​Team Vic Pathway Produces Leaders and AFL Captains

The first bounce of the 2017 AFL season is today.  We were encouraged to learn that there are no less than eight AFL captains that are members of Team Vic Alumni.  These eight captains and many more current and past players of the great game have been Team Vic state representatives during their journey through sport.  Some of the greats include, Selwood, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney, Dyson Heppell, Trent Cotchin, Josh Kennedy (Sydney), Bob Murphy and Jack Ziebell.  There is no doubt the Team Vic pathway produces strong leaders. 

Selwood, Jones, Ziebell, Ben Jacobs, Touk Miller, Nick O'Kearney, Scott Selwood, all share one thing in common, all seven have captained the Team Vic Team, with Viney, Heppell and Cotchin being chosen as vice captains. 

When we asked Joel Selwood this week what was it like being part of Team Vic, this is what he had to say: "playing in the Vic Under 12 side was an exciting time in my life for a number of reasons.  My brothers Adam and Troy had played in the team four years earlier and I wanted to be as good as them. Also the carnival was in Darwin and I have great memories of being a part of a side which dominated that carnival in very tough conditions."

Joel Selwood started his sporting journey as a talented Track & Field athlete.  Learning fundamental movement skills through athletics certainly helped his Australian Rules Football career.  Joel's love for AFL was soon identified as a talent as he attended the School Sport Australia State Team trials.  It was evident the boy had talent.  He wasn't alone, as his brothers Scott, Adam and Troy also had an eye for the game.

These young men and now young women were passionately developed by some great Team Vic officials.  Terry Plozza has given 26 years of his life to the Team Vic Australian Football Team – six years as a manager, four years as Assistant Coach, eight years as chairman of selectors, and is currently in his eight year as a support to the role. Terry is happy to admit that he has "loved every minute."

"Being involved with the Team Vic Under 12 footy team is something I greatly look forward to every year.  To be able to play some part in assisting talented young footballers achieve their dreams is very rewarding."

Providing quality sport for every Victorian student is the reason we at School Sport Victoria exist.  We are as excited about the future as we are about the past, because we believe we will see so many more young and talented student athletes go and become elite athletes, not only in AFL but in all sports.

FORMER 12 YEARS AND UNDER TEAM VIC STATE REPRESENATIVES CURRENTLY PLAYING AFL

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