Warrnambool junior coach's praise for Vic Country footballer Sam Niklaus

Niklaus will wrap up his AFL under 16 national championships campaign next week when Vic Country plays its final two games of the tournament in Queensland.

The utility, who was among Vic Country's best in its win against Vic Metro earlier this month, will then be available for Hampden league selection.

Warrnambool under 18 coach Damien Sell believes Niklaus is capable of playing senior football despite still being eligible for under 16s.

"I have no doubt he'll play senior footy at the back-end of this year," he said.

"We as a club wanted to prioritise his Vic Country stuff for him - because that's a big deal - and then I think he'll come back and play a good chunk of seniors for Warrnambool in whatever role they need.

"He's very versatile. I know in the (Coates Talent League) Rebels he's been playing off a half-back flank, when he's played with us in the under 18s he's played onball and then the last game he played we put him forward and I think he kicked three goals."

Sell said Niklaus was one of four under 16 players, alongside Hugh Morgan, Hugo Artz and Riley Holloway, at the Blues who had been elevated to under 18 competition in 2023.

He said the promising footballer played under 16s as a bottom-age prospect in 2022 but was identified as someone capable of playing up an age group this year.

"He was just going to be too good for the under 16s this year so we pushed him and a few other boys up to the under 18s and they've all been in our best players in the under 18s," Sell said.

He has enjoyed watching the Warrnambool College student's progression.

"He is very dedicated, lives and breathes his footy I think, so that's a good head start," he said.

"He works really hard, is first to training, does all the extra jobs, extra running, all that sort of stuff.

"That goes back to pre-season, every night he was there early."

Sell said Niklaus' strong work ethic, coupled with a high football intelligence, made him a dynamic player.

He described the teenager as "an intelligent footballer who doesn't panic".

"He's very clever, he reads the play really well and then he executes the play very well," he said.

"For a young boy he's got elite skills. He's a beautiful kick of the footy and is just really clever with his positioning - where he places himself to receive the footy or where the opposition has the footy, he gets to the right spots."

Warrnambool's under 18 team is sitting second on the ladder entering the Hampden league bye with a 9-2 win-loss record.

Sell is pleased with the Blues' form despite falling to Port Fairy in the final round before the break.

"It's a good competition. We're going really well and we're happy with where we're at," he said.

Niklaus is one of three Hampden league players in the Vic Country under 16 team. Charlie McKinnon (North Warrnambool Eagles) and Archie Taylor (Cobden) will run out alongside him on the Gold Coast.

Vic Country plays South Australia at Heritage Bank Stadium - the Gold Coast Suns' home base - on Tuesday and Western Australia at Fankhauser Reserve on Friday.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: