Nineteen-year-old Mitch played in a key defensive post for the Coates Talent League Young Guns team at Sandringham’s Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Saturday only 24 hours after his 16-year-old sister made her debut in Goulburn Valley netball’s A grade competition.
Mitch Dodos, who is playing as an over age player for Bendigo Pioneers his season, was selected in the Young Guns squad for the two match series against Victoria’s Under 18 Metro and Country teams.
He played at full back centre half back in conditions not ideal for a 196cm footballer.
Torrential rain in Melbourne just before the game left a sheet of water across the oval, which played havoc on the match.
In spite of the conditions it was a 92-72 scoreline, with the Victorian Metro emerging the winner.
Mitch is currently working at Hurley’s Hotel and part time at St Patrick’s Primary School in Tongala as a learning support officer.
His sister had been playing in the Under-17 Kyabram team before being called up for her debut match in the top flight.
She played goal shooter for the entire game, but was faced with an unbeaten Mooroopna team coached by former Kyabram sports star Di Hanslow
Many of Victoria’s top AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft prospects have been selected in the 2023 Young Guns Series.
Sunday’s game will be followed by a Mother’s Day match against Victoria Country on Sunday, May 14 at IKON Park. The game starts at 11am.
The Young Guns team has been selected by AFL recruiters, with the team made up of players eligible for selection in the 2023 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, which will be held on Wednesday, May 31.
All players in the Young Guns squad have been eligible for the AFL Draft prior to this year and were aged 19 or under as of January 1, 2023 with some having since turned 20. The team features prospects who compete in the Coates Talent League Boys as overage players and the VFL.
Last year’s Young Guns team included several players who were selected in the 2022 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, including No. 1 pick Jai Culley, Massimo D'Ambrosio and Max Ramsden.
Victoria Metro and Victoria Country will use the Young Guns Series as a trial ahead of selecting their final squads to compete at the 2023 AFL National Championships - U18 Boys.
11°C