PADDY Dow will take to the field with the Vic Country side at the national Under 16s championships this weekend.
Dow made the cut for the final team after a gruelling series of trial games and training sessions following the announcement of the initial squad of 50 in April.
The Geelong Grammar student spoke to The Guardian at home in Swan Hill this week, after attending a jumper presentation in Melbourne on Sunday.
He said he had felt okay after the trial games.
“We had a practice match against Vic Metro to finish off [the selection process] and I thought I played alright in that,” he said.
Dow said he had enjoyed the Vic Country season so far, through which he has played “mostly in the middle”.
“It’s a good feeling to be able to represent your state in footy,” he said.
The upcoming underage national carnivals will feature teams from Vic Country, Vic Metro, Western Australia and South Australia in the Division 1 competition and New South Wales, ACT, Tasmania and Northern Territory in the Division 2 section of the Gold Coast event.
The carnival will be played at Metricon Stadium, with Vic Country’s first game on Saturday against Western Australia.
The AFL’s AIS program participants are selected following the carnival, which Vic Country — which has winning form over Vic Metro in practice matches — is expected to be strong in.
Dow, 15, is currently studying Year 10, and playing his debut season in Geelong Grammar’s 1st VXIII.
Having risen through the junior ranks at Swan Hill Football Club, Dow will play for the Swans when he can but Vic Country commitments have been prohibitive this season.
