Four young country footballers have been selected in the NAB AFL Under 18 All Australian Team.

Selection in the All-Australian team rewards the individual players who excelled for their respective states and territories at the 2011 NAB AFL Under 18 Championships.

AFL Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan said naming the All-Australian team brings this year's successful Under 18 Championships to a close.

"Many of the All-Australians will be playing AFL football this time next year. Dyson Heppell, Shaun Atley, Tom Liberatore and Harley Bennell are some of last year's All Australians that are now household names, "Mr Sheehan said.

Fifteen of the players are eligible for the 2011 NAB AFL Draft. ‘Bottom aged' players Sam Mayes and Lachie Whitfield will be eligible for the Draft in 2012.

Four players - Brad Crouch, Jaeger O'Meara, Ben Kennedy and Brodie Grundy - all turned 17 before April 30 2011 and can nominate before August 1 2011 for the ‘mini draft' that is part of the GWS Giants entry conditions for the 2012 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.

Vic Country All Australians

Brad Crouch - (Vic-Country/North Ballarat Rebels/Beaufort)
Height: 184cm Weight: 83kg Age: 17 Years
Medium Defender/Midfielder with great work ethic, ball-winning
ability, crisp decision-making and delivery by hand or foot.
Averaged 16.7 disposals per game. Disposal efficiency of 76%
overall in the carnival.
(AFL Ranking Points Avg. 77) (2011 Mini-Draft)

Lachie Whitfield - (Vic-Country/Dandenong
Stingrays/Mornington)
Height: 182cm Weight: 72kg Age: 16 Years
Medium Forward/Midfielder with great awareness and vision, elite
disposal and endurance. Amassed 21 disposals per game, 9 of
which were contested, as well as kicking 7 goals playing an
important role up forward. Won Vic-Country's MVP Award.
(AFL Ranking Points Avg. 121) (2012 Draft)

Taylor Adams - (Vic-Country/Geelong Falcons/St Josephs)
Height: 181cm Weight: 80kg Age: 17 Years
Medium Midfielder who is a clean ball handler and wins contested
football. Strong Tackler, averaging 4 per game as well as
compiling 18.8 disposals per game. Excellent against Tasmania
and SA.
(AFL Ranking Points Avg. 104) (2011 Draft)

Clay Smith - (Vic-Country/Gippsland Power/Lucknow)
Height: 180cm Weight: 78kg Age: 18 Years
Left Footed Medium Forward/Defender with great courage and ball
winning ability, due to his exceptional endurance and reading of
the play. Great in contested situations, averaging 17.2 disposals,
4.6 clearances as well as 3.8 tackles per game.
(AFL Ranking Points Avg. 97) (2011 Draft)

Article first appeared www.vcfl.com.au July 11, 2011