NORTH Ballarat Rebels coach Gerard FitzGerald stressed the importance of improvement as the next crop of TAC Cup contenders were put through a testing session in Warrnambool on Wednesday.
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South Warrnambool key forward Shannon Beks and Koroit utility Jarrod Korewha were among the teenagers to complete the beep test and 20-metre sprints at Brauer College.
The pair is eyeing top-age selection with the Rebels in 2016, having had a taste of the elite Victoria-wide competition this year.
Both understood what FitzGerald meant when he emphasised how integral attitude and embracing and seeking feedback are to making it in the TAC Cup system.
Beks said the testing session was the first of many steps on the way to selection on the Rebels’ final list.
“You are probably more worried about what you do at the end of summer, not at the start,” he said.
“It is more of a gauge to see where everyone is at and where they can improve.”
Beks and Korewha spent last weekend on a Rebels’ leadership camp.
The former Vic Country under 16 teammates both said it was worthwhile.
“I think it’s good to be a leader and set standards for all the boys coming through, to make them feel comfortable around the program,” Korewha said.
Beks played eight games for North Ballarat in 2015 but his form slipped and he spent the second half of the season at South Warrnambool.
He believes a move to Ballarat will help him establish himself as a top-age forward.
“When I was playing at centre-half forward I kept leading to the wrong spots, so I have to keep working on that and on getting to more positions where I can find the ball,” Beks said.
Korewha endured an up-and-down bottom-age campaign.
A foot injury delayed his start but he made his TAC Cup debut in June and held his spot.
“I was often out-bodied in contested marking and I will probably just build on my aerobic base to open myself up to play more roles during the year,” he said of his 2016 goals.
Korewha is part of the AFL Academy – a program designed for the nation’s top draft prospects.
He will train with Sydney before Christmas and travel to Florida for a camp in January.
“It’s good to get exposure to that sort of training at that sort of level before a big 12 months ahead,” he said.
