Pre-season: Rochester under-14 players Kassidy Cail and Ella Treacy were part of the Tigers team that contested Sunday’s Cavalier Homes Carnival in Bendigo. Kassidy is also a member of the AFL Central Vic Academy.
Eighty junior footballers will wear the yellow-and-black of Rochester this season as the club fields two teams in the Bendigo Junior Football League and a third in the Goulburn Murray competition.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Rochester has entered its under-16 team into the Bendigo competition this season after the under-14 team tackled eight other teams in the highly-rated country league last year.
Final preparations for the fast approaching season were made by the two Bendigo league teams on Saturday when they contested the Cavalier Homes Carnival.
The under-14 team played two half-hour games against Kangaroo Flat and Sandhurst, while the under-16 team faced off against Maiden Gully-YCW and Eaglehawk
Last season the under-16s played in the Goulburn Valley league, aligned with the club’s seniors, but a change to the format has seen the Rochester team align two of its junior teams with Bendigo.
Going inside 50: Tex Jones prepares to send the TIgers’ under-14 team into attack on Sunday.
The under-12s will continue in the Goulburn Murray Junior League’s Murray division against Echuca, Moama, Denliquin, Tongala, Leitchville and Echuca United.
Junior club president Casey James said 15 of the club’s under-14 player were bottom-age last year and it made for really good numbers in the team.
“We might even hit 30 players,” she said.
The under-16 team has about 22 kids in the squad and will be coached by Steve Joyce, who has coached senior football at a variety of clubs.
“His son Lachy is in the under-16 team,” James said.
Rochester Sportspower owner Leigh Hartshorn will coach the under-14 team.
Academy members: Rochester has five players in the AFL Central Vic Academy program. Four of them — Rory Hayes, Darby Martin, Cale James and Harvey Keating — played at the weekend. Harrison Keating was absent with state basketball commitments.
“He was involved a couple of years ago as an umpire and we are happy to have him back and involved. His son Hunter is in the under-14 team,” the club president said.
Toby Acocks and Leigh Mundie will continue in their joint coaching roles with the under-12s.
“There is a real focus on more than just the football at the club. We do a lot of work on respect, teamwork and other big picture aspects of life,” James said.
“This season is looking really good, which is so pleasing after the flood.”
Auskick also comes under the junior football banner and will be co-ordinated this year by Sharelle and Nigel Reardon.
It starts at the end of April after a very strong few years.
“We have a new junior football executive committee and the general committee is also large,” James said.
“We have a lot of support for the season.”
Out of the pack: Rochester under-16 player Angus Ferguson gets a clearing kick in a carnival match on Sunday. Both of Rochester’s under-14 and under-16 teams will play in the Bendigo league this season.
• Five Rochester junior footballers have been selected in the AFL Central Vic Academy program.
There are three programs, for under-13, 14 and 15 footballers. Harvey Keating (under-13), Darby Martin and Cale James (under-14), Kassidy Cail (under-14 girls) and Rory Hayes and Harrison Keating (under-15) will be involved in weekly training for 12 weeks and have a chance to play interleague football.
The Rochester under-14 team has two female players in Kassidy Cail and Ella Treacy.
