Cooper Sharman enjoys stellar season on return to Leeton-Whitton
While Melbourne has been in lockdown, Coburg recruit and draft hopeful Cooper Sharman has enjoyed a stellar season back with his junior club Leeton-Whitton in the Riverina Championships.
Local Footy
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Footy. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Cooper Sharman moved from Leeton, in country NSW, to Melbourne last year to boost his draft hopes.
A return to his hometown might keep his AFL dream alive.
Despite an impressive season with Balwyn and Oakleigh Chargers and AFL Draft Combine invite, Sharman was overlooked and signed for VFL club Coburg.
2021: CONFERENCES ON TABLE FOR NEW VFL SEASON
LEADER: GET YOUR LOCAL FOOTY NEWS HERE
TALENT: MURRAY BUSHRANGERS TOP 20 DRAFT TALENTS
However, with Melbourne in lockdown, the exciting 192cm forward suited up for Leeton-Whitton in the Riverina Championships.
“I was pretty lucky to come back home after lockdown was announced in Melbourne,” Sharman said from his hometown, 125km west of Wagga.
“I was really happy with my form, being able to hit the scoreboard was good.
“Doing that on a consistent basis as well, which is something I haven’t been able to do over the last couple of years.
“Obviously, I still want to get drafted but I’m not sure how this year will influence that.”
It was no surprise the talented 20-year-old made a big impact in the shortened season.
Sharman won the championships goalkicking award, booting 16 majors in his six matches, and helped the Crows reach the grand final.
His three goals were critical in the preliminary final win over Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong and he booted two more in the decider.
However, Leeton-Whitton went down to Wagga Tigers by 21 points on Saturday, the victors clinching back-to-back premierships.
With leagues cancelled across Victoria, the competition saw a wave of big-name recruits arrive for the chance to play.
“The quality was of a very high standard,” Sharman said.
“There were only six teams that participated, so a lot of teams picked up players and the quality was condensed.
“There were recruits from the NEAFL, Ovens and Murray and the VFL as well, so the quality was very good for the region.”
But just being able to pull the boots on and play with his mates was worth it.
“That was main focus, being able to go out there and have fun,” Sharman said.
“I didn’t put any pressure on myself, being back with my school mates in Leeton and getting back to enjoying my footy.”
Sharman will remain in Leeton, studying commerce at Deakin online, and expects to return to Melbourne when pre-season training begins at Coburg.
Time will tell whether he returns earlier if an AFL club takes a chance on his raw talent.