cobdentechschool.org

Emerging from the shadows

Not content with living in his brother's shadow, Sam Cunnington is carving out a name for himself in the football world. While the Under 18 Championships efforts of older sibling Ben make conversations between talent scouts, Sam is also collecting touches and building his own reputation. The 15 year-old last week returned from a solid campaign with the Hampden Schoolboys, where he was named one of the side's best players for the week.

Representative football continues for the midfielder later this month when he links up with Victoria Country for the School Sports Australia Australian Rules Championships. The seven-day carnival will be played at Maroochydore and kicks off on July 26. Two pools of four teams will contest the under 15 division while under 12 and girls competitions will also be held. Terang Mortlake junior Jake Crawley has been selected for the Victoria side in the six-team under 12 competition.

Sam said he was one of 50 initially chosen for the training squad. "We got a letter asking me to try out in Melbourne. There were about 50 of us and we had to play four practice matches," he said. "It's a good effort to be recognised early and make it to this level."
An AFL dream could be a reality for Ben come November, but for Sam it remains a distant ambition. "I just have to wait for a couple of years and set my goals then," he said.