THE Western Jets’ success at the AFL draft table in recent seasons might just be the tip of the iceberg.
The Jets underlined their bright future with strong performances at the under-16 state championships.
State selectors were on high alert with a stunning 20 per cent of the Jets playing squad of 50 called in to train with Vic Metro to put their best foot forward in their bid to be a part of the elite under-16 national championships this season.
Jets region manager Shane Sexton told the Weekly the large volume of call-ups was unprecedented in his time with the Jets.
“The under-16s this year are as good as we’ve had since I’ve been here,” he said.
“There were even three or four other boys I would rate as extremely unlucky not to have been selected in the group.
“It’s been a good outcome for the club.”
The Jets were flawless in the lead-up games with three consecutive wins.
Their only blemish came in a 19-point loss to the Northern Knights in the first week of the Easter school holidays. They bounced back last Tuesday with victory over Calder Cannons at Avalon Airport Oval in Werribee.
Sexton says the school holiday period is a “hectic time” for both club officials and the young footballers in the age group because junior careers could be at the crossroads.
“Each age level is important but the under-16 level is particularly important for the participants,” he said.
“You’ve had the state under-16 championships over the past couple of weeks which are important. You also had the lead-up games against all other regions and those games are just as important. We played really well, we’re pretty happy with the way the group went.”
Why is this age group so important?
The mainstream spotlight is generally fixed on the under-18 TAC Cup. A player can put himself front and centre in the focus of the recruiters with a sound under-16 year.
Every year, the cream of Australia’s under-16s are invited to the AIS-AFL Academy, with the vast majority landing on AFL lists, including former Jets Adam Kennedy, Will Hoskin-Elliott and Elliott Kavanagh.
The supremely talented will strut their stuff on the national stage for Vic Metro, while players that have shown potential are invited back to play for the Jets at TAC Cup level.
But a bad under-16 year might see a player miss the cut altogether and from there the pathway is a lot muddier.
The chosen 10 from the Jets under-16 Brad Johnson development squad to train with the under-16 Vic Metro team were: Duom Dawam (Werribee), Zac O’Halloran (St Bernard’s), Jayden Laverde (Keilor), Billy Myers (Darley), Dillon Viojo-Rainbow (Bacchus Marsh), Liam Duggan (Bacchus Marsh), Brenton Payne (Bacchus Marsh), Caleb Sullivan (Werribee), Joseph Blake (Albion) and Ryley Stuhldreier (Bacchus Marsh).
