Five Lions Hyundai Academy players will fly the flag for the Allies when the NAB AFL U19 Championships kick off next month on the Gold Coast.
Dangerous half-back Tahj Abberley headlines the Lions inclusion and has been a strong performer in the Lions VFL side since returning from a hamstring injury.
“Tahj has improved every week with us and plays as a small defender. His agility and speed have been big assets to the team and his strength is his ability to create and drive off half-back,” said VFL Head Coach, Mitch Hahn.
“It’s been great to see him playing consistently after an interrupted pre-season, he’s been a good contributor for us.”
Also among the Allies inclusions are midfielders Saxon Crozier and Toby Triffet as well as tall prospects, Jack Briskey and Charlie Bowes.
“Saxon has averaged 16 possessions and 3 tackles while playing on the wing. He has shown good growth since the start of the year and his strengths have been his ability to work hard both defensively and offensively,” Hahn said.
“Jack Briskey also trained with Collingwood for 3 months last year trying to get an opportunity at AFL level, he’s showcased great athleticism and has played a few different roles for us.
“He and Charlie Bowes offer a lot of flexibility both forward and in defence. Bowes particularly has been impressive with a kicking efficiency of 71%.”
The Allies will be coached by Gold Coast SUNS Academy Head Coach Andrew Raines and are set to go into training camp next weekend (25th – 27th June) in Sydney.
Our five Hyundai Academy prospects will then vie for a spot in the best 22 who will head down the M1 for their first game against Vic Metro on Thursday 8 July, before heading to Adelaide to take on SA.
2021 NAB AFL U19 Championships – Allies Matches:
Thursday 8 July: Allies v Vic Metro – Metricon Stadium – 2:00pm AEST
Saturday 24 July: SA v Allies – Adelaide Oval/Richmond Oval – 12:00pm ACST
Saturday 31 July: Allies v WA – BISP 12:00pm AEST
Saturday 14 August: Vic Country v Allies – GMHBA Stadium – 12:00pm AEST
