Young Territory prospect, Malcolm Rosas has been selected to play in the NAB AFL All Stars Under 17 Futures Game on the MCG as a curtain raiser to the 2018 Toyota AFL Grand Final after his consistent performances during the national underage matches and at NEAFL level with NT Thunder.
The teams for this game are comprised of the most talented players in the country, who are 17 years and younger, and Rosas is the sole Northern Territory player to have been named in 2018. He takes after previous NT representatives, Nakia Cockatoo, Brandan Parfitt and Daniel Rioli who were given the same privilege.
This year, the teams have been named after recently retired AFL champions Nick Riewoldt and Jimmy Bartel. Rosas will be representing Team Riewoldt, which will be coached by NAB AFL Academy Head Coach Luke Power. The game starts at 10am (AEST) on Saturday 29 September and can be watched live on afl.com.au.
Ex-AFL player, and now AFLNT Development Coach, Matt Campbell will be returning as a runner for Team Bartel on an oval which he played at many times during his 82-game career with North Melbourne.
AFLNT Manager of Talent and Pathways, Wally Gallio will be opposing Campbell as he has been named one of the two team managers for Team Riewoldt.
NT Thunder Coach, Andrew Hodges is excited that the up-and-coming Territory talent can play alongside the future stars of our great game.
“Rosas is a very exciting young Territory footballer who is a hard worker both on and off the field.
“Due to his outstanding performance throughout the 2018 representative season he thoroughly deserves this opportunity to showcase his talent on the national stage,” he said.
AFL Talent Ambassador Kevin Sheehan said the match will give AFL club recruiting personnel and the fans a chance to see the games future stars as part of our games biggest day.
“The players are all Draft eligible in 2019 so clubs will get a great insight into next year’s crop. With trading of future selections now part of the AFL Drafting landscape this game becomes essential viewing for clubs and should be a great spectacle for fans,” Sheehan said.
“All players were prominent in this year’s NAB AFL Under-18 Championships as bottom-aged players and we look forward to watching their progression.
See here for the full team lists.
The NAB AFL All Stars is part of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfill their dream of playing in the AFL. The NAB AFL Rising Stars Program comprises the following elements:
The NAB AFL All Stars is part of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfill their dream of playing in the AFL. The NAB AFL Rising Stars Program comprises the following elements:
NAB AFL Rising Star
NAB AFL Draft
NAB AFL Draft Combine
NAB AFL Under-18 Championships
NAB AFL Academy
NAB AFL Under-16 Championships