AFL Draft 2024: Geelong Falcons prospect Zac McInnes on playing for Geelong United and his injury setback

Zac McInnes enters the season as one of the Geelong Falcons’ top draft chances. The forward reflects on his basketball past, his disappointing injury last year and his junior club.

Zac McInnes is an AFL Draft prospect from the Geelong Falcons. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos

Zac McInnes has earned selection for Vic Country in multiple sports.

A talented footballer and basketballer, McInnes tried his hand at both as a junior, with the Geelong United representative eventually selected to play for his state.

While those championships in Darwin were shelved due to Covid, he got his chance for Vic Country with the Sherrin in 2022.

It was there he put himself on the map as an AFL Draft prospect at the U16 national carnival with five goals against Vic Metro.

With his full focus now on footy, the Bell Park product has his sights set on another Vic Country berth this year and team success at the Geelong Falcons.

The key forward spent the summer with the Vic Country training squad, one of three Falcons selected, and enters the season as arguably the region’s top talent.

“Vic Country is a dream that I’ve had for a while just playing under-18s and that sort of stuff. I just want the (Falcons) to go well this year, I feel like if we go well then all of the boys are going well and it gives us all more of a chance for our name to be read out at the end of the year,” McInnes.

“It’s just always been footy, it’s always been footy. Sort of just been told as a youngster just take whatever you can opportunities wise and I did that with basketball, but it has always been footy.”

Zac McInnes (left) back in 2022 in his basketball days. Picture: Mark Wilson

The strong-marking key forward enjoyed a promising first half of his bottom-age season, booting 16 goals in eight games, until an injury issue with both ankles flared up and ultimately ended his season.

It meant he was sidelined for the Falcons’ finals run, where the club made it all the way to the Coates Talent League preliminary final before going down to the Sandringham Dragons.

Draft watchers suspect he would have been out there on AFL grand final day in the U17 Futures match if he had been fit. But that is in the past for the 195cm talent.

“I just feel like this year is the only thing that really matters. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the game last year or not, if you don’t play well this year it doesn’t mean anything. It was a bit disappointing but it’s not the be all and end all,” McInnes said.

“Last year I got off to an alright start, probably not as good as what I wanted but we were winning games so it was good. But got injured halfway through and didn’t get to see out the year, so was obviously disappointing but the body is feeling good now.

“I had trouble with the ankles, both of them actually. The ligaments and stuff, bone bruising in both.

“It was good to see the (Falcons) boys going well but it was a bit hard to watch. I didn’t even know if I was going to get a game in the end, they were all playing really well.”

At Bell Park since under-nines aside from a couple of years with St Joseph’s, McInnes made a splash in his Geelong Football Netball League debut last year for the Dragons when he kicked three goals.

Zac McInnes celebrates a goal at the under-16 champs. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

The tutelage of his father’s best mate, Matt Hanrahan, at the Dragons helped him immensely during his formative years.

“(Hanrahan) coached me all through juniors and he helped me a lot with running patterns and that sort of stuff. Now as I’m older I’m involved with the senior boys and they are all a really good group so it’s really welcoming,” McInnes said.

McInnes said Bell Park teammates Xavier Ivisic and Kobe George, and River Stevens, the son of North Melbourne legend Anthony, have impressed on the track this pre-season.

“Xav Ivisic, River Stevens is going really well, he’s killing it. And I reckon Kobe George, he hasn’t been training that much because of an injury but his back-half of last season was unreal so I reckon he will be one to watch this year.

The Geelong Falcons boys kick-off their season in a double Sunday March 24 against the Dandenong Stingrays at Deakin University.

Originally published as AFL Draft 2024: Geelong Falcons prospect Zac McInnes on playing for Geelong United and his injury setback