By Lance Jenkinson
Western Jets defender Buku Khamis heeded the message of Vic Metro coach Marty Allison at the AFL Under 18 National Championships.
“He just wanted every player to back themselves, just go for it and not hold back,” Khamis said.
“The main message he told us was to try and make our teammates better players.”
Khamis delivered on both of Allison’s expectations. The 18-year-old earned the much coveted All Australian honours as a result.
“I’m pretty honoured to be named in the team,” he said. “I was a bit shocked, but I wasn’t thinking about it too much.
“I was just thinking about going there and playing, that’s all.”
Khamis was outstanding in defence for Vic Metro.
The St Albans product’s reading of the play was spot on, he was rarely beaten in one-on-one battles and he detonated many an opposition forward thrust with his courage and athleticism in the air.
He showed his value as a two-way player, barely putting a foot wrong in his transition of the ball out of the defensive 50 and his ball use was brave, which is exactly what Allison asked of his players.
“I’m happy with the way I set up and attacked,” Khamis said.
“Confidence is a big thing with me, so I just back myself and try and go for it.”
Khamis, who is in year 12 at Maribyrnong College, was primed for a big national championships.
His form for the Jets in the TAC Cup lead-up games was impressive and he carried it through to his Vic Metro matches.
Khamis is likely on the radar of AFL recruiters after his rise in 2018.
Born in South Sudan and arriving in Australia at the age of six, Khamis has been part of the Western Bulldogs next generation academy.
Much like the father-son rule, the Bulldogs can nominate Khamis in the draft and force other teams to put a bid in, which they can match.
Khamis was also part of the AFL Academy, which not only helped him as a footballer, but also as a person.
“That was pretty cool being a part of that,” Khamis said.
“The biggest thing out of that would be the off-field, developing me into a better person, as well as a better player.”
Khamis is “thankful” for the time and effort put into his development by the Western Jets and Western Region Football League club St Albans.
He said he would be proud to represent both clubs in the big time should he be drafted to an AFL team at the end of the year.
However, the draft is at the back of his mind at the moment, as he focuses on his school in an important VCE year and helping get the Western Jets to the TAC Cup finals.
In the TAC Cup, Western Jets ceded its spot in the top four after a heavy 57-point away loss to Gippsland Power on Sunday at the Morwell Football Ground.
