This year marks 30 years of the under-18 boys talent pathway competition in Victoria. The Dandenong Stingrays, at the time called the Southern Stingrays, entered the competition, then known as the Victorian State Football League under-18s, in the inaugural year, with Gippsland Power coming in the following season. The league has since produced 20 number-one picks and more than 1500 players. Below, JONTY RALPHSMITH takes a look at the best 30 players to have been recruited from the Stingrays over the journey.
#15: Michael Hibberd: Was part of the 2021 Melbourne premiership team after a fighting career with Essendon. Crossed to Melbourne and added experience to the Dees’ defence, having now played 185 games.
#14: Tom Scully: Three clubs in two states, 11 seasons and 187 games…Tom Scully’s AFL career was a journey. Ran all day, exposing opponents late in quarters and games, with his 187-game career, largely at GWS, probably viewed much more positively if he did not have the pressure of being a number-one pick.
#13: David Hille: Essendon’s predominant ruckman through the early 21st century, Hille played 197 games for the Bombers and won the club’s best and fairest in 2008.
#12: Adam Treloar: The midfielder has come heart-breakingly close to winning a premiership twice – with Collingwood in 2018 and Western Bulldogs in 2021 – in a career that has spanned a decade, 200 games and three clubs, after being taken as a foundation GWS Giant.
#11: Trent Croad: Played the bulk of his career at Hawthorn, punctuated by two seasons at Fremantle. The 222-gamer could play at either end of the field and was a crucial part of Hawthorn’s 2008 premiership run, playing 20 games in that season before getting injured during the grand final.
