Chris Febvre • January 20, 2021
Juniors Ready
Juniors Ready
Next season’s junior footballers have taken to the field for the 2021 W&DJFL play allocation day.
The new initiative was organised by AFL North East Border, to assist the Wangaratta juniors clubs in having balanced and even teams.
Football Development Manager Zac Hedin said that normally, the process would happen at the end of the Auskick year. “This year without Auskick it’s been a bit harder to gauge where the kids are at, their standard and that sort of thing, which we’d normally get off the coaches from Auskick,” Hedin said.
“But doing it at this time of year and in a bit more depth is pretty new. “So these three sessions are designed to give us a bit of a look, get the kids back involved and kicking the footy before we send them off to their junior league clubs.”
While the new program is a great chance for the kids to get out and kick the footy around, Hedin doesn’t think it will replace the old method of player allocation.
“Normally we’d like to have these kids allocated in September/October, so they sort of know the year before they go up to junior league where they’re going to. “It’s purely been forced because of COVID-19. “It might mean that we do something a bit more in depth at the end of the Auskick year each year if this goes well.”
As for the scope of the sessions, Hedin said they are accessible to all who want to play junior club football, regardless of experience. “It’s just pretty basic drills today, just to get a gauge on where the kids are at. “Obviously, they haven’t touched a footy or had a proper kick of the footy in a little while, so we want to get them back used to bouncing the ball, kicking the ball, handballing the ball, marking the ball. “Then over the next couple of sessions we might play a few little games, get a bit more game sense, see how the kids go finding the footy and picking the ball up in a pressure situation as well.”
Naturally, the program is compliant with COVIDSafe policies. “We’ve got the QR code there, sanitiser, we get all the parents to register, that sort of thing. “They’ve all brought down their own drink bottles, their own sunscreen, that sort of stuff. “So we are trying to do the best we can with what we’ve been given.”
Hedin is assisted by a group of volunteer coaches from both the Magpies and Rovers football clubs, whose expertise and knowledge will be passed onto the future football stars. “It’s good to get them involved because obviously hopefully that’s where a lot of these kids will end up.”
ARTICLE: Nathan Devries
PHOTOS: Courtesy of the Wangaratta Chronicle. Ruby Newton in action at the W&DJFL allocation session last week.
The AFL North East Border (AFLNEB) LaTrobe University Junior Carnival celebrated its 18th year in 2025, continuing its proud tradition of showcasing emerging talent from across the region. The carnival provides junior footballers with a valuable opportunity to represent their league against strong opposition from neighbouring competitions. This year saw significant changes to the carnivals structure, with the Tallangatta and District Football Netball League and Hume Football League withdrawing from the Junior Carnival this year with both leagues facing off in an Interleague Match later this season. As such in 2025, we held four full matches between the Albury Wodonga Junior Football League (AWJFL) and Wangaratta & District Junior Football League (WDJFL) across 4 age groups – U13’s, U14’s, U15’s and U16’s. Held once again at the picturesque Lavington Sportsground, the event made full use of both ovals. With the sun shining and perfect playing conditions, the stage was set for an outstanding day of football. Match Results & Highlights U13s – Oval 2, 10:00 AM A thrilling opener saw the WDJFL control much of the play early, led by Tom Sealy and Jack Hart, and holding a narrow lead into the final term. However, a resilient AWJFL side, inspired by Best on Ground Ryder Pearce (Wodonga Raiders JFC), surged late to claim victory. Final Score: AWJFL 7.9 (51) def WDJFL 5.8 (38) U15s – Oval 1, 10:00 AM The AWJFL made the most of a first-quarter breeze to take an early lead, and despite a determined fightback from the WDJFL, they held on for a hard-fought win. Will Packer (Albury JFC) was instrumental and awarded Best on Ground honours. Final Score: AWJFL 7.8 (50) def WDJFL 5.5 (35) U14s – Oval 2, Midday This closely contested match saw multiple lead changes in the second half. Archie Knobel and Harris Bruneau were instrumental for the WDJFL. With pressure mounting in the final minutes, the AWJFL edged ahead with a goal after the siren, sealing a memorable 8-point win. Tom Toepfer (Albury JFC) was pivotal and named Best on Ground. Final Score: AWJFL 6.7 (43) def WDJFL 5.5 (35) U16s – Oval 1, Midday Featuring some of the region’s top junior talent, this match showcased high-level football. WDJFL started strongly, but AWJFL steadily worked their way back and dominated the second half. Blake Morgan (Albury JFC) delivered a standout performance to earn Best on Ground. Final Score: AWJFL 12.14 (86) def WDJFL 7.4 (46) Overall it was a fantastic day of football, with all but the U16’s match up for grabs until the final 5 to 10 minutes keeping everyone in attendance highly engaged. Zac Hedin, AFLNEB Region Manager, shared his thanks and reflections on the day: "On behalf of AFLNEB, I’d like to thank everyone involved in the 2025 AFLNEB LaTrobe University Junior Carnival. A special thank you goes to all the volunteers – coaches, team managers, trainers, runners, and first aiders – who make this event possible each year." "It was fantastic to see all games played in such great spirit. The conduct of players, coaches, and spectators was exemplary, and a credit to all involved. We look forward to seeing how these young players continue to develop through the 2025 season, and we hope to welcome many of you back in 2026." A big thanks to our AFLNEB Partners, in particular LaTrobe University, Hume Bank, the Commercial Club, Loco Apparel and APCO.
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