Toowoomba Tigers junior Jack Briskey seeks to become latest AFLDD talent drafted
Toowoomba Tigers junior Jack Briskey is striving to become the latest Darling Downs product to enter into the AFL in Wednesday night’s draft.
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AUSSIE RULES: Toowoomba’s Jack Briskey is just hours away from learning his fate as he chases an AFL dream.
A junior with the Toowoomba Tigers growing up, Briskey went to school at St Mary’s College and has developed into one of the region’s most promising young prospects seen in years.
The 194cm, 81kg defender has been a staple in the Brisbane Lions Academy, making the move playing in Toowoomba to Sherwood, playing against men in the QAFL.
A training stint in the off-season with Collingwood has kept him on the radar heading into Wednesday night’s AFL Draft.
Toowoomba Tigers stalwart Neville Jericho said the 19-year-old possessed the skills and ambition required at an early age.
“Jack was selected in the U12s schoolboys for the Downs and enjoyed his football and wanted to take it a bit further,” Jericho said.
“He joined the Tigers and played in the U12s and U14s before moving onto Sherwood.
“Jack certainly had the drive. He had a lot of skills and was a pretty good athlete. He was mobile around the park, could jump high and sprint fast.”
Jericho said should the cards fall Briskey’s way, it would serve as a great inspiration for prospective juniors right across the region.
“It would certainly be pretty exciting. We haven’t had anyone from the Tigers at this stage (be drafted),” he said.
“It has to help. It would show the juniors that the pathway is there. Jack played all his junior football on the Darling Downs before going to Brisbane.
“Jack’s family lives here and it would be pretty exciting if he could come back in the future and tell some stories.”
It was also announced yesterday that Briskey would join the Port Melbourne Football Club for its upcoming VFL season.
TOP FLIGHT: Darling Downs players drafted into the AFL/AFLW
AUSSIE RULES: The Darling Downs region hopes to welcome another local into the AFL this week.
Toowoomba’s own Jack Briskey will find out his draft fate over the coming days in his bid to live out a lifelong dream in the top flight.
Before he chases his goals, The Chronicle looks at seven Darling Downs players who have been drafted into the AFL and AFLW since the year 2000.
STEPHEN KENNA
Kenna was a student at St Mary’s College, where he played in the AFLQ Schools Cup while plying his trade with the University Cougars in the AFL Darling Downs.
A move to Victoria ensued, where he tried his luck in the VFL, where the young talent proved himself against older opposition.
This led to Kenna being snapped up by Carlton in the 2003 draft with pick 75.
Kenna went on to play five games with the Blues in 2004, kicking three goals in his AFL career.
He was also a runner up in SANFL’s best and fairest medal race in 2006.
BRAD HOWARD
Studying at St Joseph’s College, Brad Howard played his junior football with the University Cougars.
Natural ability and a hardworking ethic saw him represent Queensland at the U18s National Championships.
Howard was taken with the 27th pick in the 2006 draft by St Kilda, following on from Kenna’s drafting just three years earlier.
He played two games for the Saints during his time in the AFL, with his debut in round eight of the 2007 season against Hawthorn.
Howard is now working as a community football lead with AFL Queensland.
JOSH SMITH
Smith enjoyed the highs and lows of professional football during his time in the league.
The 27-year-old moved to Toowoomba at a young age and studied at Downlands College, rising through the Aussie rules ranks with the Uni Cougars.
His big break came in the 2016 AFL Rookie Draft, where he was chosen by Collingwood with the 25th pick.
He played 32 games for the Magpies, including making his debut on the biggest stage of them all, the ANZAC Day clash with Essendon.
After being delisted, Smith then went on to play two games with West Coast in 2019.
He is now teaching in Western Australia, and has the AFLDD’s representative player of the year honour named after him.
WYLIE BUZZA
Hailing from Gatton, Aussie rules wasn’t always the first choice of Wylie Buzza.
Rugby league was more his style, until a schoolboys trial paved the way for a career in a new code.
Buzza burst onto the scene after being taken by Geelong with the 69th pick in the 2015 National Draft.
His long, curly locks and tenacity of play gave him a cult figure status at the Cats, where he kicked two goals on debut in the 2017 round 15 game against GWS.
He played nine games and kicked six goals during his time at Geelong, before being delisted.
Port Adelaide snapped up the 25-year-old in 2020, but no chance to impress in reserves halted his chances of making his way back to the top flight.
SHALEISE LAW
Murgon’s Shaleise Law will forever have a spot in AFLDD and AFLW history.
The niece of Australian athletics icon Cathy Freeman, Law possessed the dash of her aunt and was electrifying around the field.
A boarder at St Saviour’s College, Law was a Queensland representative coming through the ranks, and was a regular star for South Toowoomba in the AFLDD senior women’s competition.
Taken with the 95th pick in the 2016 AFLW Draft, Law went on to play three games for the Brisbane Lions in the inaugural season of the AFLW.
Her and Warwick’s Delissa Kimmince created history as the first Downs players ever in the competition.
SAMSON RYAN
With a 206cm frame, a future in the ruck was always calling for South Toowoomba Bombers junior Samson Ryan.
A student at Toowoomba Grammar School, Ryan was a talented cricketer as well as having Aussie rules prowess, making a number of rep sides in his junior years.
He grew up supporting the Richmond Tigers, and it was a dream come true when his name was read out with Pick 40 in the 2020 AFL Draft to link with the yellow and black.
The 20-year-old made his AFL debut in round 15 against St Kilda, a reward for a strong season at the VFL level.
He kicked 17 goals in nine games for the year in reserves before the competition was cut short due to Covid restrictions.
ZIMMORLEI FARQUHARSON
The Concordia Lutheran College student is the latest women’s draft pick from the Darling Downs.
The Brisbane Lions showed plenty of faith in the Dalby Swans junior, taking her with the eighth pick in the 2020 AFLW Draft.
While Farquharson didn’t see any game time in the top league this season, the 19-year-old had a strong season in the QAFLW, averaging a goal per game for Yeronga South Brisbane.
The rising talent was a standout in the junior ranks, making the All Australian merit team as an U15s schoolgirl, and in 2017 she was awarded the Troy Clarke Scholarship.
Farquharson was a regular in Brisbane Lions Academy teams growing up, and she’ll be hoping to translate that into an AFLW debut in 2022.
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