Category 6 in the upcoming AFL New Zealand National Draft will feature AFL New Zealand Academy players from Satellite cities around the country who were born in 1998 or younger.
The AFL New Zealand Academy was launched in Auckland and Wellington and Northland in February 2015 and was created to provide a pathway for athletes to excel through AFL.
Currently attending the Tai Wānanga Ki Ruakura in Hamilton, Jackson Rolleston was first identified at a Regional Testing Combine in 2013. The U16 and U18 New Zealand representative knows how to get himself into the correct position and moves the ball around the field with accuracy. “Jackson is only one of a group of very talented young athletes that will make an impact on the AFL New Zealand Premiership in February.” Mick Coultard, AFL New Zealand High Performance Manager.
Ben Armstrong hails from the small Northland town of Moerewa. The Bay of Islands College student made a name for himself in 2014 when he broke the Australasian record in 2014 for the agility test in the AFL New Zealand National combine. His pace on the footy field means he can swing the momentum of the game in the blink of an eye.
Southen Smith from Northland also attends Bay of Islands College. One of the standouts in the 2015 AFL New Zealand Academy, hard running Smith has represented the New Zealand Hawks at U16 level and would one day, relish the opportunity to debut for the senior team.
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