit that gets him over the line ahead of others."

Willy Rioli
Half-forward/half-back
174cm/88kg
4/7/95
St Marys/NTFC
"Since last year he's played in senior company, and he had to meet our fitness standards to be selected and he's done that. The biggest improvement he's had [since not being picked at last year's draft] is his ability to stay in the contest longer. Instead of playing him forward during the nationals, where everyone knows he can play, we'll play him down back and through the midfield. Skill-wise he does the unthinkable sometimes."

QUEENSLAND
Comments by state talent manager and coach Adrian Fletcher

Harris Andrews
Tall forward/ruck
198cm/91kg
11/12/96
Aspley/Brisbane Lions Academy
"The modern game needs forward/ruckmen who play 20 per cent in the ruck and 80 per cent in the forward line, and he's a guy who can do that. He has good endurance, he can take big marks in the forward line and then he can go into the ruck. We're using him at centre-half back at the moment and he's got a lot of variety to his game."

Liam Dawson
Medium defender/midfielder
187cm/82kg
23/1/96
Aspley/Brisbane Lions Academy
"Because of his ability to play a number of roles, sometimes he can get played out of position. We'll play him through the midfield and forward. We know he can play down back but he's stepped up in the midfield in our past two TAC Cup games, and then we put him at full forward and showed his speed and marking ability there." 

Liam Dawson (right) in action for the AIS-AFL Academy team this year at the MCG. Picture: AFL Media 

Matt Hammelmann
Tall forward
197cm/86kg
8/3/96
Morningside/Brisbane Lions Academy
"Matt's best suited as a forward. He can make his defender work, that's how he gets in behind them to use his overhead marking ability. We'll play him in the forward line in the championships and hopefully he'll step up."

Nick Jackson
Tall defender
195cm/86kg
16/12/95
Aspley/Brisbane Lions Academy
"He's one of those defenders who reads the ball so well, and he takes a lot of uncontested marks in defence because he has that footy nous. And Nick's got pretty good awareness back there as well. As an over-aged player, he seems to make the right decisions coming out of defence and he's aggressive, too."

Matthew Uebergang
Tall forward
193cm/87kg
6/1/95
Ipswich/Western Magpies/Brisbane Lions Academy
"In the 20-metre sprint Matt runs 2.9 seconds, so he's pretty quick and has that ability to get away from his opponents very easily on the lead. He's got really good hands as well, and he's not a bad kick for goal. They're all good traits if you have an elite midfield group and he's playing up forward. He can take packs marks as well, and can play as a key defender. You need speed in AFL footy, and he's got it."

Lachie Weller
Midfielder
181cm/71kg
23/2/96
Broadbeach/Southport/Gold Coast Academy

"He can get out of congestion through agility and speed and then once he does that he's got a weapon with his right foot to kick the ball. He's got very good spatial awareness in the ability to put the ball out in front of the forward. Lachie needs to build his body up but hopefully can get to a size where he can play inside and outside the contest. He can go on the wing and also run out of a centre bounce and kick goals, which is very unusual because that's a pressure situation."

TASMANIA
Comments by state coach Adam Sanders

Caleb Hislop
Midfielder
183cm/74kg
13/5/96
Burnie

"Caleb mainly plays in the midfield but he can go forward and back as well. He's very courageous and has really good hardness at the contest. He has a good skill-set and kicks the ball really well. A shoulder reconstruction at the end of 2012 meant he didn't play at last year's championships, but he's come back in and I rate him very highly. He's a very solid player in all areas."

Tim Jones
Midfielder
181cm/77kg
10/11/96
Western Storm
"He's a really hard-working inside midfielder. He played as a bottom-ager last year coming off a knee reconstruction in his under-16s season. It's been pretty hard to get his body stronger and faster again. He had quite a good game last week with 35 disposals, and he's good at getting his hands on the ball first."

Logan Reynolds
Half-back/midfielder
180cm/67kg
19/10/97
North Launceston
"At his size he plays mainly as a running defender and wingman. He's been one of our best players in the TAC Cup this year with his speed. He's just a really clean, composed and hard-working player. He isn't eligible until next year's draft but he's probably one to look for during the championships."