By LIAM TWOMEY
WHILE 2013 shapes up as one of the most exciting years for the Western Jets, the club’s next batch of stars looks set to maintain the standard.
Two bottom aged Jets, Liam Duggan and Duom Dawam, have been named in the AFL-AIS Academy Squads for next year.
In total, 61 players throughout Australia are involved in the squads.
They each receive an AIS-AFL Academy scholarship and come together four times over the next 12 months for training camps.
Both squads will also travel overseas.
Duggan and Dawan have also been involved in the program this year.
Western Jets region manager Shane Sexton said it was a great result for both players.
“Liam has had an outstanding year,” he said.
“He is a really smart footballer. He has a great ability to read the game and he is a one-touch player. He has outstanding disposal both by hand and by foot and he pretty much always makes good decisions.
“We are really pleased with the way Duom has gone about his progress and development. He is a good athlete, he has a good understanding of the game and we have always thought he is really good with his hands.”
After winning just one final in the past 18 years, the Jets have almost assured themselves a place in the 2013 post season.
Sexton believes any finals exposure will be great for the playing list.
“In my opinion, there is not doubt that helps enormously,” he said.
“If you can get into finals, and we have struggled to do that for a long time now, to get in and win some finals does give those boys that exposure.
“You are playing against the kids who are going to get drafted and it is a really good comparison for recruiters.
“We won’t be getting ahead of ourselves though and we are looking forward to taking on Bendigo this week.”
