THE Eastern Ranges have had 10 players selected in the initial 55-player Vic Metro squad for the AFL Under-16 National Championships.
Fraser Smith (Vermont) and Mihaele Zalac (Donvale) impressed during the recent TAC Cup under 16s carnival to earn selection for Vic Metro.
Chayce Black (Waverley Park), Jonte Duffy (Rowville), Tyler Edwards (Rowville), Todd Garner (Wandin), Mitch Mellis (Boronia), Callum Norris (Heathmont), James Ross (Vermont) and Jamieson Rossiter (Rowville) have also been selected.
“The boys did extremely well, there were a couple we thought that were around the mark in Fraser Smith and Mihaele Zalac and they played outstanding football,” Ranges under-16s coach Mark Fisher said.
“The consistency across the two games really pushed them up (and) they have done that through their own hard work.”
Fisher said the group impressed with their development during the program.
“We identified early that they were a very, very good group,” he said.
“The way they went about it and brought into the program was just another level to an already outstanding skill set.”
Seventeen of the under-16s group trained with the TAC Cup squad on Tuesday night and Fisher predicted some would progress to playing under-18s football before the end of the year.
“They can’t play TAC Cup until they’ve finished their Vic Metro commitments, but I would say that four or five of the boys probably will then just play TAC Cup footy,” he said.
“I would say there could be up to 10 by the end of the year that will play a TAC Cup game as 15 and 16-year-olds.”
While some will progress to the TAC Cup ranks this year, Fisher said the goal was to have the talented group prepared for their top-age year in 2019.
“That is where we try aim the program, to have them ready and all the other stuff along the way is a cherry on top of the ice-cream,” he said.
“If you get a game or play as a bottom-ager (in TAC Cup), then that is a bonus but it is a real preparation program for us to have them cherry ripe for 2019.”
Vic Metro’s first game will be against Vic Country on June 24 before playing two games on the Gold Coast, the first being on July 10 against South Australia before a clash against Western Australia on July 14.
Last Modified on 02/05/2017 19:15