Lilly and Hamish keep chasing the dream
Two former North Coast players are continuing to make their mark at the pre-elite level with further selections in teams that are competing in National Championships.
Lilly Doyle had a successful two match series for the NSW/ACT Rams Under 18 Youth Girls team against Tasmania and has been rewarded with a place in the Eastern Allies team to compete in Round 2 of the 2019 NAB AFL Women’s Under-18 Championships.
The Eastern Allies side combines the best players from NSW and the ACT with those from Tasmania. The team will come up against some tough competition when the Championships kick-off on the Gold Coast in July, facing the Central Allies (South Australia and Northern Territory hybrid team), Vic Country and Vic Metro across their three games.
Lilly played all of her club footy with the Grafton Tigers until the 2019 season when she transferred to Coolangatta to continue her development. She continues to live in Grafton and drives to the Gold Coast several times per week for training and matches.
In addition to her club and state commitments, Lilly is also a member of the prestigious AFLW Academy national program and is an outstanding prospect for the AFLW draft in October.
Eastern Allies Fixtures
Game One: Monday 8 July 8 at Metricon Stadium (3:00pm) – Eastern Allies vs. Central Allies
Game Two: Wednesday 10 July at Southport (12:00pm) – Eastern Allies vs. Vic Country
Game Three: Friday 12 July at Bond University (10:00am) – Eastern Allies vs. Vic Metro
Hamish Ellem played for the Allies in their round 1 Division 1 Under 18 National Championships against Vic Country. The team suffered a big loss but Hamish’s personal performance warranted retention in the team and he has been named to face Western Australia in the Allies next clash of the National Championships at Alberton Oval, Adelaide on Saturday 22 June.
The Allies team comprises the best players from NSW, ACT, Tasmania, Queensland, and the Northern Territory. The Championships will provide a platform for all players to show AFL recruiters their talent ahead of the 2019 NAB AFL Draft in November (TBC). In recent years, the Allies have produced such AFL players as Isaac Cumming (GIANTS), Nick Blakey (Sydney Swans), Charlie Spargo (Melbourne), Harry Perryman (GIANTS) and Todd Marshall (Port Adelaide).
Hamish played a starring role in the Grafton Tigers Under 18 Premiership team in 2017 as a 16 year old. The next year he relocated to Sydney to pursue his AFL dream where he plays club footy for manly Warringah and is a member of the Sydney Swans Academy program.
Congratulations to both players.
