When Footscray was promoted to the Hockey Victoria premier league ranks in the men’s and women’s competitions, it wanted to foster a generation of home-grown players who would leave a legacy of sustained success.
There was a real danger of the Bulldogs sliding back to the second tier and having to start the long trek to the top flight all over again. But they stuck to the plan of youth development and took their medicine in the short term. Now it’s starting to bear fruit.
The Bulldogs have several exciting teenagers who could become permanent fixtures in top sides at the club for the next decade.
“Footscray is basing its future on these 10 under-18s coming through,” club secretary and women’s director Nicole Virtuoso said.
“We only got promoted to premier league three years ago, so we’re a new club in the league and we’re happy that we gained promotion and have managed to stay up there.
“Overall, it’s a very young squad for both the men and women.”
Four of Footscray’s rising stars are in the elite category and were named in the state futures squads.
Outfielders Olivia Colasurdo, Georgia Hopkins and Oscar Allan and goalkeeper Peter Wroblewski have been identified as future prospects at not only club level but potentially at state and national.
“The futures squad is a group of players earmarked as being on the path to the top Victorian team and possibly leading on to the Australian squad,” Virtuoso said.
“Not many get to be in it, so it’s a real honour to be selected.”
Only 18 players – 15 outfielders and three goalkeepers – are part of the men’s and women’s futures squads.
The players appear on the selectors’ radar from performances with Victoria at the under-18 and under-21 national championships.
Their credentials are then picked apart by national junior coaches, national selectors, and state and Victorian Institute of Sport coaches.
“All the coaches are very high up,” Virtuoso said.
“The juniors have all been identified as talented players.
“They’ve done very well to make it into the futures squads.”
There are four key elements to the futures squad: technical skill development, tactical knowledge, physical development and personal development.
Underlining the strength of hockey in the western suburbs, Altona also has four players involved in the futures squad program: Bronte Kerley, Harry Dolenc, Josh Horton and Matthew Huf.
The elite program will run from November to February.
