The AFLNT Thunder U18 State Academy Boys are on the road again to compete in a TAC Cup match against the Sandringham Dragons in Melbourne on Saturday 23 April.
The list of 23 players and one emergency was named following the squad’s final training session on Wednesday night.
It is the second development match for the team, ahead of the AFL U18 Championships in May.
The side lost to a well-oiled Vic Metro outfit a fortnight ago and have made seven personnel changes ahead of this weekend.
State Academy Development coach Andrew Hodges said the aim of the program was to ensure all 40 boys in the squad got a run before the U18 Championships.
“We use these games to give all the boys in our program the opportunity to go away, experience footy against quality opposition and hopefully develop.
“We’ve had seven changes this game so we can rotate as many players through as we possibly can and give them the opportunity, plus also reward the guys who have been working hard by letting them have a shot at it,” Hodges said.
The boys will travel to Melbourne from Darwin on Friday evening and return on Sunday afternoon, with the hopes of bringing home four points.
“It’s a big opportunity for the guys this week. We had a performance against Vic Metro that was OK in part but we need to improve on that this week. We’ve been working really hard on the areas to fix that part of our game where we fell away,” Hodges said.
The final development match for the U18 Boys will be another TAC Cup match against Oakleigh Chargers on Saturday 30 April in Melbourne.
The team for that match will be named next week.
“After the last TAC Cup game against Oakleigh Chargers we will select the 25 that go into the team to play the three National games,” Hodges said.
Thunder U18 State Academy team to take on Oakleigh Chargers on 23 April:
1 Michael HAGAN
3 Ryan MU
4 Cody NYHUIS
5 Brandan PARFITT
7 Zac SMITH
8 Rohan ARMSTRONG
9 Zac DERKSON
10 Xavier CUBILLO
11 Josh O'BRIEN
12 Patrick TABAN
14 Kevin MARONEY
15 Keenan WATERBURY
16 Ezekiel FRANK
18 Jake JACKSON-COLE
21 Matt BLAKE
22 Marcus TOTHAM
23 Matthew BRICKNELL
24 Jamie HAMPTON
25 Nigel LOCKYER Jnr.
28 Michael MUMMERY
30 Marcus VALASTRO
31 Leslie MARONEY
34 Jordan JEFFREY
19 Jasper HUTT (emergency)