Ajdin Elkasovic, Lachlan Hickey, Keenan O’Shea, James Sicily, Harley Armstrong-Weston and Jason Robinson are all a part of the Caroline Springs Lakeview Senior College football academy. 85094_02 Picture: DAMIAN VISENTINI
By LIAM TWOMEY
THE Western Jets’ stunning round 15 win over the Sandringham Dragons was a special one for the coaches and staff at Caroline Springs Lakeview Senior College.
Of the 23 players running around in the Jets’ jumpers, six of them were either currently involved in or had previously attended the school’s football academy.
The outstanding result comes on the back of academy graduate Will Hoskin-Elliott being taken in the National Draft last year by the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
The program is now entering its sixth year and head coach Scott Korczynski was delighted with the high level of results. Korczynski is also an assistant coach at the Jets.
“Lakeview was a brand new school and through the Western Jets we wanted to have a football academy running through this area,” he said.
“What we try to do is have a coach from the club within the school.
“The kids wanting to come to the program are getting access to a Jets’ coach, a fitness coach and the facilities, the drills we put them through, fitness programs, video analysis, feedback and all those sort of things.”
Students spend five periods a week working on their football but there is also a major focus on academic results.
“We are trying to build a program that has not just good footballers in there but good citizens as well,” Korczynski said.
“The goal of the program is for the kids to realise their full potential. Whether that is draft, TAC Cup or being a good local footballer, that’s our goal.”
The success of Hoskin-Elliott may be just the start of some encouraging times ahead for Caroline Springs College.
Korczynski said it was great to see someone from within the program achieve such outstanding success.
“For the boys to see that Will was just a normal everyday kid, he was one of them basically and for them to see that someone like him can get drafted was great.
“I think the boys realised that there are possibilities there.”
For anyone wanting to join the football program, the school will be holding information nights for Year 10 students on 21 August from 5pm and 16 August for VCE students. Both sessions will be at the school.
