Seven locals took part in the Under-17 AFL Futures match on the morning of AFL Grand Final day on the MCG.
Five Gippsland Power players and two Dandenong Stingrays showed their skills on the biggest stage, with a pair of Power players among the best players on the day.
Livewire small forward Marlon Neocleous produced the highlight of the match, a stunning drop punt from the boundary line with little room to move in traffic, and he finished with 23 disposals and three goals.
His teammate Wil Malady kicked a game-high five goals and was an excellent aerial presence inside 50, taking eight marks from his 10 possessions.
Warragul Industrials’ Cody Templeton had some moments of class playing as a forward, while Xavier Ladbrook and Clancy Snell finished with seven and six disposals respectively.
Stingrays pair Darcy Szerszyn and Gus Kennedy were also in action
Szerszyn, an athletic defender, was hard to beat one-on-one and took a big fourth quarter intercept mark, while Gus Kennedy had eight disposals.
Dandenong coach Nick Cox coached one of the teams.
The Futures Boys program features 46 of the country’s most talented under-17 footballers.
All representatives are born in 2008 and will be eligible for selection in the 2026 Telstra AFL Draft.
Players were nominated for the Futures squad by national selectors and AFL club recruiters.
