NSW/ACT players in the AFL
NSW and the ACT has never had a reputation for being an AFL heartland, but you may be surprised by the quantity and calibre of AFL superstars that have hailed from the eastern seaboard.
At AFL NSW/ACT we have put together full player profiles of all players currently on AFL lists that were either born in NSW or the ACT or played a significant amount of their junior football here.
Click here for the full list of NSW/ACT players in the AFL
Unsurprisingly it is the two Sydney clubs that are full of players from their own state. The reigning Premiers lead the way with the Sydney Swans currently having 11 players from NSW on their list, a quarter of their entire playing group.
For the first time ever, they are also led by two Sydney-born champions with co-captains Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack haling from the Pennant Hills Demons in the north-west of Sydney. The Swans are even coached by two New South Welshman with head coach John Longmire from Corowa in the Riverina region and assistant coach Henry Playfair from Holbrook.
The competitions newest club, the GWS GIANTS, have the second-most NSW/ACT players with nine, with co-captain Phil Davis growing up in Canberra.|
South of the border, both Hawthorn and St Kilda have five players from NSW/ACT on their lists while Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs have four each.
From a regional perspective, the Riverina is clearly awash with AFL talent with 27 players from the Southern NSW region.
Sydney Harbour/Illawarra is next with 15 players from Australia’s largest city. Both Greater Western Sydney and the ACT/South Coast have produced three players each on AFL lists while the shining lights for the Hunter/Central Coast and Northern NSW regions are Swans stars Craig Bird and Sam Naismith respectively.
There are 12 current players who have played more than 100 AFL games with St Kilda stalwart Lenny Hayes (Pennant Hills) leading the way on 263 games. Bulldog Daniel Cross (Albury) is due to play his 200th game this weekend while Saints Justin Koschitzke (Brocklesby) and Adam Schneider (Osborne) as well as McVeigh are on track to reach the same milestone in the upcoming weeks.
Fellow Saint Sam Gilbert (St George) has played 129 games for his club while Swans Lewis Roberts-Thomson (North Shore), Ben McGlynn (Wentworth) and Jack have all played over 100 games.
Former West Coast Eagle and now Brisbane Lion Brent Staker (West Broken Hill) has played 139 games at the two clubs while Geelong’s Tom Hawkins (Finley) and Hamish McIntosh (Lavington) have played 101 and 107 games respectively.
There are six Premiership medallions between the group of NSW/ACT players and four club best-and-fairest winners – Jack, McVeigh, Hayes and Hawkins.
Other recognisable names from NSW/ACT include Adelaide’s Taylor Walker (North Broken Hill), Hawks Luke Breust (Temora), Isaac Smith (Temora) and Matt Suckling (Wagga Wagga) and the Bulldogs’ Dylan Addison (St George).
The Swans’ Dane Rampe (UNSW-ES Bulldogs), Carlton’s Sam Rowe (North Albury) and Melbourne’s Dean Terlich (Osborne) have all made their senior debuts in 2013 while highly-rated Swans youngsters Harry Cunningham (Turvey Park) and Brandon Jack (Pennant Hills), Magpie Jarrod Witts (St Ives), GIANT Jacob Townsend (Leeton-Whitton) and Bulldog Tom Young (Wollindilly) are all expected to see more game time this year.
Former Swans and Carlton player and now AFL NSW/ACT State Coach Jason Saddington said NSW/ACT listed players were at the highest they’ve ever been and look to be trending upwards.
“Over the next few years we’ll see that increase even more through the work the Academies have been able to do along with our programs.
“We’re happy for players to end up at any club and on any list but certainly for the Swans and the GIANTS to support our market as well, it probably assists the players knowing there’s the potential for them to play for clubs in their market.”
The past few years has seen the implementation of the NSW Scholarship scheme whereby clubs could sign talented young NSW players and then the introduction of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy and Slater & Gordon GIANTS Academy where NSW and the ACT is split into zones to provide talent pathways for aspiring footballers.
“The scholarship program was a great way to get AFL clubs into our market and get them interesting in taking a look at players from a younger age and probably identifying those that have the potential to play AFL footy and link in with them,” Saddington said.
“Now with the Academy model I think we can get more development into the players on a more consistent basis and those players being able to train and play at a higher level consistently will no doubt enhance their development and make them more appealing to AFL clubs.”
Saddington also said that the high profiles of NSW and ACT-born stars has helped to increase awareness of football in NSW/ACT and provide younger player with role models.
“It gives us some poster-boys in a way to inspire some of the players knowing that there’s someone from just around the corner that’s made it to AFL footy and it helps them to understand that there’s those opportunities for them to try and follow in the footsteps of some of the players that have done that in the past.”
