By LIAM TWOMEY
THE Western Region Football League’s best juniors were on show last week for the metropolitan interleague carnival.
With many of the game’s youngest stars getting their first taste of representative football, the WRFL juniors showed little signs of nerves on the big stage.
The league posted excellent results at both Under 12 and Under 13 level while also securing an impressive win against the nearby Essendon District Football League in the Under 16s.
WRFL club development officer Tim Shellcot said there were some exciting results across the board.
“This is my third interleague program and it is the first time we have beaten the EDFL in the Under 16s,” he said.
“In a pretty tough match it was pretty slippery and a little bit wet, both sides had a really good crack at it.
“At Under 12 and Under 13 level, we have been really happy with the level of talent it looks like we have got at those two age groups.”
With the carnival wrapping up earlier this week, players will return to their club duties for the remainder of the junior season.
However, this may only be the start of a representative career for some. Shellcot said a number of players in the older interleague sides would be closely looked at by the Western Jets.
“From a league perspective, it is about the development of the players. We want to win as many games as we can but we want to make sure it is a beneficial experience for all of the players,” he said.
“We do work pretty closely, particularly at the Under 14 or 15 age group with Shane Sexton and his crew.
“They help us out a lot. We train at Crofts Reserve and they provide some equipment for us, which makes our life a lot easier because everything is at the one venue.
“It is helpful for them as well because we are putting together the best players from the league, which they can then go and watch over Queen’s birthday and see how they perform against other leagues.”
