Two of Tasmania’s finest young football talents have joined the Gold Coast Football Club in its journey to AFL in 2011.
Burnie’s Maverick Weller (left) and Luke Russell (right) are two of the eligible 17-year-olds GCFC can recruit to the Club for 2010 and will enter the elite training program on the Gold Coast under Coach Guy McKenna in November.
GCFC will play in either the VFL or AFLQ competition next year before joining the AFL competition in 2011. The Club is able to recruit 12 of the best 17-year-olds from around Australia this year who turned 17 between January and April.
Both speedy midfielders Weller and Russell are part of the AIS AFL Academy. GCFC Coach Guy McKenna said both Weller and Russell were outstanding and talented young men who were very focused on their football goals.
“Weller will supply some real mid-field grunt, he’s strong over the ball and hard at it. Russell supplies an ability to win the ball and genuine leg speed. Maverick was voted captain of the AIS squad without playing a game which speaks volumes for his leadership abilities,” he said.
“We are delighted Maverick and Luke have agreed to join us and be part of the Gold Coast Football Club journey to AFL in 2011. They will be given every opportunity to develop in to first class players in our program.”
Weller and Russell join nine young Queensland players who have been contracted to GCFC and are expected to be a key part of the Club’s program for 2010.
Weller represented Tasmania in the Australian U16 championships 2007-08, winning the Alan McLean Medal (Division Two Best & Fairest) in 2008. He also played as a 16-year-old in the 2008 Australian U18 Championships. He made his senior debut with Burnie Dockers in the NTFL against Northern Bombers as a 15-year-old at Aurora Stadium in 2007 and played in the 2008 senior grand final with Burnie in his second year of senior football.
He is in Year 11 at Marist Regional College in Burnie and intends to finish his school on the Gold Coast.
Russell represented Tasmania at the Australian U16 Championships in 2008, was chosen in the 2008 AIS/AFL Academy, and was captain of the Tasmanian side at the Australian U18 Championships in 2009. He made his senior debut with the Burnie Dockers in the NTFL as a 16-year-old against Smithton at Burnie in March last year. He was a standout junior basketball player, chosen in 2007 in the Australian Emus development squad, but cut short his basketball aspirations in 2008 to concentrate on football.
He is also in Year 11 at Marist Regional College and will complete his education next year at Helensvale High School, where AFL Queensland runs a Centre of Excellence.
