Bulls on the move

By Paul Pickering
AN elite band of Noble Park youngsters are striding down the pathway to football’s promised land.
This season, Noble Park Junior Football Club will have unprecedented representation in the TAC Cup under-18 competition, with no less than five young Bulls strutting their stuff in the AFL’s primary meat market.
Dandenong Stingrays trio Shane Savage, Will Petropoulos and Chris Doria have all honed their skills within the Noble Park program in recent years, while fellow Bulls juniors Kyle Martin (Sandringham Dragons) and James O’Keefe (Oakleigh Chargers) have also made the step up to the TAC Cup.
And the bumper crop of local youngsters is set to continue, with a handful of Noble juniors vying for selection in TAC Cup development squads.
The flow of talent from the Bullring is no surprise to Stingrays regional manager Darren Flanigan, who recognises Noble Park as a proven breeding ground for elite juniors.
“It’s a very well organised program,” Flanigan said.
“They’ve got a number of junior teams that feed into a strong club, and they’re not afraid to promote players into the senior ranks.”
And for Joe Mulholland, who coached Savage and Petropoulos in Noble Park’s under-16 premiership side last year, the club’s success has been built on strong foundations.
“Kids who are serious about football by the age of 14 or 15 look at our under-18 program, and it’s a bit of a carrot for them,” Mulholland said.
“That perceived pathway to senior football is attractive for talented juniors.”
Both Mulholland and Flanigan are liberal in their praise for the current crop of Noble boys.
Savage, 17, tried out for the Stingrays squad as a 16-year-old last year, getting a taste for the competition in three mid-season games while also captaining Noble Park’s premiership side.
But as Flanigan notes, the versatile 184cm wingman has taken his game to a new level this year – despite still being classified as a bottom-age player.
“Shane’s got really good pace, good skills and he certainly doesn’t lack courage,” Flanigan said.
Doria, who turns 18 next week, played with Noble Park’s Colts team after moving across from the Cranbourne junior program.
And despite his slight frame, the hard-running half-forward has impressed Flanigan with his endurance and exception finishing skills.
Petropoulos, who made his TAC Cup debut against the Northern Knights a fortnight ago, has endeared himself to Stingrays selectors with his work ethic.
Standing at just 172cm, Petropoulos is the second smallest player on the Stingrays list.
But according to Flanigan, he is one of the most diligent and organised players in the Stingrays squad, and that is no surprise to Mulholland.
“Will has always had to fight against kids taller than him,” Mulholland explained.
“But his assets are that he is a supremely fit and very skilful on-baller.”
And while the Bulls trio have plenty of development left in them, Flanigan believes they have the tools to progress into the elite senior ranks.
“They’re all good prospects,” he said.
The Stingrays will host the undefeated Murray Bushrangers at Dandenong’s Shepley Oval from 2pm this Sunday.