A PORTLAND footballer who dreams of playing at the elite level has thrust his name in front of AFL recruiters.
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North Ballarat Rebels-listed Lochie Huppatz produced an equal-best beep test at the TAC Cup pre-season testing camp on Saturday.
His 16.2 was just .4 short of the draft camp’s all-time best, set by Hawthorn endurance specialist Billy Hartung three years ago.
Huppatz, 18, said he was thrilled to achieve the feat and would now attempt to better it at the AFL combine in October if he receives an invite.
“I was pretty stoked I did it in front of a heap of recruiters and coaches,” he said.
“I’d gotten 16.2 before so I knew I could do it, it was just whether I could do it on the day.
“Billy Hartung’s 16.6 has given me something to strive towards and I think I can give it a red-hot crack.
“The weekend (beep test) came off a couple of weeks of not much exercise as I was trying to recover from a sprain in my knee.
“I was light on long-type running, so I think if everything goes to plan I can improve on that.”
Huppatz said he tested adequately without starring in the camp’s other athletic tests.
“It was my first time doing a lot of the tests, like agility and vertical leap,” he said.
“I am not sure how they tracked against other people.
“My 20-metre sprint was not too bad but not as elite as some people in the camp.”
Huppatz was invited to train with North Ballarat as a top-age prospect during the pre-season after missing the cut 12 months earlier.
The emerging midfielder took on advice from the Rebels’ hierarchy and returned to Hampden league club Portland for the 2015 season to work on his deficiencies.
He did just that, playing 17 senior games for the Tigers under the tutelage of coach Luke Crane.
“Last year I tried out and made the development team but didn’t quite make the actual list, so that motivated me more to get on the list this year,” Huppatz said.
“Ever since I didn’t make the team last year, (Crane’s) given me a lot of pointers.
“He’s not just a coach – he’s a good friend to me.
“He’s shared with me stuff he learned throughout his time at Sturt and when he played in the TAC Cup for Tassie.”
Huppatz now has his eyes on a round one debut against Geelong Falcons on Easter Saturday.
The Richmond fan’s long-term dream is to put his endurance to the test on the MCG.
“My ideal option is to move up there (to Ballarat) and get as many games as I can,” Huppatz said.
“I finished year 12 (last year) and was accepted into a bachelor of health science but chose to do a gap year to see where football takes me.”
