WESTERN Jets excitement machine Josh Bench has capped a breakout season in the TAC Cup by winning the club champion award.
The tenacious youngster from the Albion Cats walked away from the club’s presentation night proudly wearing the Barry Round Medal, named in honour of the western suburbs football icon and South Melbourne/Sydney Swans team of the century member.
Bench joins the esteemed company of winners including former North Melbourne great Shannon Grant and AFL-listed players Mitch Banner (Port Adelaide) and Jayden Post (Richmond).
Jets coach Steven Kretiuk said Bench had come a long way in a short time with the club.
“He came into our system quite late midway through last year,” he said.
“He’s come from a fair way back and to be in the position he’s put himself in is a credit to him. He’s a great kid and he loves his footy.”
Bench is everything the Jets could have asked for in an onballer.
The 17-year-old arrived as a hard in-and-under player despite his slight body frame, a lion-hearted footballer who can go in and win his own ball.
What he certainly is not is one-dimensional.
A blink-and-you’ll-miss kind of player, Bench has become one of the most dynamic at the club.
His speed off the mark is breakneck and his evasiveness in traffic is a real eye-catcher.
Bench has an uncanny knack of finding the goals and can do it from both long-range and acute angles. Every year, the Jets put together a highlights package of their Barry Round Medal winner’s season.
You have to see it to believe some of the individual brilliance the youngster has produced this season.
Kretiuk said the video highlights were up there with the best in his time at the club.
“I’ve been there five years and it’s no doubt it’s the best highlights package I’ve seen.
“I’ve actually emailed it off to about 60 or 70 recruiters today and it’s on YouTube for all to see.
“It’s fantastic footage and it goes to show how talented this kid is.
“He’s only 172 centimetres, but what he does on a footy field is extraordinary and I just hope someone gives the kid an opportunity.”
It would seem the only knock on Bench is his stature. He is relatively tiny in football terms at 172cm and 64kg.
Kretiuk said it would be a shame if the AFL recruiters looked at him less favourably because of his body size.
“Sometimes they can be a big discriminative in terms of height, but I think there’s a role for those guys in the system, playing a small in-and-under, tackle game, and what Josh has done is added a few strings to his bow.
“He can play in the midfield and be your clearance player, he can go inside 50 and tackle, he can break the lines and kick long goals. He’s got a bit of X-factor about him. Let’s just hope someone gives him a chance.”
