By ANNA HARRINGTON
Playing on a professional ground is something many young footballers dream of.
For Altona Meadows youngster, Jackson Menadue, it became a reality when, as part of the Round Nine match between the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda, he took to the Etihad Stadium field in a halftime game of AFL 9s.
Jackson’s opportunity came through his involvement in The Whitten Project, a Western Bulldogs community initiative working to develop 40 local teenagers into the West’s leaders of tomorrow.
“I’ve been wanting to do it for a while – I’ve always wanted to play on Etihad, so it was good fun,” Jackson said.
A lifelong Bulldogs supporter, Jackson plays for local side Altona and is also part of the Western Jets’ Brad Johnson squad, an early pathway to the TAC Cup Under 18s competition.
Western Jets talent manager Shane Sexton said he nominated Jackson for the program after the young midfielder’s rapid development over the past year.
With the program to date also including an inspirational session with former AFL player Jason McCartney, Jackson said his participation in The Whitten Project had given him the drive to take on more leadership roles in the future.
“I’ve never been really that confident in front of groups … but I think after the last four days it’s helped me a lot – I’ve become a lot more confident and my leadership’s getting a lot better,” he said.
Currently completing his Year 10 studies at MacKillop College, Jackson will work with The Whitten Project for eight months in total, while he also hopes to take up AFL 9s over summer.
