By RUSSELL BENNETT
TELL Jaxon Briggs he won’t make it, and just watch him move heaven and earth to prove you wrong.
Told he was too small to make it at the Dandenong Stingrays in recent years, the 17-year-old speedster with stunning aggression at the contest and a sheer want for the Sherrin is now making every post a winner at the Sandringham Dragons in his first year of TAC Cup competition.
The product of the Narre Warren junior system is now in his second year at Cora Lynn in the Ellinbank and District Football League (EDFL), and it was there he met a range of people who’ve fast become some of the most influential in his formative footy journey.
Through the Cobras he was presented with the opportunity to head to the Dragons for a chance at a pre-season. But nothing was guaranteed. In fact, the Gazette understands he was initially so far from a place on the list that he was roughly 100th in the 110-man pecking order.
What happened next – his survival through multiple list culls and a brutal pre-season – speaks volumes for the type of player and young man he is.
Having seen a number of former junior team mates such as Liam Myatt, Mitch Cox and Cory Machaya make the grade at the Stingrays, Briggs was hell-bent on making his own mark at TAC Cup level.
“It was extremely tough because there were probably 110 kids training at the start of the year,” he said of his pre-season.
“It was my first ever time going to a TAC Cup program, anywhere.
“It was all a bit new to me and it was much harder than I thought it’d be.
“It wasn’t so much the speed of it – it was more the mental aspect. The training is just a level above; it’s relentless.”
But Briggs already had a year of senior footy under his belt, having played a blinder on Kooweerup champion Luke Walker last season. He was later in the year an emergency for the Cobras all-conquering finals campaign and got to learn first-hand from the likes of Ricky Clark along the way.
Still, making the step into TAC Cup footy this year was a huge adjustment.
“In the pre-season, we played probably six practice games, and I was probably on the verge of being cut,” Briggs said candidly.
“I just felt like I couldn’t adapt properly, but then I started playing some good games and my confidence really grew. It was probably about the fourth or fifth game of the season – against the Oakleigh Chargers – where I got my chance and I played pretty well.”
Briggs had nine tackles in that game. He has since gone on to play 10 games for the Dragons so far this season, and was in the best in each of his two most recent – against the NSW/ACT Rams, and the Stingrays.
“I’ve got a bit of speed, so what they’ve (the coaches at the Dragons) told me is that because it’s my first year and they haven’t really seen me stop improving, they think I’ve got much more to go.
“I turn 18 in December, so I’m still pretty young and I guess they see a bit of upside.
“If they give you criticism, it’s always constructive. They never say anything negative, so it really boosts your confidence. It’s great – I’m loving every minute of it.”
But for Briggs to return to the Dragons, it’ll have to be as an ‘over-ager’. He’s constantly working on improving his disposal, but he has some elite qualities – certainly those of a draftable player.
He increased his beep test mark from 13.7 to 15.1, for example, over the pre-season and his tackling and speed are top-notch. He’s hoping the Dragons make the finals this year, but failing that he’d love to be in the mix to play a significant role for the Cobras senior side. Moving forward, he wants to play at the highest level possible.
“He’s got a big heart and he’s not easily pushed around,” said Cobras coach Travis Marsham, who has plenty of experience in the TAC Cup system.
“If he keeps progressing, the sky is the limit.
“To see some of the results he was doing … wow.”
