IT’S not every day you'll find a Camperdown player willing to compare their team to arch rival Cobden, but promising Magpies youngster Charlie Brett hopes he can see some similarities in the two groups.
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The Leura Oval-based club has endured a rough season, with a shortage of experienced heads on the field, but it has paved the way for the Magpies to fast-track the development of some of their younger players.
“If you look at Cobden last year, they had a lot of young fellas and didn’t quite make finals, and then look at them this year: they’re fourth, pushing for top three,” Brett said.
“If we keep this group together, we could go a long way.”
The Magpies’ under 18.5 player has been divvying up his time between playing junior and senior football.
He’s one of a host of young Magpies who have been steadily building up experience in the top grade this season.
Fellow junior Isaac Stephens, and Josh Bone, Luke O’Neil and Riley Arnold – who have all graduated from the under 18.5s in the past couple of years – are helping Camperdown put foundations in place for future success.
Bone, who made his senior debut in round one, said he had worked on his fitness and strength – as well as adjusted to the speed – to stay competitive in the top grade.
He believes the closeness of the playing group at Camperdown is one of its great strengths.
“We’re all good mates, so we all get along with each other,” the 18-year-old said. “We know all the players, how far they can kick and what their strengths are.”
Stephens, who has swapped between forward and defence, was relishing the greater challenge of playing seniors.
“I was first year in 18s last year, but it's been another big step from last year,” he said.
“We're young and we're not that good at the moment, but it's a good feeling: we can see the success coming.”
Defender O’Neil, another who made his debut in round one, said the Magpies would need to emulate the Hampden league’s pacesetters as they strive to make a return to finals in the next few years.
“Matching the top teams like Koroit and Port Fairy – probably matching their work rate, their skill, the way they spread (is the way to go),” he said.
“We just really want to match them in the next few years and obviously try to be up the top of the ladder like they have been the last few years.”
Arnold has been steadily increasing his appearances for the Magpies since debuting two years ago and said there was visible improvement in the young group since the start of the year.
“(It’s in) our run and carry that (coach) Phil (Carse) has been trying to get into us; just taking the game on,” he said.