The 13th intake of the Australian Institute of Sport/Australian Football League (AIS/AFL) Academy was named this week.

Among some of Australia’s best young football talent named in the 2009 intake are Brandon Matera, nephew of West Coast superstars Peter and Phil Matera, and Dylan Buckley, son of three-time Carlton premiership player Jim Buckley.

The AIS/AFL Academy tests and develops some of the nation’s best football talent in preparation for the elite AFL competition, and AIS/AFL Academy high performance coach Jason McCartney is impressed by the depth and strength of this year’s squad.

‘The depth of talent in our junior ranks is very strong, and selecting just 30 players from the recent NAB AFL under-16 and under-18 championships was very challenging.

‘At the 2008 NAB AFL draft, eight of the top-ten selections were graduates of the AIS/AFL Academy, highlighting that the program continues to develop high-class footballers both on and off the field,’ McCartney said.

The squad members undergo an intensive 12-month training program in preparation for senior AFL football. The first camp will be held at the AIS in Canberra on 27 September.

Several of this year’s squad will also feature in the NAB AFL under-16 championship finals, which will be played as a curtain raiser to the AFL grand final match.

Recent AIS/AFL Academy graduates include 2009 NAB AFL Rising Stars nominees Daniel Rich (Brisbane Lions), Jack Grimes (Melbourne), Jack Ziebell (North Melbourne) and Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide).

The 2009 AIS/AFL Academy Squad

Victoria country:
Tomas Bugg (Gippsland/Beaconsfield), Dylan Shiel (Dandenong/Edithvale Aspendale), Adam Treloar (Dandenong/Noble Park), Sam Kerridge (Bendigo/Mildura), Darcy Watchorn (North Ballarat/Redan), Sam Gordon (Geelong/Camperdown), Piers Flanagan (Geelong/Geelong Amateurs), Luke Parker (Dandenong Stingrays)

Victoria metro:
Billy Longer (Northern/Macleod), Michael Bussey (Eastern/Rowville), Tim Golds (Oakleigh/Balwyn), Dylan Buckley (Northern/Fitzroy), Jonathon Patton (Eastern/St Simon’s), Aaron Young (Eastern), Andrew Gaff (Oakleigh/Carey Grammar)

South Australia:
Chad Wingard (Sturt/Imperials), Jack Hombsch (Sturt/Roxby Downs), Sam Day (Sturt/PAC), Daniel Gorringe (Norwood)

Western Australia:
Tom Mitchell (Claremont/Hale School), Gerald Ugle (Perth/Northam), Max Duffy (Perth/Corpus Christi), Myles Bolger (South Fremantle), Brandon Matera (South Fremantle/Corpus Christi), Blayne Wilson (Peel Thunder/Halls Head JFC), Harley Bennell (Peel), Ben Newton (South Fremantle)

Tasmania:
Sam Darley (North Hobart)

Northern Territory:
Curtly Hampton (Pioneers)

Queensland:
Jackson Allen (Sherwood)