STRONG performances at a Townsville tournament have helped a trio of Warrnambool footballers book a return trip to Queensland.
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Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Eddy Gattek and Emmanuel Ajang will compete at the AFL under 16 national championships on the Gold Coast in July.
They captured the attention of top-level recruiters at the AFL national diversity championships in Townsville last week.
Ugle-Hagan will represent indigenous squad Flying Boomerangs at the under 16 titles, while Ajang and Gattek will line-up for the multi-cultural World team.
Ugle-Hagan, a promising South Warrnambool ruck-forward, said he was thrilled to make the talent-laden Flying Boomerangs as a bottom-age player.
His Victorian-Tasmanian side finished third in the indigenous category at the diversity titles.
“I didn’t know my name was going to get read out and then when they said my name I got a bit shocked,” he said of his Flying Boomerangs selection.
The South Warrnambool-aligned Ajang and Hawks-listed Gattek played for eventual runner-up Victoria-Tasmania in the all-nations section in Townsville.
Creative forward-midfielder Gattek said it was exciting to get the nod of approval from club scouts.
“I was really happy because last year the coaches chose who made the team whereas this year the AFL recruiters chose,” he said.
