Gach Nyuon was 14 when a group of friends invited him down to their local football club.

It didn’t take local talent spotters long to see the teenager had some potential.

After one game, he was invited in to the Dandenong Stingrays program.

“We just saw natural ability.  He was really, really raw.  He was really good with his hands, probably from his basketball background,” Dandenong Stingrays Talent Manager Mark Wheeler said.

His strength needed some work, but athletically Nyuon was elite.

“Even without training, he would still run 11 minutes for three kilometres,” Wheeler said.

“Being a light frame, he was getting contact and falling away.  But he’s worked out body positioning in the last 12 months through the Academy. 

“Ruckmen these days need to be more than a tap ruckman.  He got around the ground this year and took some contested marks which has taken a lot of work.”

Nyuon played ten games in the TAC Cup in 2015.

He averaged 11 possessions, three marks and 22 hit outs.  He posted similar numbers in the National Championships for Vic Country.

“Our TAC Cup semi final, he was a standout for us that day,” Wheeler said.

“He was taking contested marks all around the ground and played 80 per cent game time.

“He’s just kept improving each time he’s stepped out and the more he plays the better he’ll get.”