Townsville talents get taste of AFL big time
THE future is looking bright for Townsville AFL players Matt Storey and Nathanial Congoo who returned from a two-day training camp on the Gold Coast last weekend. The duo took an extra step in their goal to become professional athletes after attending a two-day training camp with the Gold Coast team, who will join the national AFL competition in 2011.
Storey and Congoo were identified throughout the season in both club and representative football by the club scouts.
Centre/back Storey enjoyed the weekend and said it was a good chance to meet some of the other players and the coaches.
"First off on Saturday we did skills, sprints, vertical jumps and that night we did a core session," Storey said.
"We then did 30m sprints and a 3km run."
With the AFL season ending three weeks ago, Storey found it hard to return to the field for such intense training.
He said it was all stuff they had done before, but it was hard because of the break.
"I think the weekend was to mainly meet and greet the boys involved and the coaches," Storey said.
"I'm hoping if all went well I'll get picked up this year and next year play in the TAC Cup, which is the under-18 competition in Victoria and then the Gold Coast in the VFL and then hopefully on to the AFL.
"The Gold Coast still has three years but that is what I'm aiming for."
While it is a long process to go for as the new club aims to establish itself in the professional league, it is a road Storey, 17, was happy to follow.
He said he would like to play for the Gold Coast because it is in his State and close to home.
"But I would be happy to play for any team in AFL," Storey said.
"We will start training with the Gold Coast later this year and I think we get chosen when we go down at the start of next year.
"Once the team is selected after that year they will contract I think five or six of the boys.
"It's a pretty long process until we find out whether we are (in) or not but at least we've got an opportunity to try for it.
Sixteen-year-old Nathanial Congoo has spent the past three-and-a-half months on the sideline with a stress fracture in his back.
Congoo made his return last weekend after he received the invite to the Gold Coast training camp.
"It was really good, meeting all the other boys we will be playing with over the next couple of years was great," Congoo said.
"The weekend was challenging because I've had three months off.
"The 3km and the 30m sprints were really, really hard and the core work on Saturday were pretty tough.
"I was really excited I got a letter from them and I guess I was just worried I was going to be unfit for the training but I went there and gave it my best shot."
Congoo only made the transfer to AFL seven months ago and hopes to eventually play professionally.
The Gold Coast strength and conditioning coach met with Congoo and has set him up on a program to strengthen his back.
Forty players from around the State attended the camp, where the players were tested on their skills along with a psychological test.
THE future is looking bright for Townsville AFL players Matt Storey and Nathanial Congoo who returned from a two-day training camp on the Gold Coast last weekend. The duo took an extra step in their goal to become professional athletes after attending a two-day training camp with the Gold Coast team, who will join the national AFL competition in 2011.
Storey and Congoo were identified throughout the season in both club and representative football by the club scouts.
Centre/back Storey enjoyed the weekend and said it was a good chance to meet some of the other players and the coaches.
"First off on Saturday we did skills, sprints, vertical jumps and that night we did a core session," Storey said.
"We then did 30m sprints and a 3km run."
With the AFL season ending three weeks ago, Storey found it hard to return to the field for such intense training.
He said it was all stuff they had done before, but it was hard because of the break.
"I think the weekend was to mainly meet and greet the boys involved and the coaches," Storey said.
"I'm hoping if all went well I'll get picked up this year and next year play in the TAC Cup, which is the under-18 competition in Victoria and then the Gold Coast in the VFL and then hopefully on to the AFL.
"The Gold Coast still has three years but that is what I'm aiming for."
While it is a long process to go for as the new club aims to establish itself in the professional league, it is a road Storey, 17, was happy to follow.
He said he would like to play for the Gold Coast because it is in his State and close to home.
"But I would be happy to play for any team in AFL," Storey said.
"We will start training with the Gold Coast later this year and I think we get chosen when we go down at the start of next year.
"Once the team is selected after that year they will contract I think five or six of the boys.
"It's a pretty long process until we find out whether we are (in) or not but at least we've got an opportunity to try for it.
Sixteen-year-old Nathanial Congoo has spent the past three-and-a-half months on the sideline with a stress fracture in his back.
Congoo made his return last weekend after he received the invite to the Gold Coast training camp.
"It was really good, meeting all the other boys we will be playing with over the next couple of years was great," Congoo said.
"The weekend was challenging because I've had three months off.
"The 3km and the 30m sprints were really, really hard and the core work on Saturday were pretty tough.
"I was really excited I got a letter from them and I guess I was just worried I was going to be unfit for the training but I went there and gave it my best shot."
Congoo only made the transfer to AFL seven months ago and hopes to eventually play professionally.
The Gold Coast strength and conditioning coach met with Congoo and has set him up on a program to strengthen his back.
Forty players from around the State attended the camp, where the players were tested on their skills along with a psychological test.
