Gavin Wanganeen’s son, Tex, has moved to Melbourne and is set to be on Power, Bombers’ draft radars
Tex Wanganeen is about to become a man in demand. The rising star is a member of academies at both Port Adelaide and Essendon. But his recent move to Victoria isn’t about the Bombers. Here’s the story of the looming tug-of-war.
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Port Adelaide and Essendon might be set for a tug of war next year over the son of ex-Power and Bombers champion Gavin Wanganeen.
Tex Wanganeen moved to Melbourne from Adelaide in February after receiving an Indigenous scholarship at Xavier College and was part of the Bombers’ 2020 father-son academy induction that month.
The 16-year-old has been in the Power’s equivalent academy since 2018 while also playing SANFL juniors for Sturt and Prince Alfred College.
Port and Essendon have priority access to him as a father-son selection in 2021, owing to Hall of Famer Gavin playing more than 100 games at both clubs – 173 with the Power, 127 at the Bombers.
It means Tex, who plays mainly as a small forward, will have to choose between his dad’s former teams if they are both interested and he is good enough to be drafted.
Gavin, a Port board member, told News Corp Tex had been registered with Essendon’s James Hird Academy since he was six and remained part of the Power’s program, but was not even thinking about his potential choice next year because the draft was still a long time away.
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The 1993 Brownlow Medallist and premiership player at both clubs said his son’s move to Melbourne was a “school opportunity only – nothing to do with footy”.
“It was nothing to do with the (Essendon) footy club, he’s actually got some second cousins over there at the school, so it was through that,” Gavin said.
“If he was here he’d be doing the Port academy stuff, which he loved and he enjoyed the Sturt program.
“I always try to encourage Tex to concentrate on his education because that’s long-term, whereas football is short-term.
“There’s no pressure on him whatsoever and it doesn’t bother me if he chooses to do something else.
“If footy’s something he wants to do, like every other kid out there he’s going to have to work damn hard to get his body and mind in shape to become a professional footballer.
“I think being in Melbourne and a big footy state has pricked his ears a bit more.
“But he’s not even thinking that far ahead – he’s just a kid in Melbourne in COVID times stuck on campus.
“There’s no guarantees, we’ll have to wait and see.”
Tex barracks for the Power, telling Port’s website in 2018 he wants to play there one day, but he has a soft spot for Essendon.
“After the (2004) premiership, he was there (on the MCG), so he obviously loves Port,” said Gavin, the Power’s inaugural captain.
“It’s probably fair to say he likes both teams but he’s more heavily sided with Port – I played 10 years with the Power and a smaller amount of time at Essendon – but that’s entirely up to him.”
Tex was born in October 2003, on the back of a season in which Gavin was an All-Australian and best-and-fairest at Port, and 12 months before he won a premiership with the Power.
He was going to line up for both Xavier and NAB League team Oakleigh Chargers this year before Victorian competitions were abandoned due to the state’s coronavirus spike.
Oakleigh talent manager Jy Bond said Tex had “done some really exciting things” in two pre-season trial games.
“We haven’t seen much of him but he’s a polite, gregarious kid,” Bond said.
“Expectations weren’t super high of him this year, being a bottom-ager, learning the program and being likely to spend most of his time at Xavier.
“He did kick a couple of really nice goals (in practice games) and did a couple of flashy things, which is probably what you’d expect from a Wanganeen.
“We’re looking forward to getting him in for a full pre-season and next season having a crack.”
Sturt high-performance manager David Oatey said Tex, who started at the club in under-13s, could kick well with both feet and had improved significantly since overcoming growing pains in his ankles that restricted his running.
Oatey said Port, Essendon and other clubs, which could bid for him if they wanted, would need to “watch him carefully” over the next 12 months.
“He should be a good player in the future because he’s had a lot of improvement since that pain started to go away,” Oatey told News Corp.
“Over the pre-season just gone, he grew a bit and became much more athletic and very skilful.
“He was flying, going brilliantly, and he kept training with us until he went to Melbourne.”
Essendon’s father-son academy is split into three squads: “Baby Bombers” comprising players aged nine or younger, the “Flight Squad” (10-15 year olds) and Acceleration Group (16 or older).
Tex is in the oldest contingent, along with Alex Hird (son of James), Max Fletcher (Dustin), Joshua Misiti (Joe), Luca Alessio (Steven), Jayden and Alwyn Davey Jr (Alwyn) and Nyami Moore (Nathan Lovett-Murray).
The Bombers have had seven father-son draftees, including Dustin Fletcher (son of Ken), Jobe Watson (Tim) and Joe Daniher (Anthony).
Port has had three: Brett Ebert (son of Russell) in 2002, and Jackson Mead (Darren) and Trent Burgoyne (Peter) last year.
The Power also have access to Taj Schofield, the son of premiership wingman and assistant coach Jarrad Schofield, at the end of this season.
Port and Essendon did not want to comment.
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