North Ballarat’s Dean Towers was the first Peter Jackson VFL player selected at the NAB AFL Draft last week. The 22 year old Roosters wingman was selected in the first round by AFL premiership side Sydney, and he will follow in the footsteps of 2010 North Ballarat first round selection to Hawthorn in Isaac Smith, and 2011 Geelong recruit Orren Stephenson to join the ranks of the AFL.
Towers pathway to the AFL was not a conventional one, but a track that is being taken by more and more players that either develop later in life, or start to take their football seriously at an older age. He made his senior debut for North Ballarat in the finals in season 2011 at 21 after 17 games in the development league that season. The wingman/midfielder showed his potential in the Roosters 2012 season playing 14 senior games, with injury midseason costing him more games in his first full year of VFL senior football.
Towers early season form gained him selection in the Peter Jackson VFL’s state team that defeated the Tasmanian State League in May, and Towers was named the best under 23 player in the VFL for season 2012 – the Fothergill-Round Medallist – following in esteemed footsteps on Ahmed Saad, Michael Hibberd, Michael Barlow, Robin Nahas and Shane Valenti who all won the award and were drafted to the AFL.
It has been a quick fire journey to the highest ranks of Aussie Rules for Towers, after playing for Otway Districts, then spending a year at Colac in 2010 before joining the North Ballarat VFL program in season 2011. His coach Gerard FitzGerald told SEN on draft night that he believes Towers will only continue to improve now that he is in the AFL system.
“I said to him if he continues to improve at the rate that he has over the last three years that in itself will be significant.
“You take a guy that squeezes all he can out of his football development whilst at the same time devoting full time to his studies, then all of a sudden now he has all day every day to devote to his footy, his rate of improvement could be accelerated, FitzGerald said.
FitzGerald believes the VFL now has a major role to play in the development of players that, like Towers, do not follow the conventional talent pathway.
“It is a great reminder about having a state league as the best kids will always go from the under 18 competition, but we need this next stage, and the sport of football needs this state league.
“We need to try and have good clubs (in the VFL) so these guys can continue to improve and be late developers like Dean and Isaac Smith were.”
AFL Victoria's VFL Academy Coach/Mentor Nathan Bibby agreed with FitzGerald, and said it was a great achievement to have the first AFL Victoria VFL Academy player drafted.
“Towers’ is a perfect advert for VFL academy, coming from outside the traditional talent pathway. He has taken the risks to get into the system, moving away from home and trying his luck at North Ballarat, but it has all now paid off for him,” Bibby said.
“He took advantage of what was on offer via the Academy, and did everything that was asked of him, above what was doing at club level. He now finds himself on an AFL list which is the next stage of his development, but he is well equipped to meet the challenge.”
Sydney Swans Player Manager Kinnear Beatson said Towers was the classic late developer. “He played really well for North Ballarat this year. He won the Fothergill-Round Medal as the most promising up and comer player in the VFL. We think he is ready to go. He can play wing and can play half-back. He is genuinely quick and tested well at the draft camp. He has grown into his body and he is confident and ready to go.”
Dean Towers
Pick No: 22 (Sydney Swans)
Age: 22
Height: 189cm
Weight: 83cm
Junior Club: Otway Districts
Peter Jackson VFL Season Statistics:
Games: 14
Kicks: 122 (av. 8.7)
Handballs: 92 (av. 6.6)
Marks: 50 (av. 3.6)
Highlights:
- Member of the inaugural AFL Victoria VFL Academy
- Represented the Peter Jackson VFL State Team in Tasmania
- Honoured with selection into Peter Jackson VFL Team of the Year
- Awarded the 2012 Fothergill-Round Medallist as the most promising young talent in the Peter Jackson VFL
- Broke the Vertical Leap record at the 2012 NAB AFL Draft Combine by 2cms
Last Modified on 28/11/2012 16:56