Eighteen members of the PM Capital GIANTS Academy have been selected in the NSW/ACT squad set to play at the NAB AFL Under-16 National Championships next month.

Players will have the opportunity to impress AFL scouts as part of a week-long tournament against Australia’s best young footballers on the Gold Coast.

Academy coach Mark McVeigh, who will be assisting former Swans premiership player Tadhg Kennelly with coaching duties, said he was thrilled to see so many GIANTS-zoned players selected.

“It’s a massive effort to have a large majority of our players selected in the 25-man squad,” McVeigh said.

“From our point of view it’s a reward for all the hard work we’ve been putting in at training and during games.

“This is when footballers start going on the radar of AFL scouts so it’s a huge opportunity for the boys.

“In addition to getting noticed it will be good to test ourselves and experience high level football against the best.”

McVeigh said he expects western Sydney academy members Lyndon Hupfeld, Brandon Clark and Billy Lambert to play well at the championships.

Harrison Macreadie, Will Setterfield, Logan Gray and Fletcher Carroll are also players to watch.

The squad will come together for a training camp later this month before traveling to the Gold Coast during the July school holidays.

During the tournament NSW/ACT will play games against the Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania.

PM Capital GIANTS Academy members selected in the Under-16 NSW/ACT squad of 25:

Fletcher Carroll, Brandon Clark, Billy Lambert, Mitch Maguire, Harry Perryman, Sam Fisher, Connor Byrne, Julian Hayes, Cooper Page, Kobe Mutch, Tom Highmore, Lyndon Hupfeld, Will Setterfield, Logan Gray, Jacob Turner, Ryan Garthwaite, Zach Sproule, Harrison Macreadie