TORQUAY youngster Jack McGinness returned from his first AFL National Championships with more than a representative jumper, discovering the standard required to reach the next level of football.<\/p>\n
The 16-year-old was one of five local players selected in the squad, alongside Harry Lindsay, Oscar Roydhouse (Newtown & Chilwell), Harry Price (Torquay) and team co-captain Daniel May (St Mary’s).<\/p>\n
Playing at Carrara Oval and touring the Gold Coast Suns’ facilities were among the highlights of the carnival, while the standard of football also left a lasting impression.<\/p>\n
“You’re just continuously running, it’s so fast,” McGinness said.<\/p>\n
“Everyone’s bigger and the skills are a lot better \u2013 it’s a big difference.”<\/p>\n
Despite playing on the wing for the first time, McGinness discovered endurance was one of his strengths after reviewing the GPS data collected during matches.<\/p>\n
He credited Geelong Falcons assistant coach Matt Kershaw for helping him adapt to the unfamiliar role.<\/p>\n
“We wore trackers in the games and I was pretty surprised that my work rate so high,” McGinness said.<\/p>\n
McGinness said some of the biggest lessons came away from match day, particularly around preparation and working closely with coaches.<\/p>\n
“Getting to know your coaches is an important thing,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You never know how much the small connections make.<\/p>\n
“And preparation for games, making sure you’re getting enough sleep, having the right foods, things like that.”<\/p>\n
Armed with new confidence and experience, McGinness will now turn his attention to Torquay’s premiership campaign before chasing a place with the Geelong Falcons’ under-18 side.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TORQUAY youngster Jack McGinness returned from his first AFL National Championships with more than a representative jumper, discovering the standard required to reach the next level of football. The 16-year-old was one of five local players selected in the squad, alongside Harry Lindsay, Oscar Roydhouse (Newtown & Chilwell), Harry Price (Torquay) and team co-captain Daniel […]<\/p>\n