Rostrevor hero Luke Valente to lead SA’s charge at AFL under-18 championships

HE is the Rostrevor College head prefect who almost single-handedly willed his team to victory against archrival Sacred Heart last month. Now he is captaining the SA under-18 team.

South Australia’s under-18 captain Luke Valente (middle) with fellow leadership members, from left, Jackson Hately, Jez McLennan, Tom Lewis and Jack Lukosius. Picture: Deb Curtis.

HE is the Rostrevor College head prefect who is “extremely intelligent’’ and almost single-handedly willed his team to victory against Sacred Heart last month, snapping a five-year losing streak to its archrival.

Now Norwood midfielder Luke Valente — one of six South Australians in the AFL Academy squad who are all likely to be drafted this year — has been charged with leading the Croweaters to this season's AFL under-18 division one national championship.

The 18-year-old is, according to Rostrevor head of sport Jeff Fischer, one of the finest leaders of young men he has seen.

Luke Valente will captain SA's under 18 side at this year's national championships, starting on Sunday. Picture: AAP / Roy VanDerVegt

And there has been no greater evidence than what Valente displayed against Sacred Heart last month when, as captain, he put his team on his back and carried it to victory against a college it hadn’t beaten at First XVIII level since 2012.

“We were four goals down at the first change and still two goals behind at half-time and then Luke just took over,’’ Fischer said.

“He was the one who raised his game, put his head over the footy and was at the bottom of the pack feeding the ball out to teammates.

“He had a real presence on the field and led by example, he didn't leave it up to someone else.

“He was so good that at times he looked to be playing a different game to everyone else and was rightly judged best afield.’’

Rostrevor won by seven points and Valente, who Fischer says is a well-rounded person who is headed for an ATAR score of the “mid-to-high 90s’’ and is well liked by his school and teammates, was the hero.

“It was awesome to beat them but we had a lot of good contributors,’’ said Valente, typically playing down his role in the win.

Strong-bodied inside mid Valente, whose only query when it comes to draft position is a lack of pace, was voted SA captain by his peers, with his teammates and coaching staff making the decision.

He described captaining his state as “an honour’’ and he will be flanked in a five-player leadership group by No. 1 draft pick contender Jack Lukosius from Woodville-West Torrens, Central District pair Jackson Hately and Jez McLennan and Sturt’s Tom Lewis.

Valente said he would try to lead by example but that new coach Tony Bamford had put it on the entire squad to display strong leadership.

“That’s been a really big focus for us — to play as a team with great team spirit,’’ he said.

SA will begin its national championship campaign against Western Australia at Alberton Oval at 11am on Sunday.

It will then meet Victoria Country at Adelaide Oval on June 17 before playing its final two games in Victoria against the Allies in Geelong on June 29 and Victoria Metro at Etihad Stadium on July 4.

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