NSW/ACT Player of the Week: Anthony Miles
By Alison Zell
It’s every young footballer’s dream to be drafted to an AFL club. But the period leading up to the National Draft, held late at the end of every year, is often a nerve-racking and emotional time for kids who have had to split their year between focusing on football and finishing school.
It was a much smoother transition to the AFL for the GIANTS’ Anthony Miles when the NSW/ACT Rams captain was told he would be signed by the AFL’s newest club after the first game of the 2011 NAB AFL Under-18 National Championships.
“It was probably after the first round of the National Championships that I found out,” he said.
“Most guys go through the whole 18s year and have that lingering over their head a little bit so it was good to sign with the GIANTS early in that year and it took a bit of pressure off other things like my HSC and my schooling and my footy as well.
“I didn’t relax in terms of my footy but it certainly helped having that in the back of your mind that you’re on an AFL list.”
Miles is from the small town of Howlong, just west of Albury on the Murray River and the heart of the AFL-centric Riverina area. Being on the border Miles was able to develop his football through both the Victorian and NSW/ACT talent pathways.
“I played TAC Cup with the Murray Bushrangers because we can go basically both sides, being on the border,” he said.
“We can go the Victorian system as well and then I played with the Rams and then was a zone selection through the GIANTS with them coming into the comp.”
In 2009 Miles played 13 matches as a bottom-aged player for the Murray Bushrangers in the TAC Cup, playing a further 11 in 2010.
In both seasons he was runner-up in the Bushrangers’ Best and Fairest Award and in 2010 was selected in the TAC Cup Team of the Year.
Miles was a highly-rated zone selection for the GIANTS with the tough midfielder a strong leader, captaining both the Under-16 and Under-18 NSW/ACT representative sides and selected in the 2010 NAB AFL Under-18 All-Australian team.
Miles moved to Sydney straight after he had finished his schooling at the end of 2011 and had about a month before the GIANTS’ top draftees were picked by the club.
“I came up on the first of November so before the draft which was good to get a couple of weeks in beforehand and not have to sit through the nervous wait of the draft,” he said.
After a tough first AFL pre-season, he made his AFL debut in Round 4, 2012 against Adelaide, collecting 15 disposals and eight marks.
Miles played seven games in his first season in the AFL with an impressive average of 18.3 disposals and 4.9 marks.
His most exciting display was against Fremantle in Round 17 when he amassed 27 disposals and took six marks.
While he suffered some injury setbacks, he managed 14 games in total for the season, notching up some other impressive performances for the GIANTS’ NEAFL side, the UWS GIANTS.
He also played in the GIANTS’ second-ever win, and their first in Sydney, when they beat Port Adelaide in coach Kevin Sheedy’s 1000th game.
“I was fortunate in play the win against Port Adelaide which was pretty good but (my season) was just ok personally, I think I played seven games, missed a few through injuries and played seven in the reserves as well,” he said.
“As a club I think we grew every week we just learnt and learnt more and more and coming up against quality opposition so that’s put us in good stead this year.”
With a small injury list, competition has been fierce for senior selection at the GIANTS in 2013 but Miles fought his way into the line-up, playing three games so far this year.
“It’s pretty tough for spots at the moment which is a good thing for the club,” he said.
“I haven’t set a number of games as a goal but I certainly just want to play well when I play in the seniors side and obviously try and keep my spot in the side.
“It’s pretty clichéd but just play my role when I do play.”
The GIANTS may not have been able to secure their first win of the season yet but 21-year-old Miles is deeply invested in the club.
“We play quarters where you can see just how much we’re developing and off the field the club is coming along in leaps and bounds, just as we are on the field,” he said.
“I think it’s going to take a few years but we’d like to get there quicker than everyone expects.”
And he believed the introduction of the GIANTS to the AFL has given local kids the ability to grow up dreaming of playing for their home state.
“The pathway now for NSW kids, since the GIANTS have come in and the zone selections, has just made a massive difference,” he said.
“I certainly feel a bit of a connection to the GIANTS … and coming from the Riverina it’s a really good opportunity for not only myself but other Riverina kids to come through and play for the GIANTS.”
