Our footy club is justifiably very proud of the selection of Xavier O’Halloran & Lachlan Sholl in the AFL National Draft over the last couple of days. Obviously both boys have worked tirelessly over the years to improve on their footy & it is a great reward for effort. Hopefully it is a beginning of a long & successful AFL career. We wish the boys & their families our absolute best & I am sure all of us at St Bernard’s will follow the progress of the GIANTS & the Crows with a bit more purpose!!

To have 2 players selected is an amazing result for our club and it continues our run of producing quality AFL & AFLW players. In the past few years we have had:
Mitch Hannan – drafted in 2016 to the Melbourne Football Club;
Ben Ronke – drafted in 2017 to the Sydney Swans Football Club. Probably played one of the games of the year when he kicked 7 goals at the MCG on a Friday night culminating in winning a nomination for the AFL Rising Star;
Aisling Utri – drafted in 2017 to the Western Bulldogs Football Club. What a fantastic debut year for Aisling with her not only receiving a nomination for the AFLW Rising Star but also being a part of a premiership with the AFLW Western Bulldogs.

Going back a fraction earlier, we have also had:
Tom Liberatore – drafted in 2010 to the Western Bulldogs Football Club. In 2014 he won the clubs Best & Fairest & then in 2016 was a key member of their Premiership team; &
Mitch Wallis – also drafted in 2010 to the Western Bulldogs Football Club. Mitch finished 3rd in the AFL Rising Star Award.

As you can see, we have been a great contributor to the AFL landscape.

Next time you are at a family &/or friend get together & when the conversation turns to Junior footy, make sure you let everyone know you belong to a club that produces top flight AFL & AFLW players!!

Go the Bernard’s!!!