Maitland teenager Isaac Heeney’s AFL dream is one step closer to reality after he was nominated for the AFL draft combine list.
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Ninety-six players from across Australia, including 12 from NSW and the ACT, will travel to Melbourne in October for four days of testing at the Etihad Stadium.
Players are assessed on a number of indicators including their vertical leap, sprinting speed, endurance over three kilometres, repeat sprinting efforts as well as ball skills and decision making.
And the 18-year-old could be Maitland’s first born and bred AFL footballer.
Adam Dugan, Heeney’s former coach with the Cardiff Hawks, said he expects the former All Saints College, St Mary’s Campus, Maitland student to be among the most sought-after players at the draft.
“I think he’ll go in the first round, he’s that good,” Dugan said.
“To even go to the combine [AFL drraft] a fair few clubs have to nominate that they want to see you.
“He had talent all the way along, he started playing first grade here as a 15-year-old.
“As a 13-year-old playing under 16s he was standing on guys head in the goal square taking speccy marks.”
Heeney was first spotted by the Sydney Swans recruiters playing at Coffs Harbour in 2008.
He has since joined the Swans academy and started training in Sydney twice a week.
Heeney’s mum, Rochelle, said she only wanted her son to be happy and for Isaac that meant playing footy.
“I’d love him to follow his dream and for him that’s to play football,” she said.
“The Swans have been so good to him, it would be wonderful if they picked him up so he could develop and continue his career in Sydney.
“But as a parent all you want is for your child to be happy and as a parent you try and support them.”
Sydney has the first option on Heeney’s services at the 2014 AFL draft on November 27 on the Gold Coast.