PORT Fairy footballers Jaydon Stiles and Sam Anson will train with VFL grand finalist Box Hill Hawks in an attempt to earn a spot on their 2015 list.
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Stiles said he was determined to test himself at a higher level after leaving SANFL club Sturt earlier this year.
The former North Ballarat Rebels forward returned to the south-west and played for his home club Portland, before switching to Port Fairy mid-season. He said he enjoyed his time at the Seagulls but wanted to challenge himself.
“I regret moving home from Sturt,” Stiles said. “I think I could have given a bit more but I suppose work didn’t work out. It’ll be good to be in Melbourne closer to home.”
Stiles, 20, said he would move to Melbourne next week.
“I am relatively confident — I think I can make the list but once you make the list it becomes harder,” he said. “There is still a lot of hard work to get a game.
“Each week there will be 12 to 15 spots up for grabs and that is because of the AFL-listed players.”
Stiles said Box Hill, which won the 2013 premiership but fell short against Footscray this year, was a strong club.
Anson, 24, said he would enter Box Hill’s pre-season without any major expectations.
“They do a cut at Christmas time and I will see if I make that,” he said.
“If I don’t I still want to play some good footy so I might try my luck somewhere around here (in Melbourne) — division one or ammos.”
Anson, a playmaker across half-back, said he spent time at Werribee as a teenager but opted to do an electrical apprenticeship instead.
“I am only getting older and slower so I thought I’d give it one more crack,” he said.
“If I made the list I’d be stoked. If I made that I’d set myself another goal. ”
Rebounding defender Dylan Gunning is another Port Fairy player testing himself during pre-season.
Gunning is this week training with SANFL club West Adelaide.
Athletic ruckman Jaise Coleman’s future at Gardens Oval is also uncertain.
Port Fairy coach Brett Evans said the Seagulls were hopeful of retaining some of the players if opportunities at state level didn’t eventuate.
Evans said Port Fairy kick-started its pre-season on Monday night, with “26 or 27” players hitting the track.