International touch down for Heathcote player

HEATHCOTE’S Gabe Bradshaw is about to don the green and gold as part of the national under 20s gridiron team, the Australian Outback.

He’s taking part in the World Under 20 Championships Tackle Football as a defensive back.

The Australian side will travel to Edmonton, Canada, for the competition which is set to kick off in June.

His selection came after taking in part in a tryout camp in March where potential players were put through their paces with strength, speed and agility training.

“It wasn’t too bad,” Bradshaw said.

“I was pretty fit from the season just played so I wasn’t starting from nothing.

“When I applied, they asked you to send through a video of who you are and what positions you play and after that it was really just go down to try out.”

The 19-year-old regularly hits the field for central Victorian gridiron club, the Bendigo Dragons and was a finalist for their Most Valuable Player for 2023, after being voted Dragon of the year in 2022.

It’s only eighteen months since his debut, but Bradshaw is hoping to catch the eye of American college recruiters when he plays in Edmonton.

“This is probably going to help me a lot more than just playing domestically,” he said.

“Because they can’t get an accurate gauge of what our level of competition is in comparison to what they usually scout from.

“When we get there we’ve got two training sessions a day for the first week, and then we play Japan.

“The other games aren’t fully finalised yet but then there’s Panama or America.”

Bradshaw has previously played two games as a wide receiver with the Victorian under 20s team, the Junior Eagles.

“We played up in Queensland for the first one,” he said, “and we only lost by about six points, it was a very close game.

“But we also didn’t have any time to prepare for it which makes a difference, particularly coming to Queensland from Victoria, coming into 30 degrees from the cold.”

This was followed by a more successful match against South Australia.

“We trounced them,” Bradshaw said.

His mother, Fiona Bradshaw, said her son’s ability to be a utility player was something that stood out to the Australian selectors.

“They said the more positions you can play on the field the better, we’re looking for that diversity in our players,” she said.

“His reputation from the state team and their coaching staff carried over to the Australian team.

“Gabe’s got a good reputation with those coaches, one that he’s worked hard to earn for himself.”

While the Australian Outback are supported by Gridiron Australia, these young Aussie players are still looking for sponsorship to help them realise their sporting dreams.

Tax-deductible donations can be made at asf.org.au/projects/gabriel-bradshaw/gabe-u20-australian-outback-canada.