With an overwhelming majority of AFL clubs sending talent scouts to next week’s Under-18 State Zone Trials at the BCU International Stadium, the pressure on the young players to perform has increased. *
Not only are the young men chasing a spot in the NSW/ACT State team for this year’s National Championships but there are also scholarship spots up for grabs with the elite clubs around the country.
Taking to the field with these issues in the background are four local players who will be playing with the Northern Heat squad and ready to put their best foot forward.
Sawtell trio Simon Taylor, Jack Gillingham and Elliott Schmidt, along with Nambucca Valley utility Oscar Smith, were training with their Heat team-mates at Richardson Park yesterday, preparing for next week’s matches and coach Mark Heaney believes the group will acquit themselves well.
“We’re coming up against more experienced players from the Riverina and Sydney areas but I think the group has prepared well,” he said.
“Last year we did a lot of fitness testing but this year we’ve done a lot of training instead.
“We had a five-hour training session on the weekend where we worked on game plans instead of competing against each other through the testing.”
Smith was added to the squad when North Coffs midfielder, Jack Campbell was a late withdrawal due to injury.
Ironically, it was Smith who was forced to sit out the entire 2010 season following knee surgery.
The Heat will play three challenging matches on Tuesday evening to start their series of matches, when they face both Riverina zone teams (Stingrays and Rebels) as well as the Starz, whose players come from Northern Sydney (draw attached).
* With the introduction of the Greater Western Sydney outfit to the AFL competition, inaugural coach, Kevin Sheedy will be in Coffs Harbour shortly. See the enclosed link for a story from the AFL website on Sheedy's trip
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/88686/default.aspx
Last Modified on 14/01/2010 19:43