Essendon's two AFL NSW/ACT scholarship program selections are in
Club senior recruiting coordinator, Merv Keane, said 16-year-old, Ben Simon, is one-year into his two-year scholarship while 15-year-old, James Webster, starts his three-year scholarship in 2008.
""The purpose of this AFL program, which started this year, is to provide these players support and equipment and connect them to a club,"" he said.
""Essendon will then have priority in drafting these two players if we choose when they become eligible.""
Simon, from the
""He ran an excellent 20m sprint test and it's quite possible he will eventually be able to run it in under three seconds. He's only just off that now and for a boy of his height that will be in the elite class,"" Keane said.
""He's got the physical attributes but is still developing his understanding of the game which is what the scholarship is all about.""
Simon has been involved in the Rising Rams talent squad in NSW and has already travelled to
His next goal is to make the NSW U/18 State team and he attends
Webster, from the Central Coast (Mark McVeigh country), is 180cm and 69kg.
""He is very footy smart and has very good ball handling skills. He was born in
""He also had sprint, beep and agility tests and did extremely well in the agility test and beep test.
""He's been playing for the Gosford tigers and NSW U/15 State team which played extremely well in the National Championships this year and managed to beat Vic Country.""
Webster's next goal is to make the NSW U/16 team. He is a year 10 student at
