A strong showing in the V/Line Cup has shone a light on Geelong’s footy future.
The Geelong Falcons won five of their six games across Division 1 and 2 boys and Division 1 girls at last week’s under 15 showcase in Ballarat.
Geelong Falcons regional talent operations lead Jesse Drever said it was a strong showing for the program.
“It’s special in that it’s the first entry point for representative footy for a lot of players in the region,” he said.
“So to have three sides perform really well across the carnival is really pleasing. It’s great to see the players gel as a team and play some really good footy.”
Coached by Barwon Heads star Mitch Herbison, the Division 1 boys’ side was the only team to win both their games, with wins against the Dandenong Stingrays and the GWV Rebels.
That feat was replicated by the Lucy Were-coached girls’ side.
The Division 2 boys, led by South Barwon’s Will Sexton, dropped their opening game to the Stingrays before beating the Rebels in their second game.
Drever said while there were standout players – best-on-ground medals were awarded in all games – all players were able to produce across the event.
“That’s the message from the coaches and what we got to share with the players – we saw something from everyone,” he said.
“Whether that’s in extended patches of games or in moments, everyone was able to justify their selection in the squad.”
Drever praised the role of local clubs and the program in identifying talent.
“The results show that we stacked up really well,” he said.
“And credit goes to the local clubs to start with, in their ability to identify talent at their level and the work they did with our recruiters.
“We also had an opportunity with a talent ID day back in June where we had Rookie Me come in and do some testing and provide data where we could look at how athletes are developing and where we can work with them to develop their craft.”
Some members of the squads are expected to join the Geelong Falcon’s under-16 pre-season training to continue to develop in the program.
X: @krockfootball
Division One Boys
Game One – Geelong Falcons 10.6.66 def. Dandenong Stingrays 7.13.55. BOG Medal: Nate Mensch
Game Two – GWV Rebels 5.3.33 lt. Geelong Falcons 6.7.43. BOG Medal: Kyan Walters
Division One Girls
Game One – Geelong Falcons 8.16.64 def. Dandenong Stingrays 2.8.20. BOG Medal: Ella Condon
Game Two – GWV Rebels 1.5.11 lt. Geelong Falcons 3.6.24. BOG Medal: Evie McKenzie
Division Two Boys
Game One – Geelong Falcons 7.9.51 lt. Dandenong Stingrays 8.8.56. BOG Medal: Jordan Penrice
Game Two – GWV Rebels 8.5.53 lt. Geelong Falcons 10.5.65. BOG Medal: Jed Hay
