The AFL has today announced the 2023 AFL National Championships U18 Boys All-Australian Team and QBE Sydney Swans Academy member Caiden Cleary has been named in the side alongside Academy coach Mark McVeigh.
Cleary was one of six Swans part of the historic 2023 Allies winning side after producing an unbeaten run through their four matches. McVeigh coached the Allies to their first ever U18 national title, and was rewarded for his efforts and named this year's U18 All-Australian Coach.
Cleary joined the QBE Sydney Swans Under11 Youth Boys Academy program in 2016 via the U10 Open Assessment Trials the previous year and has been committed to his football development throughout the program.
A midfielder whose ferocious attack on the ball, Cleary showed excellent speed and courage as well as clean hands, playing both on the inside and outside during the national championships. He averaged 29.2 disposals, 11.2 contested possessions and laid a team-high average of 6.8 tackles. Also showed a preparedness to work hard to run and support teammates, demonstrated by an average of 12.5 handball receives across four matches.
QBE Academy, Allies and now All-Australian Coach Mark McVeigh said he was impressed with Cleary's performance at the championships and his selection was well deserved.
"He had an amazing championships, he is a player that will be looked out throughout the year and he did his chances of getting drafted no harm, he was outstanding," McVeigh said.
McVeigh, who joined the club's Academy program this season, said taking on the Allies coaching role this year was a real highlight in his time in football.
"It's a high level, it's competitive and we treat them like men, we give them an AFL game plan and structure. We wanted to leave a legacy for other Allies players and this team were able to do it," McVeigh said.
"I have been in footy for 25 years and it's probably one of the great experiences I have had at an Under 18 level."
The Allies, comprising players from the ACT, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania, had never previously won more than one of their four matches since the current Championships format was introduced in 2016, which sees the Allies, South Australia, Victoria Country, Victoria Metro and Western Australia play each other once.
The 2023 AFL National Championships U18 Boys All-Australian Team was selected by a panel comprising Kevin Sheehan (AFL Talent Ambassador – Chair), Tarkyn Lockyer (AFL National Academy Coach/Manager) and AFL recruiters Adrian Caruso (GWS GIANTS), Kade Nanscawen (Gold Coast SUNS), David McMullin (Fremantle) and Stephen Wells (Geelong Cats).
The AFL National Championships – U18 Boys are the highest level of state and territory representative football featuring the country’s most talented under 18 boys footballers.
The Championships were played across Australia throughout June and July, with the Allies claiming the title with a 4-0 record. Victoria Country and Victoria Metro each won two matches, while South Australia and Western Australia both claimed one win from their four matches.
