TWO young AFLhopefuls have had a dream come true after being successfully drafted for the next season of football.
Shepparton Swan’s Josh Rachele was the Adelaide Crow’s first selection at the 2021 National Draft. He becomes the eighth Lemnos/Shepparton Swans product to join the AFL/VFL list and the highest draft selection to emerge from the club, being pick 6.
Mooroopna Cat’s Tom Brown has been drafted to the Richmond Tigers. Brown played all his junior football at the cats and Tom’s father, Paul Brown, was a footballer for the Geelong Cats during the 1990s.
Mooroopna Cats president Bill Dowling coached Tom Brown as an U14 and U16 and says the youngster has always shown a lot of progression. During the final game of the year, after COVID-19 cut the season short, Brown kicked the winning goal during his senior debut. Dowling says the youngster, “Gave the crowd a taste for what he can do.”
Both Rachele and Brown will join the long list of local football talents, including Laitham Vandermeer, Clayton Oliver, and Jy Simpkin. Watching these aspirational people come home to kick the footy on local turf certainly keeps young people inspired.
