Hutchins

By Paul Pickering
JACK Hutchins: gifted footballer, state champion swimmer and now accomplished juggler.
The 17-year-old Keysborough resident is currently performing a three-way juggling act as he attempts to indulge his two sporting passions while completing his Year 12 studies at Haileybury College.
It’s a lot for a teenager to handle, but all indications suggest that Hutchins is more than capable of shouldering the extreme workload.
Hutchins recently returned from a trip to South Africa as part of the AIS-AFL Academy, describing the experience as a welcome dose of perspective ahead of what will be the busiest year of his young life.
Having toured some of the country’s poverty-stricken towns, Hutchins is in no risk of forgetting how fortunate he is.
“It was definitely a life-changing experience,” Hutchins reflected this week.
“To go through some of the shanty towns and see how they were living was such an eye-opener.
“We got to run (footy) clinics for all the little kids, and they were all excited and jumping all over you – it was unreal.”
Hutchins’ swimming commitments have restricted his involvement with the Academy program since being selected in September last year.
He was given some time to focus on his swimming over the summer as he prepared for the national championships, where he swam in the 50m freestyle against the likes of Eamon Sullivan.
With winter approaching, Hutchins planned to turn his attention to footy, but he suffered a setback when he cracked a bone in his wrist while playing for Haileybury a fortnight ago.
He expects to be out of action for at least two weeks, before resuming his tilt at selection for Vic Metro in the National Under-18 Championships.
Hutchins knows he will have to choose between footy and swimming soon, but he is dreading the decision.
“It’s certainly getting tougher to juggle footy and swimming, but I’m still enjoying both and I want to keep doing both as long as I can,” he said.
Academy coach Alan McConnell believes Hutchins will succeed at whichever sport he chooses.
“He’s a very, very mature young man,” McConnell explained.
“He’s a quick learner, a good listener and his ability to absorb the huge workload he has and continue to do well at school is exceptional.”
Hutchins is among 13 Academy squad members who are eligible to be recruited by the AFL’s new Gold Coast franchise later this year.
Having chatted with Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna during the South African tour, he is comfortable with the prospect of moving north.
“I certainly wouldn’t mind going up there,” he said.
“Getting picked up by any club would be such a great opportunity, so if they do come across and ask me I guess I’ll just sit down with my family and work it out.”
For now though, Hutchins is hoping to help guide his school team to an APS premiership, before returning to the Sandringham Dragons for the final rounds of the TAC Cup competition.