Mentha AND Shadforth Selected For 2023 AFL Futures Match

The AFL has announced the teams to compete in the 2023 AFL Futures match which will be played at the MCG ahead of the 2023 Toyota AFL Grand Final.

AFL Northern Territory would like to congratulate Pioneer Football Club’s Ricky Mentha and Clay Shadforth of Palmerston Magpies Football Club for their selection in Team Naitanui.

Both Mentha and Shadforth were a part of the Cazalys NT Academy side this year, putting on the ochre black and white to represent in the Coates Talent League, the Under 16s National Championships, and Shadforth making the Allies side in the 2023 AFL National Championships.

The match will feature 45 of the most talented under-17 boys footballers from across the country.

The two teams have been named after former Geelong Cats captain and four-time premiership player Joel Selwood and recently retired West Coast Eagles ruckman Nic Naitanui.

All players named for the sixth annual AFL Futures match are born in 2006 and will be eligible for selection in the 2024 AFL Draft.

The AFL Futures match provides next year’s draft prospects an opportunity to be part of a high-performance environment and showcase their talent on the big stage as they push for selection for the 2024 AFL Academy Boys program.

Players were nominated by state talent programs, national selectors, and AFL clubs, with all states and territories represented across the 46-player squad.

AFL National Academy Manager Tarkyn Lockyer said: “The AFL Futures match is a highlight on the AFL Talent calendar and provides football fans an introduction to the talented young players who are about to enter their draft year.

“We are delighted to be able to play the game ahead of the 2023 Toyota AFL Grand Final and provide the opportunity for our young stars from across the country to experience the excitement of being part of the biggest day of the AFL season.”

The 2023 AFL Futures squad will arrive in Melbourne later today. (Friday, September 29.)

Players will train at The Hangar on Friday afternoon prior to a team dinner at Mercure Albert Park where they will be addressed by Selwood and Naitanui.

The 2023 AFL Futures match will commence at 9:35am on Saturday, with all squad members to also attend the 2023 AFL Toyota Grand Final between Collingwood and Brisbane Lions.

Sydney Swans Academy coach Mark McVeigh will coach Team Selwood, with assistants to include Mark Brown (Murray Bushrangers), Lauren Morecroft (Eastern Ranges) and Jeromey Webberley (Tasmania Devils).

Victoria Metro under 16 coach Andrew Sturgess will coach Team Naitanui with assistants to include Mitch Hahn (Brisbane Lions Academy), Tony Bamford (South Australia U18) and Mel Hickey (Geelong Falcons).

HOW TO WATCH: The 2023 AFL Futures match will be broadcast live and free on the AFL website and AFL Live Official App.

MEDIA: Media who wish to attend the 2023 AFL Futures match are required to have accreditation to cover the 2023 Toyota AFL Grand Final.

2023 AFL FUTURES MATCH
Team Selwood vs. Team Naitanui
Saturday, September 30 at 9:35am
MCG

TEAM SELWOOD 
(White jumper)

#	NAME	SURNAME	STATE	STATE LEAGUE CLUB	COMMUNITY CLUB
1	Levi	Ashcroft	VIC M	Sandringham Dragons	Old Brighton Grammarians
2	Lucas	Camporeale	SA	Glenelg	Brighton Districts & Old Scholars
3	Phoenix	Hargrave	SA	South Adelaide	Reynella
4	Joe	Harrison	NSW/ACT	Sydney Swans Academy	Warners Bay
5	Taj	Hotton	VIC M	Sandringham Dragons	Old Haileybury
6	Isaac	Kako	VIC M	Calder Cannons	Pascoe Vale
7	Xavier	Lindsay	VIC C	Gippsland Power	Leongatha
8	Christian	Moraes	VIC M	Eastern Ranges	Glen Waverley
9	Murphy	Reid	VIC M	Sandringham Dragons	South Melbourne Districts
10	Tobie	Travaglia	VIC C	Bendigo Pioneers	Sandhurst
11	Malakai	Champion	WA	Subiaco	Mines Rovers
12	Kade	Herbert	SA	Woodville-West Torrens	Bute
13	Austin	van der Struyf	WA	Claremont	Claremont
14	Sam	Lalor	VIC C	GWV Rebels	Bacchus Marsh
15	Harvey	Langford	VIC C	Dandenong Stingrays	Mount Martha
16	Noah	Mraz	VIC C	Dandenong Stingrays	Narre North Foxes
17	Joshua	Murphy	NSW/ACT	Murray Bushrangers	North Albury
18	Finn	O’Sullivan	VIC C	Oakleigh Chargers	Koroit
19	Oliver	Warburton	VIC C	Murray Bushrangers	Shepparton Swans
20	Jonty	Faull	VIC C	GWV Rebels	Redan
27	Oliver	Dean	TAS	Tasmania Devils	North Launceston
28	Flynn	Penry	VIC C	GWV Rebels	Cobden
29	Tyler	Welsh	SA	Woodville West-Torrens	Henley

TEAM NAITANUI
(Blue and green jumper)

#	NAME	SURNAME	STATE	STATE LEAGUE CLUB	COMMUNITY CLUB
1	Ben	Camporeale	SA	Glenelg	Brighton Districts & Old Scholars
2	Sid	Draper	SA	South Adelaide	Willunga
3	Mitch	Woods	NSW/ACT	Sydney Swans	Penshurst
4	Clay	Shadforth	NT	NT Academy South Adelaide	Palmerston
5	Bo	Allan	WA	Peel Thunder	Halls Head
7	Archer	Day-Wicks	VIC C	Bendigo Pioneers	Sandhurst
8	Lucca	Grego	VIC M	Western Jets	Keilor
9	Zak	Johnson	VIC M	Northern Knights	Old Ivanhoe Grammarians
10	Leonardo	Lombard	QLD	Gold Coast Suns Academy	Broadbeach
11	Sam	Marshall	QLD	Brisbane Lions Academy/ Sandringham Dragons	St Bedes/Mentone
12	Ricky	Mentha	NT	NT Academy/ Gippsland Power/ Pioneeer	Morwell
13	Jagga	Smith	VIC M	Oakleigh Chargers	Richmond
14	Joel	Cochran	NSW/ACT	Sydney Swans Academy	East Sydney
15	Tom	Gross	VIC M	Oakleigh Chargers	Old Trinity Grammarians
16	Nash	King	VIC M	Calder Cannons	Wallan
17	Harry	O’Farrell	VIC M	Calder Cannons	Maribyrnong Park
18	Jobe	Shanahan	NSW/ACT	Bendigo Pioneers	Moama
19	Josh	Smillie	VIC M	Eastern Ranges	Park Orchards
20	Luke	Trainor	VIC M	Sandringham Dragons	Old Brighton Grammarians
21	Rome	Burgoyne	SA	Woodville-West Torrents	Port District
27	Tom	Luck	SA	Woodville-West Torrens	Central Yorke
28	Tom	Gillett	QLD	Brisbane Lions Academy	Sherwood