Eleven members of the U16 Slater & Gordon Academy have won selection in the U16 NSW/ACT Rams squad for the upcoming NAB AFL U16 National Championships to be held in Western Sydney at Blacktown International Sportspark from July 7-14.

The U16 Championships are the beginning of a high performance program that providesmost of the 200 players with their first opportunity to test their abilities against our country’s emerging young footballers.

Slater & Gordon GIANTS Academy Manager, Lachlan Buszard said the NAB AFL U16 National Championships is a great opportunity for the young Academy players to test themselves at the highest level.

“It’s a great opportunity for the players selected to play against the best young players in Australia and gain an insight into what it’s like to be an AFL player in terms of recovery, game preparation and diet. It’s a chance for the players to test themselves and see where they are placed across the national talent pool,” said Buszard.

Buszard said the eleven players selected from the Slater & Gordon Academy is a great endorsement for the program, and the continued growth of the game in the Greater Western Sydney region, especially the region of Western Sydney.

“Having eleven players selected is an outstanding result for the work the Slater & Gordon Academy coaches have put in, alongside the work of the AFL NSW/ACT and their talent pathway program. The selection of a number of players from Western Sydney shows the growth in the region and the multi-cultural diversity of the Greater Western Sydney area is well represented with Angad Roy (Indian) and Thomas Faul (Solomon Islander) gaining selection.”

U16 NSW/ACT RAMS – SLATER & GORDON GIANTS ACADEMY SELECTIONS

Jim Carroll – Wagga Tigers
Nicholas Coughlan – Albury
Thomas Faul- Ainslie
Jeremy Finlayson- Culcairn
Liam Griffiths- Ainslie
Brydon Hodgson- Lavington
Mitchell Mahady – North Albury
Jack Mara- Holroyd Parramatta
Jeremiah Maslin- Wagga Tigers
Michael Mattingly- Turvey Park
Angad Roy- Baulkham Hills

By Adam Santarossa