Hepburn premiership star Jacob Brown has chosen to pursue the next phase of his football development at Ballarat league club East Point.
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Brown fits perfectly into the Kangaroos’ youth policy under coach Jake Bridges.
The youngster joins emerging forward Matt Johnston as key East Point newcomers.
Brown was best-on-ground in Hepburn’s Central Highlands Football League grand final win this year, kicking four goals to cap off his second full season at senior level.
A leading goalkicker in the under-18s in 2015, he tallied 41 this year.
East Point football director Gary Wilson said the club’s focus continued to be on youth, with the Kangaroos looking to develop Brown as a high forward and midfielder.
As well as stepping up to the BFL, Brown’s move to East Point also fits in with his aspirations to pursue a VFL career.
Brown is doing his pre-season training with an expanded Essendon’s VFL squad after being invited to try out by the Bombers.
Essendon coach Dan Jordan said earlier this month that VFL-listed players with the Bombers needed to have home clubs at a higher level than the CHFL.
He blocked Joel Ottavi’s plans to have Buninyong as his home club next season – saying that the Ballarat Football League was the minimum standard he would be required to play.
“We want him playing against the best opposition he can so when he is called upon he is hopefully ready to go,” Jordan said.
“He is going to be playing against AFL-listed players and guys of fair amount of experience.”
Wilson said Jordan’s comments had not prompted the move, with East Point having already started negotiations when they came to light.'
He said having the 19-year-old training with Essendon three times a week was a big plus, with it certainly fast-tracking his development ahead of a move into the BFL.
East Point-listed Jake McQueen is also training with Essendon in the hope of extending his VFL career.
Originally from Nhill, McQueen was on North Ballarat Roosters’ VFL list this year and played eight games with East Point.