Redland Football Club Redland AFC 325 Colburn Ave, Victoria Point ( 07) 3207 7865 E-News Issue 4 December 2015 In this Issue: The AFL Draft Player Pathway Bombers Cash Draw Fixtures and more www.redlandafc.com Platinum Sponsor Titanium Sponsor
Coach Chris David s pure joy at stunning draft results By: JESS WEBSTER L-R: Redland coach Chris David with draftees Ben Keays Wylie Buzza Josh Smith, Paul Hunter and Matt Uebergang. Last week a Brisbane bayside club proved to be the best mature-age draft factory in the country when AFL clubs raided Redland s talent pool. The Bombers produced the most mature-age draftees out of any state league club when Wylie Buzza (national pick 69 to Geelong), Paul Hunter (rookie pick 13 to Adelaide), Matt Uebergang (rookie pick 16 to Fremantle) & Josh Smith (rookie pick 25 to Collingwood) were snapped up by their respective AFL clubs. Morningside junior and Brisbane Academy gun Ben Keays took Redland s total to five draftees in 2015, and 10 from the past five years. Amazingly, the NEAFL s last three Rising Star winners in Smith (2013), Hunter (2014) and Uebergang (2015) were all selected this year in a great reward for their persistence. Bombers coach Chris David was ecstatic to see the players finally earn their shot at the elite level. You see the boys work so hard on and off the field, during the season and in the pre-season, to get their bodies right and to make sure they are fit enough and strong enough. It s just really pleasing in that regard, he said. It was pure joy for me just because I knew how happy the boys would be. To see them on Friday night when we got together after the draft - it really hits home as a coach to have a small part in the journey of these boys trying to reach their potential. Smith, 21, and Uebergang, 20, had arguably the biggest improvement in 2015 when both players adapted to new roles within the Bombers side. Smith won the 2013 Northern Conference Rising Star Award while playing for Morningside but emerged as one of the premier midfielders this season. He was ranked first in competition for Dream Team points and was rewarded with NEAFL representative and Team of the Year honours, while also winning Redland s Dowling Medal for their best-and-fairest player by an astonishing 132 points. Uebergang s development took a similar path when he switched from attack to defence. It wasn t long before his potential rose to the top, earning a Rising Star nomination in Round 3 before finishing runner-up to Smith in the Dowling Medal. David said it was a credit to them to be able to take on new challenges. Josh s reputation was a really good outside player, but we sat him down one day and said it s time to add another string to his bow, and if he wanted to progress in footy he had to develop his inside game, David said. He took it on board and ran with it. We had many conversations about Matt too and where we saw him playing. The end result was we knew he could be drafted but he needed to be able to add another part to his game, and that was defensively. Right from the first practice match he was ready for the challenge and he accepted it really well. It was really pleasing that he took that opportunity to move into defence, and he is very natural at it. Hunter, 22, was unlucky not to be selected in 2014 when the developing ruckman won the competition s Rising Star, was a member of the NEAFL representative and Team of the Year, and won the Dowling Medal. While his 2015 season didn t reach the same heights, David said he has the right attitude to make the most of his AFL opportunity and proved his terrific athleticism with a 14.9 beep test result at the AFL State Combine. Paul would openly admit that his 2014 season was a lot better than the season just passed. But to his credit he kept working on his game and his weaknesses, he said. He works really hard off the track and is very professional in the way he goes about it. Through pure hard work and persisting and chipping away, it has really paid dividends for him. The Bombers suffered a mass exodus of players at the end of 2014 and will face a similar rebuild after losing five players off their senior list through this year's draft. But David can see nothing but positives for the football club going forward. In regards to the season, with the hit that we copped at the end of 2014 and not knowing how we were going to come together, I think we got the best out of the group we had, he said. We ve got some really good people at our football club and some good programs in place. Losing give players off our senior list is going to hurt, but we are excited to think, who is next in line?
The NEAFL club punching above its weight By Michael Whiting IF YOU took a guess at which club produced the most mature-age draftees from last month's national and rookie drafts, where would you start? Somewhere in the VFL? Wrong. The WAFL? The SANFL? Wrong and wrong. How about Redland Football Club, situated 40km east of Brisbane and playing in the ever-improving NEAFL? Correct. Three mature-age rookies along with two national draftees -Ben Keays (Brisbane Lions) and Wylie Buzza (Geelong) - made it five players all up headed to the AF L from the Bombers. The three mature-agers were Paul Hunter (Adelaide), Matt Uebergang (Fremantle) and Josh Smith (Collingwood), although it feels slightly odd calling 22, 20 and 21-year-olds 'mature-agers'. Remarkably, the trio were also the past three winners of the NEAFL Rising Star award. It was just one storyline in an impressive few days for the NEAFL. A total of 18 players who played in the competition during 2015 are now on AFL lists. Sure, this includes a host of academy players from the Giants, Lions, Suns and Swans, but the result is quite incredible with the competition reducing from 14 teams to 11. Those drafted were spread among 12 clubs and dotted in every state in the AFL. While the academy systems have been rightly praised, Redland's performance particularly should be applauded. Senior coach Chris David said the Bombers tried to keep things simple. "We like to think we've got something to offer for players who are still aspiring to play AFL," David told AFL.com.au. "If you create the right environment, the players want to be there and they start enjoying their footy. That's a simple philosophy, but that's the way we like to go about it. "We like to think we put parameters in place and set some guidelines, but at the end of the day, we want these boys to shine and let the shackles go and let them play to the best of their ability." Uebergang was previously a member of the Lions academy and has now turned himself into a rangy key-position prospect who can play both ends of the ground. Hunter is a 200cm ruckman with good endurance, while Smith is a prolific midfielder. "I think the recognition of the competition is getting better," David said. "I'd like to think those days are gone where players feel like they have to leave the state to progress. "At our club we see our role as a bit of a conduit (to the AFL) and if we help these boys get to where they want to be, as much as it hurts us to lose five quality blokes, that's terrific. "Any player that has aspirations of playing AFL footy it's been proven if you work hard and you have the right work ethic and are prepared to commit, the opportunity will be there." Photos by Highflyer Images Well done to our Redland Football Club Players congratulations and good luck from all your footy family
Player Pathway with Martin King, Football Operations Manager, Redland Football Club As highlighted in this December Edition of the E News it s been an exciting time at the Redland Football Club with five of our 2015 NEAFL List now transitioning onto AFL lists. All five have had different journeys and have come from contrasting backgrounds however all share a common thread in that they have committed themselves to their football, displayed dedication, diligence, and in some cases great patience, to achieve their goals. From our club s perspective it is consolation, and in many ways recognition of the coaching and ancillary staff who have worked hard to give these lads every opportunity to improve their football in a positive, inclusive, and challenging workplace. In a competition of the magnitude of the NEAFL it is going to be very tough to win premierships and have sustained periods of success, however this achievement can be shared by all as an indicator that the club is meeting the competition charter and providing a developing competitive environment. It is a good time to now take stock, given the changing nature of football, not only in the South-East corner but also down here in the Redlands. Our 2015 NEAFL squad was made up from 88% (37/42) of Queensland product (highest local content of the Queensland NEAFL clubs). Of that only 24% (10/42) have graduated from the Redland JAFC. The Club has now produced 15 players onto AFL lists since its inception into the QAFL in 2000. Four of those players (Michael West, Lee Spurr, Josh Thomas, and Adam Oxley) have played junior football at the RJAFC. Clearly the Redland Football Club would a) like to see more Redland JAFC players graduate to NEAFL ranks which will then in turn create b) the likelihood of more local content on AFL lists. You can t have one without the other. For this to occur there has to be a collaborative approach, and a redefining of the player pathways at the various bodies that participate at the club. The importance of Youth coaching and providing a competitive environment is critical from an under 15-17 perspective and I am pleased to see our Junior Committee is taking real positive steps to address this. Players need to be Lions and Queensland Academy aspirational and our youth coaches should encourage all players to Aspire to Achieve as this will create greater exposure and be an embryonic step towards stronger than current linkages with the NEAFL squad. Given the late-developing nature of players up here not all will need to go through this pathway, and as proven with our 20-
Thank you to all our sponsors for their generous donations. Cleveland Signs, Lance Hewlett, VPSSC, Lucky Charm, Jetts, Zambrero Victoria Point, Dress & Co, Redlands Produce, Pattemore s Meats, Victoria Point Chiropractic,The Cage Matt McEachan,, Shark Kitchen, Chopped Victoria Point, Exotiques & Birds of Paradise, Hopps Capalaba, Showcase, Banjos Cleveland and Coorparoo Marine. A special thank you to our Gold Sponsor Tidbold Real Estate and a personal thank you to Nicki Tidbold for always helping to make our functions amazing and exciting. Thanks to everyone who supported this fundrasiser and well done to all our winners. (List attached ). Congratulation to Peter Bodley, our lucky winner of $2500 cash.
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