The Gold Coast Football Club has continued to build for its AFL entry in 2011 by signing two Victorian 17-year-olds to the 2010 squad.TAC Cup players Matt Shaw from the Dandenong Stingrays and Trent McKenzie, an AFL AIS program graduate from the Western Jets, are both eligible to join GCFC which is able to sign 12 players born between January and April 1992.

Shaw and McKenzie will join the current GCFC squad in the elite development program at Gold Coast Stadium, Carrara, under Coach Guy McKenna in November.

McKenna said Shaw has smooth ball handling skills and the agility and endurance to play forward, back or in the mid field.

“He has a penetrating kick, shows courage overhead and the much needed decision making skills to be a top AFL prospect,” he said.

“McKenzie has built a reputation this year as a balanced and dynamic mover across the half back or midfield. He has a huge left foot kick, a high leap and raw pace and is a talented AFL prospect who will continue to grow over time. He is the quickest player over 20m to come through the AIS program this year (2.84 seconds).

“They are both impressive young men who have an appetite for the hard work required to give them every opportunity to play AFL football in 2011.”

The Victorian recruits are another strong addition to the 2010 squad and join Tasmanian recruits Maverick Weller and Luke Russell and young Queensland recruits Marc Lock and Alik Magin who signed with the club in the past two weeks.