The players, all whom were eligible to play in either the National’s AFL Under 16 or Under 18 Championships this year, will receive expert personal and skill development over the next 12 months under the guidance of AIS-AFL Academy coach, Terry Wheeler.
AFL Game Development General Manager David Matthews, welcomed the eighth intake into the Academy.
“The AIS-AFL Academy scholarships give talented young players the chance to develop their abilities under leading Australian Football and AIS educators. We welcome these young athletes into this prestigious program and look forward to seeing AFL football’s next generation develop,” Matthews said.
AIS Director Mr Michael Scott, added; "By accessing the sports science and sports medicine expertise of the AIS, the young players are given a great opportunity to fast track their development to senior AFL level".
Squad members will remain in their home states during the year but will gather for training programs and competition at various times throughout the course of their scholarship.
The squad will assemble in Geelong, Victoria, for the first of four camps, early in October and begin an exciting induction into the requirements of becoming an AFL player of the future.
Sessions will include fitness evaluations, skill improvement, analysis of team plays and tactics along with nutrition, injury prevention, study skills, time management, public speaking and career planning.
Squad members will also be given the opportunity to represent Australia at the youth level of the International Rules series next April in Ireland.
The seventh intake of AIS-AFL Academy complete their scholarship year at the National’s AFL Draft camp in Canberra later this year and are expected to be prominent at the National’s AFL Draft on November 20.
The squad’s selectors were AFL recruiting managers Mick Moylan (Port Adelaide), Trevor Woodhouse (West Coast Eagles), John Beveridge (St Kilda), Scott Clayton (Western Bulldogs) and AFL National Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan, under the chairmanship of Terry Wheeler.
Eighth AIS-AFL Academy intake
Athlete State Comment
James Bennett NSW/ACT Medium midfielder who reads the play well and has very good disposal skills. Excellent overhead for his size. From Belconnen in the ACT.
Daniel Dzufer Qld Medium sized key forward. An excellent mark and strong left foot kick. Won MVP award for Queesland and the Alan McLean Medal for the best Division 2 player. From Caloundra in Queensland.
Rhan Hooper Qld Small outside midfielder with pace. Likes to carry the ball and kicks long into the forward line. From Ipswich in Queensland.
Travis Varcoe SA Small midfielder who has good pace and ball handling ability. Can break free in a pack situation and carry the ball forward. From Central Districts FC in SA.
Jon Cheetham SA Tall inside forward who is an excellent mark. Prepared to present himself and bring others into the game. Is capable of playing in the ruck if needed. From North Adelaide FC in SA.
Alex Hutchins SA Medium defender/midfielder who is strong over the ball. Good hand and foot skills. From the West Adelaide FC in SA.
Mitchell Thorp Tas Tall inside key forward who continually presents himself. Has speed off the mark and is an excellent kick. From the Longford FC in Tasmania.
Tom Hislop Tas Medium inside midfielder who is a strong player at the contest. Can go forward and kick goals and has great awareness. From Burnie in Tasmania.
Grant Birchall Tas Medium, inside forward/midfielder with a prodigious left foot kick. A strong mark overhead and in a contest. From Devonport in Tasmania.
Lachlan Hansen Vic-C Tall, outside ruckman who covers the ground well and has good skills. Capable of playing forward or back. From Gippsland Power in Victoria.
Joel Selwood Vic-C Medium sized utility with football intelligence. Hard and fearless in the contest and capable of winning a lot of the football. From Bendigo in Victoria.
Matt Tyler Vic-C Tall defender with height, endurance and versatility. Is composed under pressure and reads the play well. From Rupanyup in country Victoria.
Shaun Grigg Vic-C Medium inside midfielder who is athletic and evasive. Has a strong aerobic capacity to run and carry the ball. From the North Ballarat FC in Victoria.
Xavier Ellis Vic-C Medium outside/midfielder with terrific work rate and excellent finishing skills. Has a good football brain. From Lake Tyres in country Victoria.
Travis Boak Vic-C Small, inside forward/midfielder. Smart reader of the play and can be a goal kicker. Clean hands and a good mark for his size. From the Geelong Falcons FC in Victoria.
Clint Bartram Vic-C Small, inside midfielder who is very good in traffic. A strong tackler and efficient with his disposal. From Leopold in country Victoria.
Robert Eddy Vic-C Medium defender/midfielder who is strong over the ball and a good mark overhead for his size. Was the MVP for Victoria Country. From Leongatha.
Danny Stanley Vic-C Disciplined, medium, inside player who is defensively very good. Smart footballer who plays a physical game, but can provide plenty of run. From the Geelong Falcons FC in Victoria.
Marc Murphy Vic-M Small, inside midfielder and forward. Goal kicker, who reads the play well and is a good mark for his size. From the Oakleigh Chargers FC in Victoria
Ryan Anderson Vic-M Small outside midfielder with great pace and courage. Clean disposal and strong in the air. From the Northern Knights FC in Victoria.
Scott Gumbleton WA Tall inside key forward who is an outstanding contested mark. Very competitive player has good skills and endurance. From the Peel Thunder FC in WA.
Grae Grant WA Medium, outside midfielder who runs and carries the ball. A clean ball handler who was joint winner of the Kevin Sheehan medal for the best player in Division 1. From the Perth FC in WA.
Leroy Jetta WA Small, outside midfielder/forward with electrifying pace and good goal sense. An excellent front and square player. From the South Fremantle FC in WA.
Patrick Ryder WA Tall, outside ruckman with excellent leap and agility. Can play forward and back and is a reliable kick at goal. From Geraldton in country WA.
Clayton Collard WA An inside forward/defender, a running player who reads the play well. Uses the ball well and can go forward and kick goals. From the South Fremantle FC in WA.
Gary Moss WA Small, outside forward with pace. Penetrating left foot kick who sets up play well and is dangerous around goals. From the East Perth FC in WA.
Clinton Benjamin WA Medium, outside defender who is a real athlete. Quick off the mark, good endurance and a great leap. From Broome in country WA.
Eric MacKenzie WA Tall, inside defender. A hard competitor who is reliable and always makes the right decision. From the Claremont FC in WA.
Matt Riggio WA Medium, inside defender, a balanced mover with clean hands. Has good ball winning ability and is capable of running the lines and taking a strong mark. From the Peel Thunder FC in WA.
Justin Simpson WA Medium, inside forward/defender who has great hardness around the contest. Has clean hands and is a penetrating left foot kick. Captained his team to the Division 1 championship. From Swan District in WA.
