SA AFL Academy Update with Tony Bamford

By ZAC MILBANK

South Australian Under-18 Coach Tony Bamford says there’s no reason why SANFL can’t produce a similar haul to last year’s eye-catching crop at this year’s AFL Draft.

While it is only early in the year with plenty of football to unfold, Bamford has been impressed with the top-end talent involved in the first year of the SA AFL Academy Hub.

Speaking on SANFL TV, Bamford nominated Eagles pair Kysaiah Pickett and Jackson Mead, Glenelg’s Will Gould and Norwood duo Cameron Taheny and Dylan Stephens as the ones to watch throughout 2019.

The SA AFL Academy Hub has already gathered for two camps since its formation late last year, with the first being a cultural football experience in Alice Springs before another educational stay in Adelaide during late January.

A third camp will be conducted at Immanuel College during the week of Anzac Day, culminating in two trial matches against the Western Australia AFL Academy Hub squad on Friday April 26 and Saturday April 27.

Meanwhile, Pickett, Stephens and Mead are among the names to post top 10 finishes in the AFL Combine testing conducted at SANFL clubs this pre-season.

All players set to take part in the 2019 Torrens University U18 Cup underwent the testing which is used as a guideline for future testing later this year.

Pickett, the nephew of Norm Smith Medallist Byron Pickett, finished fourth in the Agility Test while Stephens posted the highest Yo-Yo Test score with Level 21.5.

2019 Torrens University U18 Combine Testing

20m Sprint
1) Deakan Jackson (Eagles) 2.90sec
2) Dan Fairbrother (Norwood) 2.91
3) Ricky O’Loughlin-Johncock (Glenelg) 2.93
4) Joel Parker-Boers (Sturt) 2.94
5) Ryan Williams (Eagles) 2.96
6) Will Day (West) 2.96
7) Noah Hannagan (West) 2.96
8) Mitch Riddle (South) 2.96
9) Beau McCreery (South) 2.96
10) Leek Alleer (Central) 2.97

Yo-Yo Test
1) Dylan Stephens (Norwood) 21.5
2) Dallan How (Sturt) 21.4
3) Luke Beecken (Eagles) 21.4
4) Reid Kuller (Glenelg) 21.3
5) Marcus Lippett (South) 21.3
6) Jackson Mead (Eagles) 21.3
7) Samuel Morris (Norwood) 21.3
8) Joel Parker-Boers (Sturt) 21.2
9) Brodie Arriola (Eagles) 21.2
10) Will Day (West) 21.2

Agility Test
1) Phoenix Spicer (South) 7.80sec
2) Joel Parker-Boers (Sturt) 7.82
3) Hugh Desira (West) 7.84
4) Kysaiah Pickett (Eagles) 7.88
5) Jed McEntee (Sturt) 7.89
6) Lachlan Grubb (Central) 8.01
7) Harry Spacie (South) 8.05
8) Lachlan Hoile (Eagles) 8.08
9) Tyler Billing (Central) 8.10
10) Ned Grieve (Sturt) 8.11

Standing Vertical Jump
1) Dallan How (Sturt) 73cm
2) Cooper Hough (Sturt) 73cm
3) Sam Duke (Norwood) 71cm
4) Harvey Bock (West) 69cm
5) Daniel Carbone (Norwood) 69cm
6) Max Sampson (South) 69cm
7) Rhys Cannizzaro (Central) 68cm
8) Brydon Osborne (North) 68cm
9) Lachlan Borg (North) 67cm
10) Dan Fairbrother (Norwood) 67cm

Running Vertical Jump (Right Hand)
1) Rhys Cannizzaro (Central) 95cm
2) Zac Graham (Central) 94cm
3) Leek Alleer (Central) 93cm
4) Lachlan Grubb (Central) 87cm
5) Jordan Kasianowicz (Eagles) 86cm
6) Oliver Dosljak (Eagles) 84cm
7) Lachlan Jones (Eagles) 84cm
8) Lachlan Paddick (Sturt) 84cm
9) Dallan How (Sturt) 82cm
10) Zaine Norman-Brown (South) 82cm

Running Vertical Jump (Left Hand)
1) Rhys Cannizzaro (Central) 96cm
2) Lachlan Hoile (Eagles) 90cm
3) Will Day (West) 88cm
4) Ned Walter (Sturt) 87cm
5) Kane Viska (Glenelg) 86cm
6) Lachlan Pope (South) 86cm
7) Dallan How (Sturt) 85cm
8) Kysaiah Pickett (Eagles) 85cm
9) Noah Hannagan (West) 85cm
10) Lachlan Williams (South) 84cm