AFL Goldfields is thrilled to announce today that each age group in the new AFL Goldfields McDonald’s Junior Academy will be named after AFL stars that originated from the Goldfields region.
The AFL Goldfields McDonald’s Junior Academy was launched a few weeks back, and will give 160 talented footballers currently playing in the Ballarat Junior Football League, the Central Highlands Football League and the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football & Netball League access to a high level program aiming to work on the continued development of the players skills in all areas of the game as well as developing leadership behaviours for those involved.
The McDonald’s Junior Academy’s Under 12 group will be named the Brad Sewell Squad. Brad Sewell played his junior football at CHFL club Newlyn before moving onto the North Ballarat Rebels and then to the Hawthorn Football Club, where he recently brought up his 200th AFL Game in his eleventh season at the Hawks, which included the 2008 and 2013 Premierships.
The Under 13 age group will be named the Jed Adcock Squad, in honour of the current Brisbane Lions captain. Adcock, who hails from Maryborough and grew up with family that were the backbone of the Maryborough Rovers FNC, has played 185 games for the Brisbane Lions since making his debut in season 2004, and has been captain of the Lions since 2013.
The Under 14 age group will be named the Brown Squad, in honour of twins Nathan and Mitchell Brown who grew up in Ballarat and played their junior football with the Ballarat FNC before progressing through the Rebels system and embarking on AFL careers. Nathan has played 93 games with Collingwood since his debut in 2008, including being part of the Magpies’ 2010 premiership team, whilst Mitchell’s football career has taken him across the other side of the country, having played 89 games with the West Coast Eagles since his 2007 debut.
The Under 15 age group will be named the Drew Petrie Squad in honour of arguably Ballarat’s most famous modern-day football export. Petrie, who like the Brown twins played his junior football with the Ballarat Swans in the Ballarat FNL, has played 268 games with North Melbourne since his 2001 debut, leading the Kangaroos in goalkicking in three of the last five seasons and playing a crucial role in the Roos’ run to the preliminary final this season.
Invitations for junior players to be involved in the AFL Goldfields McDonald’s Junior Academy will be circulated in in early October, with local junior football icon Shaun O’Loughlin recently announced as Academy Head Coach.
Last Modified on 16/09/2014 17:35