The competition is usually reserved for Year 12s with a smattering of Year 11s, but the former Fitzroy and Adelaide coach, and long-time Essendon assistant, blooded six year 10s in the team throughout the season. Classy midfielder Josh Kelly was one.
Some had an impact; others struggled with the higher standard of footy. Kelly won the best and fairest.
Since then, Kelly has been a busy footballer. The 17-year-old is a member of the tier one AIS-AFL Academy, is a key player for the Sandringham Dragons in the TAC Cup, and has continued his rise at Brighton. He also played a big role in Vic Metro's recent division one win at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships as a bottom-age player (meaning he can't nominate for this year's NAB AFL Draft).
Serving a few masters hasn't bothered Kelly. With every game he thinks he's becoming a better player, and getting closer to the player he wants to be.
"You've got to balance everything and try to keep everyone happy but at the moment it's all going well," Kelly told AFL.com.au. "There have been no hiccups so far."
He's right about that. In fact, Kelly's stocks jumped throughout the championships. He had 17 disposals in Metro's first-round loss to the Northern Territory, was one of its best with 21 touches (at a disposal efficiency of 90 per cent) in the surprise win over South Australia, and against Vic Country he picked up 19 possessions and was again influential. The effort against SA was most impressive and pleased Kelly as well.
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"There's still room for improvement and I've been reasonably happy with how I went, but it was good to get a good game under my belt against good opposition," he says.
Kelly clearly has substance, but he also has style. And both are catching the attention of recruiters, with Kelly eligible for this year's Greater Western Sydney mini-draft.
As part of the list building concessions given to the Giants for their entry into the AFL, the new club can trade picks in the mini-draft to rival clubs, who can then select eligible 17-year-old players. Last year Gold Coast secured Jaeger O'Meara and Adelaide recruited Brad Crouch through the scheme.
Kelly thinks he probably will nominate for the mini-draft before the cut-off date (2pm, August 1), and some see him, and West Australian pair Jesse Hogan and Jack Martin, as the three candidates most likely to attract the interest of AFL clubs.
But GWS has only two selections to trade. If Hogan and Martin do nominate - which isn't necessarily a certainty - Kelly is seen by some as third in the pecking order. But some think he could push to be one of the two players picked, depending on what clubs are willing to deal.
Kelly won't spend too much time stressing about things. If it happens, he'll be "absolutely rapt." If it doesn't, he knows he has next year to impress, where already some view him as a probable top-10 selection.
He points to his dad, Phil, as a major reason behind his mature approach. Phil played 61 games for North Melbourne between 1981-85, but had a career plagued by hamstring injuries.
The pair often discusses Josh's games, and Phil (who won two Sandover Medals as the best player in Western Australia) encourages his son to be happy with his progress but to never stop improving and learning. Josh, who Dragons region manager Ryan O'Connor describes as measured, probably doesn't need to be told.
Like Phil was, Josh is a superb left-foot kick, he wins possessions at stoppages, and reads the ball well - off hands, on the ground and in the air. He usually plays through half-forward and the midfield.
As he's matured, Kelly has been able to package the many parts of his game to make more of an impact. His kicks are going that bit further, he's able to run out games a bit better (he runs a 15.7 beep test), and it's taking more to push him off the ball.
He feels he could improve his tackling, and wants to build on his smaller and lighter frame, but he has the essentials. Kelly never appears rushed, and good things tend to happen when he has the ball.
"Being able to use the ball well and just waiting for that right option to appear - I think those are two of my strengths," Kelly says.
Shaw has seen a natural progression in Kelly's footy.
"For a small build at the moment, he's really good over the footy," Shaw says.
"He's flexible and he's got great capacity to find people with the footy. He's got the stuff everyone would be looking for."
Importantly, Kelly also has the temperament. After suffering a slight hamstring twinge midway through the championships - the first hamstring injury of his career - Kelly did everything to ensure it didn't restrict him.
He sat out a game for Brighton that he probably could have played, arrived at Metro training early enough to get a decent rub on his legs and back by the trainers, and stretched methodically until he felt ready to go. His attention to detail shouldn't surprise. This is what he wants to do.
"When I got selected in the AIS-AFL Academy squad, I realised I could maybe go to a serious level with my footy," he says.
"Since then, I've just tried to put things together, work hard at everything and be the best I can be."
Callum Twomey is a reporter for the AFL website. Follow him on Twitter at @AFL_CalTwomey.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
