History was made on Sunday when the Allies’, a team comprising of players from Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Tasmania, defeated Vic Country to take out their inaugural Under 18 Boys National Championships.
Six Queenslanders including Jed Walter, Jake Rogers, Ethan Read, Brad McDonald, Nick Williams and Will Graham played in the victorious side. Samuel Marshall, Patrick Snell and Leonardo Lombard also played games for the Allies across the championships.
The win has gained the attention of recruiters nationally and with draft just around the corner, many Queensland players have put themselves in a good position to be drafted.
Mark Browning, AFL Queensland’s Talent Manager, has been there since day one, when the Allies team was officially formed in 2016. Having only won four games in total prior to 2023, the Allies’ perfect season is a huge achievement.
“As the coach Mark McVeigh told them, they won’t realise until 10 years’ time what they’ve done,” he said.
“We probably snuck up on Western Australia and South Australia in the first two games,” he said.
“Vic Metro thought they had us covered but we were able to beat them.
“Vic Country had done their homework and picked players to match up. We had our backs to the wall. From a development point of view, I thought that was the best exercise as Vic Country were really ready for us and the boys responded.”
Browning believes the Allies clicked so well this year due to the camp they held as well as 10 players also part of the National Academy, which meant they had attended an additional two training camps together. The input and professionalism from both the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast SUNS academies was also invaluable for the players.
He believes the formation of the Allies is critical in helping Queensland players getting drafted to AFL clubs. Only twelve per cent of AFL players are drafted from the northern states.
“I think one of the key objectives for us this year is to re-engage all of the recruiters in our market,” he said.
“It didn’t matter if I said we’ve got the talent, they’ve got to see it.”
And winning has certainly helped the Queensland players in the leadup to draft.
“I’m really excited for draft. They deserve it. The ones they’re talking about have worked hard,” he said.
“The most important thing is these boys are much better prepared when they get to an AFL system. They will be a lot closer to playing AFL than maybe a few years ago.
“Our job is to make sure they’re prepared well enough and perform well enough that the clubs pick them. We have seen that already with Jaspa Fletcher. He was the Captain of the Allies last year and he’s playing already and in a team [the Brisbane Lions] that’s close to top of the ladder.
“There is a lot of talent in this group – genuine talent.”
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JULY 09: Jed Walter of the Allies kicks a goal during the 2023 AFL National Championships match between Vic Country and the Allies at RSEA Park on July 09, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/AFL Photos)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JULY 09: Ethan Read of the Allies (R) and Lachlan Smith of Vic Country compete for the ball during the 2023 AFL National Championships match between Vic Country and the Allies at RSEA Park on July 09, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/AFL Photos)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JULY 09: William Graham of the Allies in action during the 2023 AFL National Championships match between Vic Country and the Allies at RSEA Park on July 09, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/AFL Photos)
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – JULY 02: Jake Rogers of the Allies in action during the 2023 AFL National Championships U18 Boys match between the Allies and Vic Metro at Brighton Homes Arena on July 02, 2023 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/AFL Photos)
