PORT Adelaide young gun Xavier 'the Arrow' Duursma has had his brother, Zane, and sister, Yasmin, selected in the initial Victorian Country boys and girls U18 representative squads, and their new lives under the AFL microscope is officially on the way.
The Vic Country squads - selected in partnership with AFL recruiters - converged on Essendon's The Hangar last weekend to undergo medical screenings and fitness tests, and set up individual development plans and training programs in preparation for the 2022 season.
The Vic Metro squads will be at The Hangar this weekend for their first camp, which will include training sessions, medicals, footy wellbeing seminars, recruiter interviews and the chance to watch Essendon train on Sunday.
>> CHECK OUT THE FULL VIC METRO AND COUNTRY SQUADS BELOW
Zane Duursma, 16, has already turned heads this year, kicking three goals on debut for Gippsland Power's NAB League team against the Sydney Swans Academy in May, while Yasmin, 17, has put together some impressive form for the Power, and played two games for Vic Country in this year's NAB AFL U17 Championships.
Other familiar surnames in the Vic Country squad include Wodonga's Ollie Hollands (the younger brother of Gold Coast’s 2020 No.7 draft pick Elijah), who is also shaping as an early selection in next year’s draft. And Rosebud's Henry Hustwaite is the brother of Campbell, the 2018 captain of the Dandenong Stingrays and the current co-captain of Collingwood's VFL team.
>> CHECK OUT THE FULL VIC METRO AND COUNTRY SQUADS BELOW
On the Vic Metro side of the coin, the Sandringham Dragons are again expected to be at the pointy end of next year’s NAB AFL Draft, with Will Ashcroft, the son of Brisbane's triple premiership hero (and now Sandringham VFL CEO) Marcus, widely touted as a possible top-three selection.
The Metro girls squad features Blackburn and Oakleigh Chargers player Jasmine Fleming, who is the daughter of former Australian Test paceman, Damien, and will soon have a decision to make about her sporting future given she is also a talented cricketer.
Amber Clarke (Country), Ava Jordan and Charlotte Baskaran (Metro) all finished in the top 10 of this year's NAB League Girls' best and fairest as underage players.
WHO DID YOU PICK? Every club’s selection for the 2021 NAB AFL Draft
The squads will return for a second three-day camp in January to learn about preparation and recovery, GPS and training loads and football/life balance, and will take part in two full training sessions, another craft-based training program and first official interviews with AFL club recruiters.
Ongoing support will be provided in injury and load management and reporting and online education, as well as preparing for the national championships and creating links between schools and NAB League clubs.
Players who missed out on these initial squads will be given every opportunity to develop in the system next year, with many extra players required to fill the national championship squads for both boys and girls.
2022 INITIAL REPRESENTATIVE SQUADS
VICTORIA COUNTRY BOYS
Jaxon BINNS (17, 181cm, 74kg, Berwick, Dandenong Stingrays)
Aaron CADMAN (17, 192cm, 83kg, Darley, GWV Rebels)
Jhye CLARK (17, 180cm, 76kg, Queenscliff, Geelong Falcons)
Max CLOHESY (17, 179cm, 74kg, Shepparton Swans, Murray Bushrangers)
Ted CLOHESY (17, 182cm, 70kg, St Joseph’s, Geelong Falcons)
Zane DUURSMA (16, 185cm, 73kg, Foster, Gippsland Power)
Felix FOGATY (17, 198cm, 80kg, East Point, GWV Rebels)
Brayden GEORGE (17, 185cm, 85kg, Tatura, Murray Bushrangers)
Oliver HOLLANDS (17, 182cm, 70kg, Wodonga, Murray Bushrangers)
Henry HUSTWAITE (17, 193cm, 77kg, Rosebud, Dandenong Stingrays)
Jacob KONSTANTY (17, 14cm, 66kg, Drouin, Gippsland Power)
Noah LONG (17, 178cm, 76kg, Echuca, Bendigo Pioneers)
Ned MOODIE (17, 188cm, 81kg, Pines, Dandenong Stingrays)
Olivier NORTHAM (17, 195cm, 85kg, St Joseph’s, Geelong Falcons)
Will PARKHOUSE (17, 195cm, 84kg, Colac, Geelong Falcons)
Archer REID (16, 201cm, 71kg, Inverloch-Kongwak, Gippsland Power)
Harley REID (16, 182cm, 75kg, Tongala, Bendigo Pioneers)
Jonti SCHUBACK (17, 183cm, 73kg, Maffra, Gippsland Power)
George STEVENS (16, 190cm, 90kg, South Warrnambool, GWV Rebels)
Mitch SZYBKOWSKI (17, 185cm, 80kg, Beaconsfield, Dandenong Stingrays)
Joshua TWEEDALE (17, 201cm, 72kg, Wangaratta, Murray Bushrangers)
James VAN ES (17, 195cm, 98kg, North Ballarat, GWV Rebels)
VICTORIA COUNTRY GIRLS
Chloe ADAMS (15, 165cm, Grovedale Tigers, Geelong Falcons)
Amber CLARKE (16, 171cm, Narre North Foxes, Dandenong Stingrays)
Octavia DI DONATO (17, 172cm, Strathfieldsaye, Bendigo Pioneers)
Yasmin DUURSMA (17, 174cm, Foster, Gippsland Power)
Mack EARDLEY (17, 180cm, Beleura, Dandenong Stingrays)
Madison GRAY (17, 167cm, Benalla, Murray Bushrangers)
Lila KECK (16, 160cm, Sandhurst, Bendigo Pioneers)
Bianca LYNE (16, 174cm, Mt Eliza, Dandenong Stingrays)
Bryde O’ROURKE (16, 172cm, Strathfieldsaye, Bendigo Pioneers)
Charley RYAN (17, 172cm, Beleura, Dandenong Stingrays)
Paige SCOTT (17, 166cm, Carisbrook, GWV Rebels)
Kalani SCOULLAR (17, 190cm, Ballarat Swans, GWV Rebels)
Emily SHEPHERD (17, 163cm, Mt Martha, Dandenong Stingrays)
Charlotte SIMPSON (17, 167cm, St Joseph’s, Geelong Falcons)
Keely SKEPPER (17, 171cm, Shepparton United, Murray Bushrangers)
Brooke SMITH (17, 169cm, Beleura, Dandenong Stingrays)
Mia VAN DYKE (16, 176cm, St Joseph’s, Geelong Falcons)
Ash VAN LOON (17, 169cm, St Mary’s, Geelong Falcons)
Tegan WILLIAMS (17, 176cm, Eaglehawk, Bendigo Pioneers)
Lily-Rose WILLIAMSON (17, 166cm, Traralgon, Gippsland Power)
VICTORIA METRO BOYS
Will ASHCROFT (17, 183cm, 79kg, St Kilda City, Sandringham Dragons)
Blake DRURY (17, 175cm, 70cm, Vermont, Oakleigh Chargers)
Darcy EDMENDS (17, 181cm, 69kg, Fitzroy, Northern Knights)
Will ELLIOTT (17, 199cm, 86kg, Surrey Park, Oakleigh Chargers)
Dane HARVEY (17, 195cm, 79kg, Fitzroy, Northern Knights)
Lewis HAYES (17, 195cm, 77kg, Lysterfield, Eastern Ranges)
Matthew JEFFERSON (17, 193cm, 76kg, Ashburton, Oakleigh Chargers)
Nicholas McLARTY (17, 199cm, 98kg, Beverley Hills, Oakleigh Chargers)
Hudson O’KEEFE (16, 200cm, 85kg, Camberwell Sharks, Oakleigh Chargers)
Paul PASCU (17, 183cm, 78kg, Oak Park, Calder Cannons)
Harry SHEEZEL (17, 183cm, 74kg, Ajax, Sandringham Dragons)
Luke TEAL (17, 188cm, 78kg, Glen Iris, Oakleigh Chargers)
Elijah TSATAS (17, 184cm, 76kg, Surrey Park, Oakleigh Chargers)
George WARDLAW (17, 181cm, 80kg, St Peters, Oakleigh Chargers)
Nick WATSON (16, 168cm, 63kg, East Ringwood, Eastern Ranges)
Kai WINDSOR (17, 179cm, 71kg, Lysterfield, Eastern Ranges)
VICTORIA METRO GIRLS
Charlotte BASKARAN (16, 162cm, Aberfeldie, Western Jets)
Mia BUSCH (17, 166cm, Blackburn, Eastern Ranges)
Ava CAMPBELL (16, 174cm, Mooroolbark, Eastern Ranges)
Keely COYNE (17, 163cm, East Sandringham, Sandringham Dragons)
Jasmine FLEMING (17, 165cm, Blackburn, Oakleigh Chargers)
Montana HAM (17, 178cm, Keilor, Western Jets)
Lily HART (17, 161cm, Canterbury, Oakleigh Chargers)
Bridie HIPWELL (17, 174cm, East Sandringham, Sandringham Dragons)
Sofia HURLEY (17, 166cm, Port Melbourne, Sandringham Dragons)
Ava JORDAN (16, 144cm, Banyule, Northern Knights)
Abbey McDONALD (17, 162cm, Sunbury Kangaroos, Calder Cannons)
Alyssia PISANO (16, 160cm, Rowville Knights, Eastern Ranges)
Brooke PLUMMER (17, 165cm, Diamond Creek, Northern Knights)
Krystal RUSSELL (17, 179cm, Yarraville-Seddon, Western Jets)
Amelie SMITH (17, 175cm, Kew Rovers, Oakleigh Chargers)
Charlotte TAYLOR (17, 177cm, Old Marcellin, Oakleigh Chargers)
Kiera WHILEY (16, 168cm, Caroline Springs, Western Jets)
Rylie WILCOX (17, 157cm, Fitzroy, Northern Knights