|
The first two players through the Dahlsens Gippsland All Stars program have been drafted in AFL via the 2024 AFL National draft. 2024 is the first season that players that have participated in the pathway program are age eligible to be drafted into the AFL competition. Western Gippsland’s Alix Tauru was drafted with pick 10 to the St Kilda Football Club. Alix participated in the program in the 15s age group for Western Gippsland coming from Warragul Blues Junior Football Club and playing for Ellinbank Football Netball Club Fourths in the 2021 season. Alix becomes the first player drafted into the AFL who has come through the Gippsland All Stars program. One pick later at pick 11, Xavier Lindsay was selected by the Melbourne Football Club. Xavier participated in the program in the 15s age group for Southern Gippsland who claimed the 2021 15s premiership with Lindsay winning the best on ground medal in the final. Xavier participated in the 2021 program while playing for Inverloch Kongwak Football Netball Club before moving to Leongatha Football Netball Club over the past few seasons whilst at Gippsland Power. “The Dahlsens Gippsland All Stars program is all about developing and preparing players for their pathway journey in football whether this be in community football or with Gippsland Power towards the elite level. It’s exciting to see in the first year players that have been through the program are age eligible, two former players have been drafted into AFL clubs. Congratulations to both Alix and Xavier and we wish them the best on their AFL journeys.” said Daniel Heathcote, General Manager – Dahlsens Gippsland All Stars The program was established in 2021 and enters its fifth season in 2025 thriving with the proposed introduction of female football and netball to the existing football grades. The program works closely with Gippsland Power and in 2025 will partner with Gippsland Stars Victorian Netball League netball club and Hawthorn Football Club’s Academy to assist in the development of their NGA program.
|
