Greenvale young guns making the most of their opportunity in senior side

With the injury list growing and players venturing off to Europe, Greenvale’s kids are living up to the challenge of keeping their side in the finals hunt. Two in particular have impressed recently.

Tom Crowley has impressed since making his debut.

Greenvale coach Darren Bewick has seen it all before.

Injuries mounting and players escaping Melbourne’s winter for a European summer.

With three straight losses, Greenvale’s Essendon District Football League Premier Division season could have gone into free fall.

But the Jets steadied the ship with a comprehensive 44-point win over Avondale Heights on Saturday.

It was a win which sent Bewick’s side two games clear and percentage in fifth position — the last finals place.

And with “eight or nine guys” under the age of 21, it was Greenvale’s young talent who made the most of their opportunities.

“Those three losses were against high quality opposition (Strathmore, Pascoe Vale and Aberfeldie) so we knew where we were at,” Bewick said.

“We had been doing okay in those games but we got back to what we can more consistently. We’re exposing some of these younger guys and it’s only going to hold us in good stead beyond this year.

“It’s about us controlling what we can control, winning the games we need to and continuing to show our best against the best.”

Hayden Fraser and Thomas Crowley are just two of the Jets’ rising stars finding their feet at senior level — although the pair look as if they’ve got 100 games to their name.

Fraser has kicked six goals in two games while Crowley is more than holding his own against the league’s experienced big men.

Hayden Fraser has made an impressive start to his senior career.

“Tom is a young ruck, coming up guys who have played at this level for years,” Bewick said.

“Hayden has a really good goal sense, six goals so far is nothing to shy away from.”

While Bewick is thrilled with the continued development of the younger brigade, he is also excited by the return to form of one of his key players — Ben Bath.

He booted six majors, all after halftime, to hit the scoreboard for the first time since round 4.

“It was a reward for persistence,” Bewick said.

“He was in a position where he could have gone into his shell but he continued to push through. He had put himself into positions to have an impact on the scoreboard but there were times where the ball just wasn’t falling his way.”

The experienced Jarryd Bonello was equally influential in his side’s performance, named best afield in a game which was broken by the Jets after the main break.

“He’s gone inside the last few weeks and is playing some really good footy,” Bewick said.

“With a lot of those younger guys in the side, we thought we really needed his experience around the footy.”

Greenvale can strengthen its position in the top-five when it travel to take on Deer Park on Saturday before a league wide bye on July 6.