Father Son Watch (2017 onwards)

Too young to set him up with a bird?? Need to get the next gen of Fletchers in the oven.

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Top post updated, now that Riolio’s enabled editing for older posts!

Had to spend 45 mins stripping all the formatting tags and similar cruft out of it though. Going back to a wysiwyg editor is the best thing ever. Shame New Blitz doesn’t seemt o have underlining though…

Current news: Mason Fletcher’s second TAC game not as statistically impressive as his first, Neagles are scattering far and wide, and a it’s still really hard to find results for the u16 TAC Cup games.

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History post for later reference when I get around to fixing all the links…

Matthew Neagle, son of Merv, 180cm 69kg described as a 'wily goal sneak' but has spent more time as an underage back pocket for the Bushrangers last year and moved into the middle this year. Will go around again for the Bushrangers in 2016. Missed out on the NSW u18 state squad in 2015, but should give it a shake this year. Also I believe is in some sort of ongoing NSW academy program (GWS academy maybe?) and will probably be zoned to NSW for champs purposes just like Jydon was. I think he's eligible to be taken by GWS as an academy selection as well, if he chooses, but he has been given permission to train with EFC so I think we'd be in the box seat for his services if he warrants that. Is playing for Wodonga seniors in the Ovens-Murray league when not selected for the Bushrangers. 11 games there for four times in the best and 3 goals.

TAC Cup Round 1 vs Bendigo - 12 touches at 42% effective, 1 goal, 3 tackles.

TAC Cup Round 2 vs Geelong. -4 touches at 25% effective, kicked 0.1, 2 tackles. Possibly picked up an injury? Played the next week at wodonga without setting the house on fire, then missed a week before playing for Wodonga again. Needs to get back into the Bushrangers side if he's going to make a dent this year.

TAC Cup Round 7 vs Dandenong - 13 touches at 46% effective, 4 marks, 1 tackle.

 

TAC Cup Round 10 vs Bendigo - 16 touches at 57% effective, 4 marks, 2 tackles, kicked 1.2.

 

TAC Cup Round 11 vs Eastern - 15 touches at 73% effective, 4 marks, 2 tackle, kicked 1.1, 3 frees against.

 

TAC Cup Round 12 vs Northern - 4 touches at 100% effective, 4 tackles.

 

v

TAC Cup Round 13 vs North Ballarat - 9 touches at 78% effective, 5 marks, 1 tackle.

 

TAC Cup Round 14 vs Western - 8 touches at 37% effective, 1 mark, 5 tackles.

 

Mason’s 197cm at what age?!

I learnt a new word today.

I checked, … The Editor is “Editable” / Upgradeable, … and I’m hoping Rolo might look into it when he’s got the time … :rolling_eyes:

Not quite 17 yet.

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Underlining is bad form for online text as it should only be used to indicate a link.

There’s no situation where bold or italics don’t suffice

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Always thought links were elitist.

Underlines are great when you’re writing a long post with a degree of structure to it, as they allow you to have tiered section headings (bold and underlined > bold > underlined) when you don’t have any other nesting options. any website worth a damn will have links a different color to regular text anyway.

Updated the top post. Fletcher a quiet couple of weeks. Found Jaxon Neagle though, he looks like he’s having a ball in the O&M reserves so the story might not be over for him. I believe Kurtis Barnard is currently playing in the TAC u16 carnival so I won’t get any results for him til he gets back to Aberfeldie (cos the EDFL at least HAS a results webpage, unlike the TAC u16s…)

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love this little gem, hidden way down the bottom of the OP.

I don’t want to tell you how to suck eggs but you can lead the heading with a different number of # for the heading size, or use a bunch of dashes for a horizontal rule.

So you could theoretically do

#Eligible This Year

Nobody

#Potentially eligible in the future

###Mason Fletcher
Did some things

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Vic Metro and Vic Country had a couple of trial games yesterday. AIS academy players both 18 and 17 year olds were off doing academy stuff, so a lot of the best guys weren’t there.

Fletcher played game 1 for Metro and was the youngest in the side. Reasonable game. Little up and down as can be expected. Used the ball well and would regularly take kick-outs. Didn’t get the opportunity to see if he has the 55m+ ability of his old man’s leg and he usually went the short option.

Defensively very sound man on man. Loves to do the zone off to become goal-keeper that was basically Dustin’s trademark and as time goes on I think will become very good at it. Got caught a couple of times in traffic where he had zoned off and after a quick team turnover, his man was loose.

Think from a limited opinion based on one game, he’s clearly a smart footballer and more than a lock-down key back. Would like to see him go for the intercept mark a bit more as he almost exclusively went the punch when acting as 3rd man. Hopefully that comes with time and increased confidence. Definitely a bit to work with though.

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If he is 197cm now we need to start teaching him ruck craft!

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DUAL Brownlow medallist Greg Williams has been appointed as coach of the James Hird Academy, the development group for prospective Essendon father-son recruits.

Williams, 53, played 250 games for Geelong, Sydney and Carlton from 1984-1997, winning Brownlows in 1986 for the Swans and 1994 for Carlton.

He has been working as a part-time assistant coach with the Bombers.

Williams told the Essendon website he was excited by the opportunity to expand his role.

“I’m really enjoying my time at the Bombers and working alongside the players and coaches,” he said.

"The father-son rule has been one of the great initiatives of the AFL and the opportunity to help foster and develop Essendon’s prospects is something I’m really looking forward to.

“I played against a lot of the dads involved in the program so it will be great to catch up with them and also offer as much help as I can to the children coming through.”

The James Hird Academy is made up of three groups: the Acceleration Group (16-18 years old), the Flight Squad (11-15 years of age) and the Baby Bombers (up to 10 years old).

Essendon players Joe Daniher and Jake Long are graduates of the James Hird Academy.

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Two Fletcher boys holding down the back line for the next qtr of a century. Lots to like.

It can’t be understated how much we miss Dustin in our backline right now. His reading of the play, amazing ability to get a fist in or chase down an opponent and his skill at setting up attacking forays from defence was just awesome. If his kids play the same then I’m going to be very happy.

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Any updates on how Son of Dustin is tracking in recent weeks? Is he injured?

I think so. Hasn’t played for Calder or Aberfeldie since the Metro trials as far as i can tell.

Which son? I arrived on my bike at the Ess v Rich VFL praccy match just as Dustin and the younger son rocked up. At half time kick to kick I watched Fletch mini junior lairising about with his mates, man he looks talented. Great mark, kick, agility and a really cheeky nature. Moves like a forward. Oh boy a Fletch at each end?

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Was talking about Mason, who turns 17 this year. That sounds like Max, who is a bit younger…