Shepparton United product Riley Onley produced arguably his best game in his draft campaign to date, recording a team-high 28 disposals and seven clearances in the AFL National Under-18 Boys Championships match.
Taking the game by the scruff of its neck, the big-bodied 194cm midfielder was damaging at the source as Onley recorded 13 contested possessions, using his frame and strength to his advantage.
Most importantly though, the youngster delivered a whopping game-high 13 score involvements, influencing the contest with nearly every possession.
It’s an attribute Onley said he prided himself on, hoping to impact games in a similar fashion to renowned stars of the AFL.
“I’m not usually a high possession-getter, so that’s one of those things, like the ‘Bont’ (Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli) or ‘Dusty’ (former Richmond star Dustin Martin), you don’t need 30 touches to make an influence,” Onley said.
“I try to get it in damaging positions on the field to make an impact, per touch, and be involved in scores to help your team win rather than just rack it up for no reason.”
GVL-linked 2026 Carlton father-son prospect Cody Walker played his best game at the championships too, tallying 24 touches and seven marks for the match.
The young gun has staked his claim as a potential number one pick for next year and this latest performance undoubtedly adds credibility to the claims.
Harry Moon also featured for Vic Country, but had a quieter day on the park as Onley and Walker’s individual brilliance took the match by storm.
Although South Australia has already been handed the championship trophy after winning all four of its games, Vic Country will play state rival Vic Metro in a fortnight’s time to wrap up the tournament.
While this year’s clash is a dead-rubber battle, the cross-town rivalry is heavily anticipated following last year’s result when Vic Metro claimed the championships cup with a kick after the siren following a controversial 50m penalty.
Onley stated the ending of last year’s decider lived long in the memory and was a driving motivation for the 2025 clash.
“A bit of a comeback would be nice because last year we thought we were a bit robbed,” Onley said.
“It’s always a good rivalry anyway, so I am pretty keen for that one.”
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