Five Western Jets young guns are in with a shot of making the final cut to represent Vic Metro at the AFL under-18 national championships.
Ruck/forward Tristan Xerri, bottom-age forward Buku Khamis, co-captain Nick Stuhldreier and AFL Academy representatives Cameron Rayner and Lachlan Fogarty have made the extended training squad of 47 players and will feature in trial games to stake their claims for a berth in the final squad.
Jets coach Torin Baker says all five players have been in great form in the early days of the TAC Cup season.
“It’s a good reward for their performances,” he said. “It’s a lot of players goal at the start of the year to make the Vic Metro squad. When you do that, you’re giving yourself a chance to be seen and play trial matches, and if you go well there you’ll get yourself a spot in the team.
“I know those five boys are excited to be in the squad.”
Rayner, a dynamic forward-midfielder, hit the headlines for his best-on-ground performance in the AFL Academy’s 20th anniversary game.
The Essendon Doutta Stars product lit up the MCG with three goals and 23 possessions to ensure he was a shoo-in for the Vic Metro squad.
“He was genuinely the standout player in that game,” Baker said. “When you do it against the best players, it carries a lot of weight.”
Inside midfielder Fogarty, from Spotswood and highly touted as part of the AFL Academy, has backed up that standing with best-on-ground efforts.
“In one game with the academy, he was named their best player, and he was named our best in the first two games, so three out of the first four weeks he was named the best player,” Baker said. “He’s had a fantastic start to the year.”
Stuhldreier has been one of the most consistent players for the Jets this season.
The midfielder has exploded since he starred – with 34 disposals, six marks and seven tackles – against Geelong Falcons three rounds back.
“He doesn’t put in many poor performances and you generally know what you’re going to get out of him, which is good to know as a coach,” Baker said.
Xerri showed his potential with four goals in a trial game. The strong-marking 200-centimetre tall suffered an ankle injury following that performance and was sidelined until Sunday.
“After a really strong performance, the next week in the first quarter he was injured, so he’s experienced the highs and lows of footy,” Baker said.
Khamis is the only bottom-age player from the Jets to make the squad.
Unearthed by local club St Albans, the high-leaping forward was born in South Sudan, so he has taken the road less travelled to a potential Big V guernsey.
“History says they only play a couple of bottom-agers, so it’s up to him to stand out as one of the best bottom-agers in the trial game,” Baker said. “He’s improving all the time as a player.
“We’re not putting any limits on him because he’s been surprising everyone with things that have been happening in his game over the past few weeks.”
In the TAC Cup, the Western Jets went down to the Bendigo Pioneers by 20 points at Queen Elizabeth Oval on Sunday.
Xavier O’Halloran was named best for the Jets with 26 disposals, eight tackles and a goal, while small forward Jake Hazik returned to the line-up to kick three goals.
