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Ex-coach’s glowing endorsement of Eagles’ top draft pick
Former Sandringham coach Jackson Kornberg was not surprised at all to hear West Coast draftee Campbell Chesser had sacrificed Christmas at home to travel across Australia to land in the Eagles’ nest.
thewest.com.au
Top West Coast draftee Campbell Chesser has sacrificed Christmas at home in Melbourne to travel across Australia and settle in the Eagles’ nest.
And his former Sandringham coach Jackson Kornberg was not surprised to hear it, labelling Chesser “one of the most professional kids” he’s mentored.
Chesser is still in Adelaide, which is classified as a medium risk to WA’s border and shared a picture with fellow Melbourne Grammar graduate Sam Berry just days ago.
While fellow Eagles draftees Rhett Bazzo, Jack Williams, Brady Hough and Greg Clark have been getting to know their teammates and the rigours involved with AFL, Chesser has been doing everything he can to get to WA to join them when training resumes in 2022.
“I said to a couple of people, of all the kids to get drafted he’s the one that it didn’t shock me that he gave me a call to say ‘there’s been a change of plans and I’m driving to Adelaide to spend a bit of time there before going to Perth’,” Kornberg said.
“He’s one of the most professional kids that I’ve certainly come across at the Dragons. And he’s driven, so I think he’s seen all his mates do the first block of training and he’s thinking I want to do that, so he’s happy to make the sacrifice.”
Chesser not only has to deal with the expectations that come with being the Eagles’ highest draftee since they took Jarrod Brander in 2017, but also comparisons to West Aussie Matt Johnson, with the Subiaco product overlooked by the club despite being under their noses.
Kornberg, who was recently appointed Gold Coast’s VFL coach, said this would not worry a mature Chesser, who at a young age has the life experience to handle the AFL noise.
“I think Campbell handles pressure and the stresses of being a footballer quite well. He’s very mature beyond his year having gone to boarding school, he’s had to live out of home for four years prior to the move” he said.
“He’s very independent, mature and can handle all the different things that life throws at him.
“I know speaking with him after he was drafted, he was excited to make the move to Perth. I don’t think there’d be an issue with the pressure. He’s a pretty level-headed, mature and driven kid.”
Injury and COVID-19 make Chesser a bit of an unknown among this year’s draft crop, but Kornberg said the 18-year-old could be anything given his versatility.
“Firstly you’re going to get a bloke who is very loyal, is an incredible trainer and has an outstanding work ethic,” Kornberg said.
“From an on-field point of view, we’ve tried him in a number of different positions. I’ve coached him at under-16s to under-19s and we played him on a wing, we played him as an inside-mid, we played him at half-back and he’s even gone forward as well. He can play in all thirds of the ground.
“I think moving forward to the AFL level his best attributes suit that wing role, that outside running position. He has a background in athletics, so he’s a solid short distance and long-distance runner.
“He’s a solid mark overhead and he knows how to accumulate the ball, so I think what you’re going to get is a running machine who is a hard trainer and is driven to be the best player he can through his versatility.
“I think ultimately his position is around that midfield line, whether it be in or outside, but can certainly go to half-back and impact there.”
