By JESSE GRAHAM
A GRUYERE teenager is making a name for himself after joining more than 50 other footballers from around the country for an annual footy championship.
Todd Garner, 15, was one of the young Indigenous teenagers chosen to play in the 2016 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships in Queensland earlier this month, as part of the Flying Boomerangs program.
The program gathers young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men, aged 14-16, who then face off against the World Team – a team made up of upcoming multicultural AFL players.
Todd was one of five Boomerangs members from Victoria, and captained the team, leading them to victory against the World Team.
He said the program saw him compete in regional trials, then appointed to a state team, before facing off against other teams in Townsville at the 2016 AFL National Diversity Championships, to be chosen for the final team.
“It was grouse, it was awesome,” he said.
Boomerangs members are chosen based on their school attendance, leadership skills and football abilities.
Todd, who has played football in Wandin since his childhood, said that his brother competed as part of the Boomerangs two years ago, which led him to sign up for the program.
He said that he hoped to continue playing football professionally and, though he was a Hawthorn supporter, he didn’t mind who he ended up playing for.
