AFL CANBERRA ROUND TWO 2011 $3.00 - neafl

neafl article
NEW TALENT
SET TO SHINE
by Lucy Hinchey
By JOHN FORRESTER
This year the Belconnen Magpies have a raft of young
talent sourced from all over the eastern states. Losing
a few players at the end of last year, The Magpies
have recruited players from Cairns and Redlands QLD,
through the Riverina and Wagga Wagga right down to
the Victorian boarder in Aulbury.
New Recruit Oliver Tweedale has joined the club from
the Blue Mountains. Standing at 195cm tall, Tweedale
also holds a scholarship with The Essendon Bombers.
This requires him to travel to Melbourne every so often
throughout the season.
The introduction of the Greater Western Sydney
team into the local league this year has changed the
competition dramatically.
Belconnen Magpies Coach Michael Horne, says the
club has had to ramp up pre-season training in order
to match the fitness of the Sydney Swans and the
GWS GIANTS.
“Obviously there are other guys who they have
drafted from the VFL, so it just makes the competition
a lot tighter.”
For the first time this year, all senior players embarked
on a pre-season training camp at Pambula. Around
150 players were involved in the camp, which included
beach training, teamwork and bonding as well as goal
setting.
Horne believes having
the larger teams in the
competition is great for
younger players to see
the opportunities that
are available.
“The positive is that I think young kids in Canberra now
can see a good pathway to play AFL. The league has
needed something like this for a number of years.”
Belconnen Magpies lost their trial match against the
Sydney Swans 19.13 to 5.5. Horne said the defeat was
actually a good thing for the team “It opened the eyes
of the new guys at the club. They realized where the
level of footy was at.”
Magpies have fielded first year players in key positions
in their trial games and will have a different looking
side for the round two clash against Queanbeyan.
BELCO
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