A WHIRLWIND 2023 season for the Bendigo Pioneers culminated in one of their young footballers being selected with the number one pick in the AFL draft.
While much of the national football media’s focus was on 18-year-old Tongala star Harley Reid, it was just another football season for the Pioneers.
Pioneers coach Danny O’Bree said the media attention was more about preparing Reid for AFL football.
“I guess from the Pioneers’ point of view, we were probably a bit more under the microscope with how the program would continue to develop a top prospect,” he said.
“Obviously Harley was touted pretty highly, but we’ve also seen a fair few players who fall off that perch pretty quickly, too.
“He probably gets even more attention now, everyone kind of wants a piece of him, which has got to be a bit challenging in itself and weigh a person down.
“It’s something you have to learn pretty quickly, and it is probably more about teaching him those strategies.
“We aren’t the ones who have to deal with the messages, the phone calls or social media.
“That media attention is absolutely a distraction for every person around the program or the club, and we know that West Coast are sort of dealing with that this year.
“For him to show that resilience and work through it and stay at the top of his game, it’s very impressive.”
O’Bree said that Reid’s resilient and personable nature was a credit to the young footballer and his family.
“Harley is quite a resilient kid,” he said.
“No one has really gone through that scrutiny here before and I’m not sure if they ever will again.
“Anything Harley did or said was analysed, so it’s a huge credit to his family to maintain that grounded nature that he had, and the genuine human that he is.
“To keep developing Harley in a positive way, and to ensure that he was the number one pick, I’m very proud of our program.”
Reid and his Pioneers teammates travelled to their coach’s hometown Nyah last year, and O’Bree was stoked to show the young players where he was from.
“We definitely try our best to get up into our regional places,” he said.
“It’s pretty amazing that we can showcase our town to these kids, to show them where we are from and the reasons why we do what we do.
“Obviously, Harley was a pretty big drawcard last year, a few people sort of came from everywhere to come and have a look at the way we go about our training.
“We rely so heavily on on our regional coaches, and our regional connections, and relationships we have with teams and clubs in the region.”
O’Bree hoped the opportunity to show the young players what the game of football means to the people across the region would encourage them to strive for more.
“Football is just the heart and soul of the community,” he said.
“Particularly in our region, footy clubs and netball clubs, and the people within them are so important.
“We hope our players can bring back better standards, or how to be humble and happy, maybe some different ideas surrounding how important the local footy club is, within the community.
“We’re always optimistic at the start of the year, I feel I’ve had some really cool conversations with recruiters, off the back of our testing and practice matches about quite a number of our kids.”
Harley Reid wasn’t the only Pioneers first rounder in 2023, as Lila Keck was picked up by Carlton in the AFLW draft with pick 7.
And the night wasn’t done there for the Pioneers girls, as Geelong chose Bryde O’Rourke with pick 23, while Keely Fullerton went to Gold Coast with pick 36.
Girls coach Whitney Kennedy said that getting three players drafted was fantastic for the program and for the players.
“It’s just a really good reward for all of the hard work these girls put in,” she said.
“That’s not only last year, but in the lead-up to trying to get drafted, since they identified that that’s what they wanted to do, and not just 12 months of work.
“It was actually really rewarding, because we had a bit of a challenging season last year.
“Currently, we try not to focus too much on wins and losses and more focus on player development.”
Kennedy said that the Pioneers had a real focus on creating a strong culture within their squad.
“When we speak to staff and list managers, a player’s character is definitely one of the questions they ask, if not the first question,” she said.
“They want to make sure that they’re getting a really well rounded athlete, not someone who can just play footy.
They want someone who can build really good relationships with their peers and staff, buy into the culture, drive a culture.”
Kennedy said that working with the young footballers was an extremely rewarding way to be involved in the sport she loves.
“Footy means so much to me,” she said.
“I grew up absolutely loving footy, and I went to so many games, more than I’d even be able to count. I loved going to the MCG with my dad.
“I love playing but I’m one of many people who didn’t have these opportunities.
“So to give these girls that opportunity is an absolute honour and pleasure because they really just take it in their stride and I think they’re just grateful for what’s in front of them.”BREAKOUT*
Bendigo Pioneers Under 18 Boys Squad.
Ryan Bassett – Koondrook Barham
Koben Ryan – Lake Boga
Darby Jones – Leitchville-Gunbower
James Barrat – Leitchville-Gunbower
Ethan Curran – Nyah-Nyah West United
Lachlan Vrolijks – Swan Hill
Wil Bennett – Swan Hill
Patrick Blake – Tyntynder
Bendigo Pioneers Under 16 Boys Squad.
Cruz O’Sullivan – Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers
Bodhi Kelly – Swan Hill
Seamus Doherty – Swan Hill
Sonny Beasy – Swan Hill
Darcy Uebergang – Swan Hill
Rory Bell – Ultima
Archer Lancaster – Wandella
Bendigo Pioneers Under 18 Girls Squad.
Issy Bolton – Nya-Nyah West United
Nevaeh Roberts – Woorinen
Sam Johnston – Woorinen
Bendigo Pioneers Under 16 Girls Squad.
Eva Coffey – Woorinen
