As local footy continues to ramp back up after the most recent covid enforced lockdown, a select group of up and coming EDFL juniors were given the opportunity to represent the league in the annual AFL Victoria Junior Development Series.
Fielding teams across under 13’s, 14’s and 15’s in both boys’ and girls’ categories there was a sense of excitement amongst the players and coaching staff alike, particularly after missing out last year.
As a major coup for the EDFL, respected and experienced development coach Marty Allison was given the opportunity to coach the boys under 14’s sides.
Having previous experience at both the Calder Cannons in the NAB league and Vic Metro in the national carnival, Marty has been in and around top and emerging AFL talent for years, with this experience proving invaluable for the players.
Excited by the opportunity to “work again with some people” from his time at the Calder Cannons, Allison lauds what he describes as a “rewarding experience.”
“It was an opportunity for us to spend some time together again with the under 14’s which was fabulous. We hope that the players equally enjoyed the experience” he said.
The team assembled by the EDFL, boosted by the appointment of Allison, was also complemented by what Allison describes as a “very experienced panel of staff.”
“(The panel) included coaches and team managers that have been around development football their whole lives.”
“(These individuals) were able to bring a degree of experience that I know has contributed to what we believe to be a very successful program for the under 14 boys” he said.
With excitement growing amongst the players and coaching staff for the upcoming games, preparations were put on hold by the latest metropolitan Melbourne lockdown, with the first games scheduled for the Queen’s birthday weekend also having to be rescheduled.
“The first session there was a lot of excitement from the players, we as a group of staff and coaches were equally excited because they were excited and wanted to be there.”
This feverish atmosphere noted by Allison demonstrated how “eager” all the players were to pull on the representative guernsey.
“They were very coachable, they wanted to learn, they wanted to listen, they were just eager. Eager to be involved in the program.”
With games rescheduled and training recommencing, Allison and the players were making up for lost time with their condensed preparations before the first game against the South Metro Junior Football League (SMJFL) last week.
“We only ended up having two training sessions before the first game last week, we were very underdone going into the first game.”
“From what was going to be a five-session program, ended up being only two. All sides were impacted by this, it wasn’t just the EDFL” he said.
Irrespective of results in the games Allison and the wider group of coaching staff were more focused on the individual development of each and every player.
“We weren’t that concerned about the scoreboard.”
“We said as a coaching group and the staff, we were focused on making sure individually they improved. The scoreboard was playing secondary to their individual and collective development.”
Casting his eyes back over that first game against the SMJFL, Allison lauded the “phenomenal” performance of the players involved.
“Our fellas put up a phenomenal performance last week and just to miss out on both games was an outstanding performance that we were all really proud of.”
“I was equally proud of how willing they were to listen to the coaches’ directions and instructions to the letter.”
Backing up after the games against the SMJFL, the EDFL travelled to Greenvale to finish the campaign against the Western Region Football League (WRFL) representative side.
This game in particular impressed Allison with the standard at which it was played out.
“I felt as though we were watching the Western Jets play the Calder Cannons in three or four years-time” he said.
Allison also shared his pride when looking back over the improvements made by all the players during their short time together.
“It was so apparent (the improvement) that you could almost touch it.”
“They all agree (the players), the parents all agree after the game collectively that their sons had all improved, that is where the joy and satisfaction came from in the coaching group, seeing that in front of our own eyes.”
Casting his eyes forward, Allison is impressed by the talent he has seen and expects many of the players to make the jump up into the NAB league.
“I would expect a lot of these young blokes to be playing in the NAB league.”
“If they continue on their path and improvement, working hard and listening to their coaches they should be able to make it into the NAB league, that is what they should be aiming for in a few years’ time.”
With the experience proving to be so positive for both players, Allison and the wider coaching and support group, the EDFL has scheduled a further representative game to be played in the September school holidays, giving these young aspiring footballers another opportunity to represent the EDFL.
