Maffra Football-Netball Club junior footballers are cementing the impressive talent coming through the Eagles’ grades, with Max Stobie taking out the Gippsland League’s Under 16s best and fairest award, Lachlan Allman awarded Under 18s best and fairest, and Max Knoble named in the 2022 NAB League Boys Team of the Year.
While Maffra Football-Netball Club’s senior football team failed to make the Gippsland League 2022 finals, putting an end to a 20-year streak, the Eagles remain a threat in the league, boasting exceptional upcoming talent across their junior teams.
The Eagles had both their Under 16s and Under 18s teams in this year’s Grand Final against Warragul. Maffra defeated the Gulls 12.9 (81) to 5.3 (51) in the Under 16s competition, while Warragul defeated the Eagles 8.16 (64) to 6.3 (39) in the Under 18s.
It is no surprise that the 2022 Gippsland League Under 16s best and fairest, Max Stobie, was among Maffra’s finest players in the grand final at Moe on Saturday, September 17.
A born and bred footy fanatic, Stobie has been playing football practically since he could walk, joining Auskick at just four years old. Now, at 16, he has added a few more accolades to his footy career, including playing for the 2022 Vic Country Under 16s team and most recently, being awarded the Gippsland League’s best and fairest.
Even though the Vic Country Under 16s team failed to claim a win in 2022, Stobie said the experience was incredible regardless.
“It was an awesome experience to fly up and play in Queensland and play over in Adelaide and play against elite level talent for my age group,” Stobie said.
“I learnt a lot from playing in that [Vic Country], and I think it has really helped steady up my game and learn a lot about what I need to do in the coming years.”
Making Gippsland Power’s Under 18s team is next on the cards for Stobie. With multiple accomplished mentors at Maffra FNC and several older boys to look up to – Jonti Schuback, Max Knobel and Coby Burgiel, who were all in Gippsland Power’s 2022 Under 18s team – Stobie is determined to make use of every resource available.
“Doing the [Gippsland Power] Under 16s this year, I was around a lot of the older boys, Jonti Schuback, Max Knobel, Bailey Humphrey and all that; being around them was an awesome experience,” Stobie said.
“I will strive to get to that level next year and hopefully play good footy and just push myself as best as I can. My main goal is to get drafted; it’s been my dream since the age of six, and over the last few years, I have definitely put in a lot more effort and time into it, so I will just continue to strive to get as high a level of football as I can, preferably AFL.”
The young footballer idolises his father first and foremost, alongside former Richmond player and Maffra FNC’s Under 16s coach, Adrian Burgiel, and Adelaide player and Maffra boy Sam Berry.
“Dad has been a massive influence for me with footy and Adrian Burgiel, who is the coach of our 16s team and has been my coach since Under 10s,” Stobie said.
“I have a lot of good older influences like Jonti Schuback; I am really close with him, Max Knobel, Sam Berry as well.
“Especially through that lockdown phase when they were all down here, I was able to train with them almost every day, and I learnt a lot from them. They’re real big role models for me.”
It has been an exceptional season for the Eagles Under 18s captain, Lachlan Allman; not only did he help lead his team to the grand final, but he was also awarded the Gippsland League’s best and fairest.
Allman has relentlessly worked hard from pre-season, at every training and through every round, and has been a fantastic leader as the Eagles captain, exhibiting unparalleled maturity, leadership, fairness, compassion and sportsmanship.
For Allman, winning the league’s best and fairest is a reward for all the hard work, and it is certainly well deserved.
“It is a good achievement, and I guess it’s a bit of a reward for a good pre-season,” Allman said.
“It’s a good representation of Maffra’s talent coming up through the juniors levels up at Morrison Street.
“It has been a great junior career period, so it’s a credit to them, to everyone involved, back where it all started in Under 10s, the coaches, the club, all the parents, my parents.”
Generally positioned in the midfield, Allman is an in-and-under player who boasts quick hands, tremendous physical strength and intelligence. Allman efficiently reads the game, moves the ball wisely and consistently maintains a level head in all four quarters.
Allman’s Gippsland League Under 18s best and fairest medal now joins his Sale and District Under 14s best and fairest award in a memorable ending to the Eagles’ final junior year.
“Footy is a bit of a release for me, I don’t think I am personally driven that much to become a pro, but I will see how it goes; right now, I am very keen for next season, very keen.”
Allman was best on ground for Maffra in the 2022 Gippsland League Under 18s Grand Final.
Gippsland Power has been a part of the NAB League, the top state-wide under-18 competition in Victoria, since 1993. In 2005 Gippsland Power won the competition’s premiership with Sale local Scott Pendlebury and Gippslanders Dale Thomas and Xavier Ellis among the side’s line-up who were all named within the top five picks in the 2005 national draft.
Earlier this year, Maffra boy Max Knobel was selected as part of the Under 18 Boys 2022 NAB AFL National Championships Victoria Country squad. Fast forward to the end of the season, Knobel was named in Gippsland Power’s 2022 NAB League Boys Team of the Year.
“It is fantastic to have been named,” Knobel said. “A bit of a shock, I didn’t think I even had a chance, but it is nice to be recognised for the time and effort put in; definitely a great achievement.”
Vic Country met Vic Metro at Marvel Stadium on Thursday, September 22, for the 2022 NAB AFL National Championships Grand Final; Knobel was among the line-up for Vic Country.
Knobel admitted to nerves and building pressure to perform in the weeks before the grand final as the NAB AFL Draft Combine and national draft creep closer and closer.
“Definitely nervous; everything I have done all year has been working towards getting drafted,” Knobel said.
“From October 7 to 9 is the National Combine, which will be taken into account on top of everything else I have done this year for the draft in November.”
Speaking to the Gippsland Times before the championship match, Knobel said he was excited about the game against Metro. “It will be a good match, and I can’t wait to get out there and play on a great ground,” he said.
“There is a lot of pressure, but it all comes down to how you handle it, just trying to ensure you go in at peak performance.
“I have a week off now the NAB league is done, and I am doing everything I can to go in there and show my best footy.”
Vic Metro ended up claiming the 2022 Under 18 National Championship title after a dramatic seven-point win over their Country counterparts at Marvel Stadium.
It is certainly an exciting time for Maffra FNC as many talented young Eagles spread their wings and fly toward exceptional achievements.
