Collingwood Next Generation Academy prospects Zac McCarthy and Jai Saxena have put themselves on the map following a strong start to the Coates Talent League season.
McCarthy, a 197cm forward, shapes as a first-round selection, having shown his athleticism, mobility and marking capabilities early in the season.
He was one of Oakleigh's most noted players across pre-season and after missing Round 1 with hamstring awareness, and has since shown his potential.
โHe's worked on his aerobic capacity to get to more contests which allows you to see his aerial more,โ McCarthy's Chargers' coach Ash Close told Craft of the Draft.
โHe's worked on his hands to be clean out of stoppage and he works really hard to find uncontested footy.
โHe's strong at centre bounce/clearance and he can go in front of the ball โ watch this space on what his primary position is but he's excelling in both at the moment.โ
Meanwhile, Saxena's five-goal haul in Round 3 capped off a promising first month of form, where his forward craft has given the Pies food for thought, given both McCarthy and father-son midfield prospect Tom McGuane's status as likely first-rounders.
โHe's got some class in front of goal and he's very crafty," Close said.
โHe's playing chess in front of goals and the rest of them are playing checkers.
โHe's quite intelligent โ he knows where the drop of ball is going and his aerial is good for a small forward and he's a good finisher so he has a lot of traits that align well with the role.
โHe's learning what it takes to be a Coates League player but he's very coachable and deserves all the plaudits he's getting.โ
McCarthy and Saxena are part of Coates Talent League powerhouse Oakleigh but will represent Carey Grammar and Xavier College respectively during the APS season.
Oscar Lonie, the son of former Pie Ryan, is also tied to the Pies as a father-son prospect and is a mainstay of Dandenong's U18s lineup.
