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WAFL State 18s and 16s SquadsWednesday, April 29, 2015 - 11:37 AM
The WAFL State 18s and State 16s squads have been announced for this year's State Academy program. All players will be eligible for selection in the 2015 NAB AFL State 18s and State 16s Championships, which commence in May and July respectively.
State 18s
The 2015 State 18s Championships will see four division one teams – Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria Metro and Victoria Country – feature in a six-round home-and-away fixture.
WA will commence the championships against South Australia on May 23 at Lathlain Park as a curtain raiser to the WAFL v SANFL State Game.
WAFL Talent Manager Raff Guadagnino said the Academy was excited to welcome a new group of inductees and provide the opportunity for them to develop under the experience of the WAFL State coaching structure lead by Andrew Lockyer.
“We are looking forward to developing and showcasing the best under 18 talent the WAFL has to offer and taking part in a very competitive National Championship,” he said.
“The WAFL has a proud history of developing elite talent for both senior WAFL and AFL football, while also contributing to the personal development of players both on and off the field.
“As the WAFL season progresses there will also be an opportunity for additional players to be added to the program based on their performance in the WAFL competition.”
State 18s Fixtures
Saturday 23 May – 11am – WA v SA (Lathlain Park)
Sunday 31 May – 12pm - WA v Vic Country (Medibank Stadium)
Saturday 6 June – 12pm - SA v WA (AAMI Stadium)
Saturday 13 June – 11.20am - WA v Vic Metro (Domain Stadium)
Friday 26 June – 2:35pm - Vic Metro v WA (Simonds Stadium) – FOXTEL
Thursday 2 July – 1.15pm - Vic Country v WA (Simonds Stadium) – FOXTEL
*All local times
State 18s Staff & Coaches
Raffaele Guadagnino – WAFL Talent Manager
Sharni Rowe – WAFL Talent Coordinator
Andrew Lockyer – Head Coach
Shane Yardley – Chairman of Selectors
Bruce Willis – Team Manager
Steve Armstrong – Assistant Coach
Arthur Maskos – Assistant Coach
Clint Ernst – Assistant Coach
Brett King – Ruck Coach
Jamie Douse – Team Runner
Harry Baynard – Strength & Conditioning Coach
Tom Wallace – Strength & Conditioning Assistant
Nick Caputi – Physiotherapist
Michael Newbound – Physiotherapist
Andrew Stanford – Physiotherapist
Lionel Lim – Doctor
Tom Hill – Doctor
Brad Collard – Player Welfare
State 16s
The WAFL State 16s Academy Squad was announced following the recent conclusion of the WAFL 16s Carnival and WAFL 16s All Stars match.
Both events gave Academy coaches and selectors the opportunity to view the best 40-50 16 year old players in a game situation and select the squad in preparation for the 2015 NAB AFL National 16s Championships in July this year.
The WAFL State 16s program has been one of the most successful programs across the nation in producing elite talent. AFL Rising Stars including Jaeger O’Meara and Rhys Palmer as well as emerging talents Mitch Duncan, David Swallow, Jack Darling and Kamdyn McIntosh have all been recent graduates of the program.
The WAFL State 16s Academy will play four trial matches and continue its training program before the final team is selected to represent WA at the National 16s Championships on the Gold Coast.
The Academy has a strong commitment to developing individual players holistically, which includes conducting leadership, nutrition and education sessions to enhance the overall development of all players.
State 16s Fixtures
Saturday 4 July – 10am – WA v Vic Country (Metricon Stadium)
Tuesday 7 July – 12pm - WA v SA (Metricon Stadium)
Friday 10 July – 12pm- WA v VIC M (Southport)
State 16s Staff & Coaches
Raff Guadagnino – WAFL Talent Manager
Sharni Rowe – WAFL Talent Coordinator
John Hancock – Head Coach
Mark Pashby – Chairman of Selectors
Vince Del Prete – Team Manager
Mick Doherty – Assistant Coach
Neil Mildenhall – Assistant Coach
Stephen Thomson – Assistant Coach
John Deitz – Development Coach
Adrian Bland – Development Coach/Runner
Rob Young – Ruck Coach
Brad Keller – Strength & Conditioning Coach
Cameron Watkins – Physiotherapist
Brett Buist – Physiotherapist
Nadine De Vries – Physiotherapist
Craig King - Physiotherapist
Lionel Lim – Doctor
Tom Hill - Doctor
