Luke Goetz has taken a slightly unconventional path to the AFL.
The 18-year-old was a rookie draft bolter, taken by the Western Bulldogs with pick 29.
Goetz, a promising ruckman-forward with Altona Juniors in the WRFL, landed on the radar of Western Jets only in the second half of last season’s TAC Cup.
“He’s certainly what you’d call a late developer,” Jets coach Torin Baker told Star Weekly.
“He wasn’t involved in any of our talent pathway programs through the 15s or 16s.
“He’s been training with us over the last few weeks and was going to be a 19-year-old with us next season.”
After the Jets were alerted to Goetz’s potential, Baker and Jets region manager Shane Sexton decided to check him out playing for Altona Juniors and liked what they saw.
“I saw him playing in two roles really well,” Baker said.
“He led out as a forward and got great separation from his defender and took a couple of really nice marks on leads.
“Then when he was playing in the ruck, he was running around the ground like a small man, which was impressive to see.”
Goetz was inserted into the Jets line-up in the TAC Cup and provided a little snapshot of his potential.
He had 14 hit-outs in his debut against Eastern Ranges, a number he bettered three more times in nine games.
His endeavour could not be questioned either, averaging 2.2 tackles per game.
It’s Goetz’s athletic attributes that should excite Bulldogs fans.
“His speed for someone who is 202cm is top end and he has great endurance,” Baker said.
But a word of caution … Goetz will be a long-term project and Western Bulldogs supporters have been warned they will have to be patient.
By landing him now, the Bulldogs warded off other clubs from taking him at next year’s draft.
“He’s very raw, hasn’t been through the pathway, he hasn’t had the same sort of experience at TAC Cup level that most drafted kids do and he’s a tall so he’ll take a bit of extra time,” Baker said.
Goetz was selected in the draft while he was doing community work in Cambodia with classmates from Emmanuel College.
