Queenslanders Jordan Bourke, Clay Cameron and Caine Tickner have been chosen today in a two-tiered and upgraded AIS/AFL Academy program, beginning next month.
Wednesday 17 August 2011
Queenslanders Jordan Bourke, Clay Cameron and Caine Tickner have been chosen today in a two-tiered and upgraded AIS/AFL Academy program, beginning next month.
Bourke (pictured), from Morningside, and Cameron, from Mt.Gravatt, are among 30 level two players eligible for the 2012 National Draft.
And Tickner, from Noosa, is among 30 level one players who will be eligible for the 2013 National Draft.
Also included in the 15th Academy intake is the NT Thunder’s Jed Anderson, who is among the nominations for the NAB NEAFL Rising Star Award (Northern Conference).
Under the revised policy, the older group, which includes Bourke and Cameron, will make the traditional overseas tour to Europe for which details are still to be finalized.
And the younger group, with Tickner, will undergo a more local program in 2012 before being considered for the level two group in 2013.
Bourke’s selection comes after he won the Alan McLean Medal for the Best & Fairest Player in division two at the NAB Australian U16 carnival in Sydney, where he played as an over-age player.
Cameron, who played with the Australia Post Queensland Scorpions side at the NAB Australian U18 championships, was included after impressing at senior level with Mt.Gravatt in the NEAFL over the last three weeks.
He is now set for an important role in the Vultures’ finals campaign.
Tickner, like Bourke, was a member of the Australia Post Young Scorpions side that won the national division two championships.
The 60-player squad is dominated by players from the division one states of Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, with Bourke and Cameron two of four division two players from Queensland, NSW/ACT, Tasmania and ACT in the level two group.
Tickner is one of four division two players in the level one group.
AFL General Manager – National & International Development David Matthews today explained that the two-tier structure was designed to deepen the talent pool for the game and better prepare players prior to their entry the AFL competition.
“Our pathway is underpinned by a philosophy of ‘developing better people & better players’ and this change reflects our commitment to give talented young players from anywhere in Australia an elite opportunity to develop to their potential,” Matthews said.
The level one players were chosen from the 2011 NAB Australian U16 championships, while the level two players represent a mix of over-age players at the U16 carnival like Bourke and the bottom-agers at the NAB Australian U18 carnival, like Cameron.
The Level Two program will be headed up by current AIS/ AFL Academy Head Coach Michael O’Loughlin, with a charter to prepare these players for the step into senior AFL football.
“The AFL’s partnership with the AIS is very successful. Since the AIS/AFL Academy program was introduced in 1997 with a first intake that included the likes of Cameron Ling, Mark McVeigh, Brady Rawlings and Andrew Embley, this program has now assisted the development of nearly one quarter of all players currently on an AFL list,” Matthews said.
“This new structure will give the top-age players in the second tier a very specific program aimed at giving them a thorough understanding of the demands and requirements to become an AFL player, with the hope of preparing for an AFL career in 2013.
“The squad at the introductory level will be exposed to the preparation required in both the physical and skill development required for elite sport, as well as a range of programs to assist their development as individuals,” he said.
All inductees will attend their first camp in Melbourne during the 2011 Toyota AFL Grand Final week, with the second camp to be held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra in late November.
The 2011 AIS-AFL Academy Squads are as follows:
The Level One Squad is:
James Aish (Payneham / Norwood, SA),
Jack Billings (Kew Comets / Oakleigh Chargers, Vic Metro)
Nicholas Bourke (Kolora / Noorat / Geelong, Vic Country)
Cameron Conlon (St Marys FC / Northern Knights, Vic Metro)
Jason Cooke (Sunbury Lions JFC / Calder Cannons, Vic Metro)
Luke Dunstan (South Clare / Woodville West Torrens, SA)
Darcy Gardiner (St Joseph’s / Geelong Falcons, Vic Country)
Sam Garstone (Perth, WA),
Laurence Grescos (Guildford Grammar / Swan Districts, WA)
Billy Hartung (Red Hill / Dandenong Stingrays, Vic Country)
Jesse Hogan (Claremont, WA)
Herman Humphries (Swan Districts, WA)
Jarman Impey (Shepparton Bears / Murray Bushrangers, Vic Country)
Scott Jones (Busselton / East Perth, WA)
Joshua Kelly (East Brighton JFC / Sandringham Dragons, Vic Metro)
Ben Lennon (Macleod FC / Northern Knights, Vic Metro)
Dylan Loo (Wesley College / Perth, WA)
Clayton McCartney (Cranbourne / Dandenong Stingrays, Vic Country)
Luke McDonald (Kew Comets JFC / Oakleigh Chargers, Vic Metro)
Jack Martin (Claremont, WA)
Jake Neade (St Patrick’s / West Alice, NT)
Lloyd Peris (St George, NSW/ACT)
Luke Reynolds (North Haven / Port Magpies, SA)
Matthew Scharenberg (PHOS Camden / Glenelg, SA)
Dominic Sheed (Subiaco, WA)
Eli Templeton (Burnie Dockers, Tas)
Cain Tickner (Noosa, Qld)
James Tsitas (Grovedale / Geelong Falcons, Vic Country)
Dallas Willsmore (Walpeup Underbool / North Ballarat Rebels, Vic Country)
Dwayne Wilson (Murray Bridge Imperials / Sturt, SA).
The Level Two squad is:
Jed Anderson (NTFC / Darwin, NT)
Jordan Bourke (Morningside, Qld)
Clay Cameron (Mt Gravatt, Qld)
Aiden Corr (Macleod FC / Northern Knights, Vic Metro)
Brad Crouch (Beaufort FC / North Ballarat Rebels, Vic Country)
Joe Daniher (Aberfeldie FC / Calder Cannons, Vic Metro)
Ben Kennedy (Brighton / Glenelg, SA)
Dayle Garlett (Swan Districts, WA)
Brodie Grundy (Unley / Sturt, SA)
Matthew Haynes (Yarrambat FC / Northern Knights, Vic Metro)
Emmanuel Irra (Port Noarlunga / South Adelaide, SA)
Jesse Lonergan (Launceston, Tas)
Liam McBean (Aberfeldie FC / Calder Cannons, Vic Metro)
Sam Mayes (Port FC / North Adelaide, SA)
Troy Menzel (Golden Grove FC / Central Districts, SA)
Jaeger O’Meara (Perth, WA)
Jonathan O’Rourke (Gisborne Rookies JFC / Calder Cannons, Vic Metro)
Lachlan Plowman (Macedon / Calder Cannons, Vic Metro)
Jason Pongracic (Koo Wee Rup FC / Dandenong Stingrays, Vic Country)
Mason Shaw (South Fremantle, WA)
Josh Simpson (Rostrevor / North Adelaide, SA)
Tanner Smith (Kalkee FC / North Ballarat Rebels, Vic Country)
James Stewart (Glen Iris JFC / Sandringham Dragons, Vic Metro)
Jake Stringer (Eaglehawk FC / Bendigo Pioneers, Vic Country)
Shannon Taylor (Claremont, WA)
Jimmy Toumpas (Flinders Park / Woodville West Torrens, SA)
Jack Viney (Carey Baptist / Oakleigh Chargers, Vic Metro)
Nick Vlastuin (Eltham / Northern Knights, Vic Metro)
Lachie Whitfield (Mornington FC / Dandenong Stingrays, Vic Country)
Laine Wilkins (Peel Thunder, WA)
