![]() ![]() While he’s been the Allies’ top ruck over the past month, McVeigh can see him being a Mark Blicavs-type player that can fill any chasm on the ground.Įthan Read of the Allies and Lachlan Smith of Vic Country compete for the ball. His quick reflexes in tight, ability to find space and pinpoint kicking for a player of his size stood out again. ![]() Read capped off his carnival with another eye-catching game, racking up 23 disposals, seven clearances, six marks and 13 hit-outs. A dynamic, speedy midfielder, Rogers showed off his uncanny knack of keeping his head over the ball and being first to it, as well as clean execution. Rogers was brilliant on Sunday, finishing with 22 disposals, 10 contested possessions, eight inside 50s, six tackles and five clearances. The other three are the trio of star Suns Academy prospects: 195cm key forward Jed Walter, 172cm midfielder Jake Rogers and athletic 200cm ruck Ethan Read. Sanders and McKercher are two of five Allies players that could feature in the top 10 of this year’s draft, according to McVeigh. ![]() A traditional centreman, Sanders had another big game, finishing with 35 disposals, 11 contested possessions, six marks and five clearances against Vic Country, with his ball use back of centre notable. Picture: Photo by Graham Denholm/AFL Photos via Getty Images Source: Getty ImagesĪs would North Launceston product Ryley Sanders, who’ll be challenging McKercher for this year’s Larke Medal – the award given to the best player of the national championships. “He’s got a beautiful left foot kick, he has time and ability to take the ball off the lines.” “He has poise, he’s very professional,” McVeigh said of McKercher. But scouts now believe the Launceston product would be worthy of a top-five selection. He’d racked up 40 touches against Western Australia last month – ranked fifth on the all-time list for most disposals in an Under 18 national championships game – but McKercher’s performance against Vic Country was arguably his best and most significant outing of the carnival.Ī ball magnet with a terrific workrate and excellent left-foot kick who’s been likened to Essendon captain Zach Merrett, McKercher was already in the top-10 mix prior to Sunday’s game as one of the best pure midfield prospects of this draft class. McKercher finished with two goals from 33 disposals, 15 contested possessions, nine clearances and six inside 50s. Then after Vic Country had kicked three straight fourth-quarter goals to give the Allies a late scare, McKercher produced a lovely sidestep before spotting teammate Jed Walter inside 50 to set-up a set-shot and give his team time to breathe. Minutes later, he received a handball from teammate Caiden Cleary, stepped through traffic, sprinted away and nailed another breathtaking goal on the run. He then produced a champs-turning moment, pouncing on a Vic Country dropped mark, sprinting away from congestion, feigning a handpass and nailing a long-range left-foot major while running towards the boundary line. He said he showed vision from The Redeem Team – a documentary that follows the story of the 2008 USA Olympic Men’s Basketball team – as inspiration to come together and “play the right way”.Īfter a busy first half, McKercher was the most influential player on the ground in the second half, winning the footy both in tight and, most notably, on the outside. Speaking to RSN Breakfast on Tuesday morning, McVeigh said he pushed hard to have up to three Allies training camps – there’d only been one in previous years – to help establish relationships and a game plan. Chemistry and cohesion have often been an issue for the Allies set-up, considering players are coming from different parts of the country to play for the one team.īut this year’s team, coached by Essendon great and former Giants interim coach Mark McVeigh, proved they’re the best Allies crop since they were introduced into the top division of the national carnival. Since 2016, the best draft prospects from Tasmania, Queensland, NSW/ACT and Northern Territory have been combined to take on the four teams from Victoria (Metro and Country), South Australia and Western Australia. It’s one of the most significant moments in recent talent pathway history and an evolution in the code for the title to be won by the team outside the traditional footy heartlands. Picture: Graham Denholm/AFL Photos via Getty Images Source: Getty Images The Allies celebrate with the cup after winning the National Championships. For the first time since entering the Division 1 carnival in 2016, the Allies are national champions, with their gritty 11-point win over Vic Country at RSEA Park completing a 4-0 clean sweep. ![]()
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