'Awesome coming back': AFL draft prospect enjoys rare game for home club

Flynn Penry played his first senior game for Cobden in almost two years on Saturday. Picture by Eddie Guerrero

There's something nice about returning home when you've been away for a while.

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The same can be said about returning to your home football club.

AFL draft prospect Flynn Penry was able to do so on Saturday, July 13, when he lined up for Cobden in its round 12 Hampden league clash with Warrnambool at Reid Oval.

The match - which the Bombers lost by 34 points - marked the 18-year-old's first appearance in the red and black jumper since July 23, last year, when he played a one-off game for the club's under 18 side.

The only other time he'd played senior football for the Bombers was his debut almost two years before, on July 16, 2022.

Greater Western Victoria Rebels, Vic Country and school football commitments have kept the Geelong Grammar boarder away however on Saturday his busy scheduled allowed for a return.

"It was really good actually," Penry told The Standard of playing for the Bombers again.

"It was good to get around with that group of senior boys. I was back training during the holidays and it was really good to go back and get a game."

Penry, who hails from Camperdown, appreciated the players' warm response to him.

Flynn Penry was one of Cobden's best players against Warrnambool. Picture by Eddie Guerrero

"The culture in the Cobden senior group is really good and it's awesome coming back because they won't see you for a few months of the year and you come back and you get welcomed back with open arms," he said.

"It's really, really good to be a part of."

Penry spent time forward against the Blues and also shared some of the ruck load with teammate Tim Auckland.

The youngster was named in his side's best players, performing strongly with 15 disposals, five marks and 15 hit-outs.

He enjoyed working in partnership with Auckland, the competition's hit-out leader.

"He knows a lot of stuff, he's another person to ruck with and it's not all on one person's shoulders," he said.

"We had a good little tandem on the weekend so it was good."

Flynn Penry featured for Vic Country in its under 18 national championship campaign. File picture

Last month Penry made his Vic Country under 18 debut, alongside Koroit's Mitch Lloyd in the side's opening-game win against South Australia.

He didn't appear in the side's remaining three games but relished the experience of playing at the high level.

Vic Country, containing Hampden league AFL draft prospects Finn O'Sullivan (Koroit) and Rhys Unwin (Cobden) fell heart-breakingly short of national championship glory on Sunday, July 14, going down to Vic Metro by a point.

Vic Metro was awarded a 50-metre penalty in the dying stages which saw Luke Trainor convert from five metres out after the siren.

Penry's focus now turns to his final two games of the APS football season with Geelong Grammar and the back-end of the Coates Talent League campaign with the Rebels.

Should the 12th-placed Rebels not progress deep into the season and the sixth-placed Bombers finish top-five, the rising ruck is a chance to return for finals action with his home club.