Coates Talent League: Eastern Ranges’ Cooper Trembath catching AFL recruiters’ eyes

It’s been some rise for Eastern Ranges tall prospect Cooper Trembath, who has emerged as a surprise-packet this season to catch the attention of AFL recruiters ...

HE could be the bolter of the Eastern Ranges’ class of 2023.

Seventeen-year-old Cooper Trembath continues to catch the eye of AFL recruiters this Coates Talent League season, with the ruck-forward reinventing himself as a defender.

The 192cm, 90kg prospect has featured in five matches for the Ranges this year, alongside two standout performances for Park Orchards in the Eastern league’s Premier Division.

Eastern Ranges talent manager Danny Ryan has fielded many enquiries on the tall prodigy, whose Round 1 performance piqued the interest of scouts after 18 disposals, nine marks and 10 intercept possessions.

Trembath has emerged as a surprise-packet this season for the Ranges, averaging 14.4 disposals as a defender. Picture: Field of View Photography

“He’s raised some eyebrows and there’s been a lot of questions,” Ryan said.

“That first game of the year against Sandringham (he played) against some really high quality forwards … and he’d never played down back before.

“My phone was running hot the next day from recruiters and player managers.

“He burst onto the scene in a pretty spectacular fashion and he’s held that form pretty regularly.”

Last weekend was no exception, standing out with a 14-mark display – eight of those intercepts – gathering 17 touches in the Ranges’ 38-point win over the Brisbane Lions Academy.

“It was probably one of his better games on the weekend … it’s just insane what he’s been able to do,” Ryan said.

“He’s one of those kids with an unbelievable set of hands who reads the ball really well.”

It’s been some rise for Trembath, who took home Park Orchards’ under-19 best and fairest award last year.

His fitness has improved out of sight since the start of pre-season according to Ryan, who owes Trembath’s emergence to a mountain of hard work.

“He’s only been in our system really since the start of this year … he’s been a really good story, from where he’s come from to where he is in such a short period of time,” he said.

“He just stuck at it, kept grinding away and has got himself really fit.

“I think he took about a minute-ten off his 2k time trial.”

While the improvement has been rapid, Ryan says there remains plenty of upside to Trembath, who turns 18 in October.

“He’s still doing a lot of hard work on his conditioning and keeping himself fit and getting stronger – I think he’s still growing as well,” he said.

“He’s worked incredibly hard and it’s quite impressive to see the young man producing what he is now.”