No matter what level of football, all clubs are looking for big-game players.
Williamstown’s Lachlan Fogarty may only be in the early stages of his career but he certainly fits the bill.
The 16-year-old has long been known around the west as a rising star, but he’s now being spoken about nationwide after an incredible under-16 national championships.
Representing Vic Metro on the Gold Coast, Fogarty dominated for the Big V and was named his side’s most valuable player.
The selection earned him a position at the prestigious AFL national academy.
He will now get the chance to work with some of the best junior development coaches in Australia, including former Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson, Western Bulldogs’ legend Brad Johnson and Essendon goalkicking machine Matthew Lloyd.
“My main goal was just to make the Vic Metro side,” Fogarty says.
“I wasn’t really thinking about the games at all; I just wanted to earn the respect of my teammates and the coaches.
“Once I made the team and got up to the Gold Coast, I just wanted to play hard for my teammates. I was lucky enough to get a kick and it went from there.”
His time with Vic Metro will give Fogarty the perfect grounding to move into TAC Cup football. Having played juniors for Spotswood and school football at St Kevins, he will now turn his attention to earning a spot on the Western Jets’ list for 2016.
If he needs any advice he has the perfect mentor close by in brother Michael, who has been through the TAC Cup system and now plays for VFL side Footscray.
All indications are Fogarty will be a valuable member of the Jets’ squad after the representative side struggled throughout 2015.
The hard-working midfielder and year 10 student also had a promising junior basketball career, making a number of representative teams.
Fogarty isn’t letting his early footy success go to his head and is refusing to get swept up in AFL draft speculation.
“I’m not really focusing on AFL at this stage. There are a lot of other things to look at, like school and catching up with my mates … so I’m not just focusing on football all the time.”
For his outstanding sporting achievements, Fogarty is this month’s nominee for the Don Deeble Rising Star award, run by Sunshine Western Region Sports Club in conjunction with
Star Weekly.
Fogarty will receive $1000, donated by the Yarraville Club Cricket Club, and other prizes to help him reach his sporting goals.
The Don Deeble Rising Star award recognises young western suburbs athletes who achieve outstanding results at state and national levels.
Email Don Deeble Rising Star award nominations to ltwomey@starweekly.com.au
