By ADEM SARICAOGLU
ELEVEN boys from Melbourne’s West will make up nearly half of this year’s 25-man under-15 state metropolitan school boys football team.
In a stunning result for the region, players from six different schools made the final cut and will soon be jetting off to Darwin for the School Sport Australia Australian Football Championships.
Maribyrnong College supplied four of its most talented players, including Benjamin Caluzzi, Cooper Bond, Leonardo Larizza and Jake Toa.
Werribee’s MacKillop Catholic Regional College will have two players of its own going to Darwin with Gavin Donnon and Matthew Knezevic both selected in the side, while Essendon Keilor College’s Liam and Ryan Bagaric are also part of the squad.
Nicholas Giarrizzo (Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School), Brayden Razlog (Thomas Carr College) and Daniel Venables (Overnewton Anglican Community College) also made the final cut of 25.
Of the 11 locals taking part in the championships, 10 are currently also plying their trade as part of the Western Jets’ under-15 system.
Jets region manager Shane Sexton was pleased with the outcome, but said even more local boys could have made the final cut had injuries not curtailed their chances.
“I’ve suspected for a little while that there is a talented group and 10 kids have made the side, which is fantastic,” Sexton said.
“It’s a really good outcome for the Western Jets and I’m excited that we’ve got that sort of representation.”
Maribyrnong College has the most representatives of any school in the team, again highlighting the success of a sports academy for which Sexton has glowing wraps.
Sexton said there is still plenty of scope for the Jets to expand their relationship with Maribyrnong College and other schools in the West in coming years.
“It’s exciting (and) it’s relatively new,” Sexton said. “We run vocational education and footy development programs at Essendon Keilor College, Caroline Springs at the Lakeview College, Manor Lakes and we’re starting up the new school at Point Cook next year.
“So there’s a diverse range of these opportunities and Maribyrnong College sits in that, and we’ve had lots of families take up those educational opportunities.”
The eight-day carnival kicks off on 10 August.
