By ADEM SARICAOGLU
HOPPERS Crossing junior Liam McMahon will captain the Western Jets in the TAC Cup – which begins Saturday week.
The Jets last week confirmed their 52-man squad for the 2014 season along with a leadership group that includes McMahon, Liam Duggan, Jayden Laverde, Mark Orr, Lachlan Knight and Braden Ferrari.
New skipper McMahon, 17, told Star the captaincy is an honour that could have gone to anyone in the leadership group.
“All of them were definitely worthy of the captaincy, so I’m lucky to have such a great group of guys in the leadership group,” McMahon said.
“They’re all very driven, they all know where we want to go as a club and they’ll be fantastic support on and off the field throughout the season.”
McMahon, who over the summer has overcome groin troubles to be ready for round one, said he hopes to be able to set the standard both on and off the field as the club’s new captain.
“Obviously it’s a great honour to lead the club, and I get the opportunity to lead a great bunch of young blokes,” McMahon said.
“It’s a big season ahead which hopefully can bring finals and success with a few blokes drafted.
“I just want to lead by example on the field, make sure I’m putting together some good, solid performances out there and developing my own game to help the players out on the ground.
“I also just want to be there as a role model both on and off the field and be really professional with the way I go about things.”
Former Werribee Tiger and Spotswood premiership player Torin Baker is entering into his second year as senior coach after leading the Jets to last year’s finals series.
McMahon said he has already developed a good rapport with his coach, and is looking forward to working with him as an on-field messenger throughout the year.
“Torin and I have had a pretty good relationship,” he said.
“I think we know where each other stand and I have to basically be his right hand man out on the ground.
“So I’ve just got to make sure that if anything is going on, I need to be on top of it and I need to be able to relay (Baker’s) message where ever I am on the ground.”
The Jets will take on the neighbouring Calder Cannons at Craigieburn’s Highgate Recreation Reserve in the opening round of the new season.
