The AFL’s Indigenous and Multicultural Academy squads were announced last week, with Rumbalara and Shepparton United football prodigy Tanner Armstrong the only player selected from the Goulburn Valley region.
Selection in the squad means Armstrong will receive tutelage from the likes of Collingwood’s Bobby Hill, Western Bulldogs’ Jason Johannisen, Carlton’s Darcy Vescio and Adelaide’s Danielle Ponter at a camp in October.
The squads are comprised of players between 16 and 18 years of age, drawn from a nationwide talent pool.
At the end of the camp, the Indigenous (Flying Boomerangs) and Multicultural (World Team) academies will play each other in a match.
Meanwhile, as Tasmania debates whether to build a roofed stadium for its new AFL team, the state’s Coates Talent League side would have been wishing for one at Dial Park after an Apple Isle downpour on Saturday.
The Murray Bushrangers girls made the swift plane trip south at the weekend to take on Tasmania Devils for round nine.
With a record of 3-3, the Bushies headed into the clash against the 1-4 Devils with confidence, however, the weather threw a rain-soaked curve ball.
The match was held in a northern Tassie town named Penguin and the fixture certainly lived up to its wintry name.
In a tight and contested affair, the Devils walked away with the win on home soil, 5.6 (36) to 1.2 (8).
Bushrangers coach Tyson Saunders said the quick trip to Tassie was a “whirlwind” experience for his players.
“It was sort of travel there, do the job and then get home, but the girls adapted to that really well,” Saunders said.
“The score probably didn’t reflect the girls’ effort and we probably had a good opportunity to score an extra three or four goals that just stopped right on the line.
“Tassie were probably just a little bit cleaner with their possession and the way they adapted to the conditions a little bit more.”
The region’s three representatives in the Bushrangers’ side Claudia Plattfuss (Nathalia), Lana Carroll (Shepparton United) and Leila Creevey (Shepparton United) featured among the team’s best six players.
Plattfuss did a power of work in the ruck, registering 15 hit-outs and eight tackles, while Saunders said Carroll (18 disposals, four rebound 50s) and Creevey (16 disposals, seven tackles) also shone.
“’Claud’ played in the ruck for us and battled hard all day; not only was she competitive in the ruck, but her presence around the ground with the ground ball stuff was really impressive,” he said.
“Lana Carroll was really good for us in defence and was nice and clean and strong at the contest and then got the opportunity in the last quarter to go on ball where she continued to be really clean in those conditions.
“I thought it was one of (Creevey’s) best games for the year in the guts and same thing, she just continued to work really hard in the backline.
“Really rebounded the ball out of our 50 throughout the day.”
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