Reward for consistent performance at championshipsWHAT chance the Gold Coast Football Club of drafting Western Australia's Brandon Matera in November? Plenty, but only if his father Wally's former team-mate, coach Guy McKenna, wants him there.
Matera has capped off a solid under-18s campaign with selection in the All-Australian team. Young Matera was named in a forward pocket in the team which contains nine Sandgropers. WA won Division 1 of the AFL's national under-18 championships after going through the month-long tournament undefeated.
Matera, 17, topped the championships' goal-kicking with 16, including two in the final match against Vic Country.
His performance throughout the championships would have no doubt been noted by AFL scouts keen to assess future talent. Matera, though, is ineligible for this year's draft because he's 17. However, under draft guidelines for 2009, McKenna, as coach of the new Gold Coast club, can sign him as one of 12 17-year-olds -- born before April 30, 1992 -- the club has access to. The Gold Coast will enter the AFL in 2011. If nothing eventuates in November, Gold Coast can still select him in the 2010 national draft because it has nine of the first 15 picks.
However, Wally seems a little reluctant to see his son leave home.
"I hope 'Bluey' (McKenna) stays away from him, to be honest with you," he said. "He's got a job to do up there, but it would be good if he just bypassed him. (Brandon) is one of about 100 kids running around out there at the moment and I hope he’s about the 99th to be picked. I saw him (McKenna) at the first game (of the championships) and he said he wanted to talk to me later on. We haven't crossed paths since then."
Matera's championships were highlighted by a best-on-ground performance against Tasmania where he also kicked five goals, none better than the one which came from a hard-fought free kick at half-back, where he then ran the length of the field to be at the end of a chain of possessions before kicking truly.
* Click here to see the
2009 AFL Under-18 All-Australian team.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Last Modified on 07/07/2009 19:07