The AFL has nominated 30 of the nation’s elite young footballers to receive an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship and become a member of the tenth AIS-AFL Academy Squad intake.

The 2006/2007 Academy Squad features 26 players who took part in the recent NAB AFL Under 16 Championships in Queensland and two from the NAB AFL Under 18 Championships in Melbourne.

The squad includes 11 Victorians, eight West Australians, three Queenslanders, four South Australians, one player from the NSW/ACT region, one Tasmanian and two players from the Northern Territory.

The AIS-AFL Academy is part of a commitment made by the AFL and the Australian Sports Commission, through the Australian Institute of Sport, to support Australian football’s best young players with their football and education development.

The squad will take part in a non-residential program allowing scholarship holders to remain at home to complete their secondary schooling.

AFL General Manager Game Development David Matthews welcomed the latest AIS-AFL Academy intake.

“The AIS-AFL Academy is a key component of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program as it provides an intensive, 12-month training program for 30 elite young players from all around Australia,” said Matthews.

“This is the tenth intake, with 270 young players from across Australia having taken part since 1997.”

Of the players currently listed at the 16 AFL clubs, 121 or 17 per cent have graduated from the AIS-AFL Academy.

Over the next year, the players will meet for four camps during school holidays and also play an International Rules series against Ireland in Ireland.

Past graduates of the AIS-AFL Academy include West Coast’s Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd and premiership players Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Shaun Burgone, Kane Cornes and Adam Schneider.

The squad will be managed by AIS-AFL High performance coach Alan McConnell.

Candidates were considered if they –
  • had displayed the potential to play Australia football at the elite level;
  • had represented their state at the NAB AFL Under 16 or Under 18 Championships, or were nominated for consideration by their relevant state talent managers;
  • were ineligible for the 2005 NAB AFL Draft;
  • displayed evidence of appropriate values and attitudes needed to become an AFL player;
  • displayed evidence of a commitment to school and education outside their football interests.



The 2006/07 AIS-AFL Academy

NSW/ACT
– Scott Reed (Pennant Hills/NSW-ACT Rams)





South Australia – Bradley Ebert (Henely/Port Adelaide Magpies), Hamish Hartlett (Edwardstown/West Adelaide), Tom McNamara (Happy Valley/South Adelaide), James Wundke (Walkerville/North Adelaide)

Queensland – Joseph Daye (Kedron), Brendan Whitecross (Kedron), Sam Reid (Suncoast Lions)

Tasmania – Aaron Cornelius (Glenorchy)

Vic Country – Patrick Dangerfield (Anglesea/Geelong Falcons), Lachlan Henderson (Geelong College/Geelong Falcons)

Vic Metro – Trent Cotchin (West Preston/Northern), Steven Gaertner (Edith-Aspendale/Dandenong), Addam Maric (Greenvale/Calder), Ashley Smith (Berwick/Dandenong), Luke Stanton (Etham/Northern), Tyrone Vickery (East Brighton/Sandringham), Dale Walker (Chirnside Park/Eastern), Patrick Veszpremi (St Mary’s /Northern), Jack Grimes (Hurstbridge/ Northern)

Western Australia – Clayton Garlett (Kwinana/South Fremantle), Cale Morton (Hale/Claremont), Nicholas Naitanui (Midvale/Swan Districts), Tony Notte (Upper Swan /Swan Districts), Daniel Rich (Sorrento/Duncraig /Subiaco), Dylan Ross (Marist College/Claremont), Tom Swift (Swanbourne/Claremont), Chris Yarran (Midvale/Swan Districts)

Northern Territory – Michael Gugliotta (Nightcliff), Marlon Motlop (Wanderers)