South Warrnambool's Liam Herbert and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan earn TAC Cup debuts

South Warrnambool duo Liam Herbert and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan have taken different paths to the state under 18 football system.

Talented basketballer Herbert, 17, played for Australia at the FIBA Under 16 Asia Cup earlier this year.

Ugle-Hagan, 16, represented Vic Country at the AFL Under 16 National Championships and boards at Melbourne-based Scotch College.

Greater Western Victoria talent manager Phil Partington said the club was excited to give both players an opportunity against Oakleigh Chargers at Mars Stadium on Saturday.

Herbert is eligible as a Rebels’ top-age prospect next year and Ugle-Hagan will be considered as a bottom-age prospect in 2019.

“We are super excited as a program and Western Victorian footy should be as well,” Partington said.

“Liam trained with us in the pre-season...and he’s trained with us the past five or six weeks on a Thursday night.

“Jamarra getting an opportunity is a good story too. He played well for the Rebels’ under 16 side and the Vic Country side of it.

“He’s a boarder at Scotch College so in the next two years his exposure to TAC Cup will be compromised because of APS football and the chance of representative football with Vic Country so we wanted to give him an opportunity as a 16-year-old.

“We think he’s going to be a talent of the future.” 

Another South Warrnambool prospect, Jay Rantall, trained with the Rebels on Thursday night.

Warrnambool Seahawks basketballer Rantall played with Herbert for Australia at the FIBA Under 16 Asia Cup and represented his country at the FIBA Under 17 World Cup in Argentina in July.

He made his Hampden league senior football debut for the Roosters last weekend.