Wanderers’ Beau O’Connell rising from the club’s talented youth list to be a senior player in waiting

WANDERERS officials say it is a case of when rather than maybe when analysing the playing future of on-baller Beau O’Connell

Wanderers on-baller Beau O'Connell is the Round 14 NT News Rising Star nominee. Picture: Tymunna Clements, AFLNT Media

WANDERERS officials say it is a case of when rather than maybe when analysing the playing future of their young on-baller Beau O’Connell.

The 18-year-old Round 14 nominee for the NT News Rising Star was Wanderers’ best player in their five-goal loss to the Darwin Buffaloes on Saturday night.

His ball getting and disposal skills continued his rise to league status in the NTFL’s Premier League.

His coach at Wanderers, Shannon Motlop, said O’Connell was getting better every week as an outside and inside player.

“Beau’s not afraid of a contest to win the ball and usually does something with it when he’s got it,’’ Motlop said.

“His leg speed and run and carry are outstanding to the point where he’s become an important player at league level for us.’’

Motlop said the best of O’Connell was yet to come, including a harvest of best and fairest awards.

“Hopefully that will be with Wanderers now that he has established himself as our main on-baller,’’ he added. “Beau’s got some work to do on certain areas of his game, but in terms of finding the footy and even finishing his work in front of goal, he’s just about there.’’

Another impressive performer in a losing side was Palmerston’s Bruce Burnett, who found plenty of the football in a defensive wingman role for the Magpies.

St Mary’s played eight of their under-18 players against flag favourites Nightcliff and got good returns from Joseph Salmon and Leonard Ferreira.