Berwick footballer Matthew Buntine has been awarded the Ben Mitchell Medal after a European tour with the AIS-AFL Academy squad.
Buntine, 17, is widely regarded as one of the best young footballers in the country involved in the 12-month academy program.
The medal is the highest award available to the academy squad and goes to the player whose personal qualities on and off the field are rated the highest.
Buntine plays halfback and in the midfield for Berwick Football Club and the Dandenong Stingrays.
AIS-AFL high performance coach Michael O’Loughlin said Buntine was an outstanding player with a promising future at an elite level.
“He was consistently one of the best players on the field in the three games the team played, showing intelligence both on and off the field,” O’Loughlin said.
“He is a highly talented footballer and his peers have made a great choice in selecting him for the Ben Mitchell award.”
Buntine said he was thrilled with the medal and hopeful for the future. “I’m excited about what lies ahead and I’m going to work as hard as I can this year in the hope of being drafted,” he said.
Last Modified on 28/07/2011 18:04