By Nick Creely
AFL recruiters got their first glimpse at the Victorian talent available in the AFL 2018 draft with Ikon Park playing host to a Futures Squad match between Vic Country and Vic Metro last Saturday.
With the TAC Cup having a scheduled development weekend, many kids went back to local level or had a well-deserved break.
But for a select few under-age youngsters, they had the first chance to show AFL recruiters what they are made of. It was a fairly one-sided affair in tough conditions, with Country defeating Metro by 60-points, 4.3 (27) to 12.15 (87).
Both sides had a red-hot crack early, with Country leading by four-points at quarter time, before kicking six goals in the second quarter to run away with contest.
Metro scored just the single goal after half time as Country continued to carve them up on the outside and bully them at the stoppages.
A total of seven under-agers from Mark Wheeler’s Dandenong Stingrays made up the squad, all making impressive contributions throughout the match in limited game time.
Beaconsfield product and Dandenong Stingray forward Jamie Plumridge was outstanding, kicking a goal and finding some footy up the ground to finish with 16 disposals.
Toby Bedford – another Dandenong Stingray who has played five matches of TAC Cup football this season – was incredible, finding 27 disposals and a goal in limited game time in an inside midfield role which also included a team high eight tackles.
Campbell Hustwaite – who has shown immense promise in his first season at the ‘Rays, was another who looked comfortable on the big stage, playing a great link-up role around the ground.
Other local TAC Cup players who played were Bailey Schmidt (Dandenong Stingrays), Jai Nanscawen (Dandenong Stingrays), Will Hamill (Dandenong Stingrays) and Riley Bowman (Dandenong Stingrays). The Stingrays returned to the field on Sunday in a match against the GWV Rebels in Ballarat.
