NUMBER two pick in the AFL Rookie Draft is where former Tathra Aussie rules player Aaron Van Den Berg landed.
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Van Den Berg, 22, was swept up by the Melbourne Demons as the second favourite pick from the entire line-up on Wednesday.
The midfielder who played for the Tathra Sea Eagles up until 2010, Van Den Berg is being hailed as just the second SCAFL player ever to be picked up by the AFL.
The first to join the AFL was Ed Barlow, whose football career also began with the Sea Eagles.
The selection has thrilled Van Den Berg’s parents Chris and Tony.
“We are extremely happy for Aaron that he gets to follow his dream,” Chris said.
“He has always worked hard, loved his AFL at the Tathra club, and enjoyed many other sports as well in the Bega Valley.
“But he has definitely stepped it up a level in the past couple of years, with the support of Ainslie FC, and under the direction of his coach Chris Rourke,” she said.
Tathra veteran Luke Taylor said Van Den Berg formed part of a “star-studded” line-up that won the 2010 premiership at just 17.
“He made an impact even as a 17-year-old and it was then we stood up and thought this kid could really go somewhere,” Taylor said.
“Even then he was strong and big bodied.”
Since his time with the Sea Eagles, Van Den Berg has been playing with the Ainslie club in Canberra, where he was named best and fairest two years running.
“With two best and fairest awards in a row he’s made a name for himself and that’s probably how he got to where he is now,” Taylor said.
Ainslie coach Chris Rourke had contacted the Melbourne club about Van Den Berg’s potential during the season and the Demons expressed near immediate interest.
Rourke revealed that he and Van Den Berg had several meetings with the club in the lead up to the draft.
In the lead up to the draft, Rourke said the Demons had looked closely at Van Den Berg.
“Melbourne have taken a pretty big interest in [Van Den Berg] and I’ve had two interviews myself about him.
“They seem pretty excited by him, but whether they'll take him, who knows,” he said in a recent interview.
The Demons were excited about the addition to their roster and announced the selection on their website.
“Van Den Berg, who was named in the 2014 NEAFL team of the year, is a ball magnet,’ the post reads.
‘He racked up a whopping 56 disposals in one match for Ainslie against Eastlake this year.’
“Aaron’s from Ainslie and is a 22-year-old mature-age player, who has played consistent football in the NEAFL, particularly over the past two seasons,” national recruiting manager Jason Taylor said on the Melbourne FC website.
Rourke previously likened Van Den Berg to Fremantle onballer Michael Barlow.
“He's a good athlete, good skills, he's got great aerobic capacity, he can find the footy,” Rourke said.
“I think he’d be a good mature-aged rookie.
“He’s certainly dedicated enough.”
The Demons made no delay in picking Van Den Berg and he is expected to move to Melbourne today.
Taylor said Tathra club man Kevin May was a key stone in the development of players like Van Den Berg.
“The development through the juniors has a lot of bearing on them,” Taylor said.
“And a lot of the credit for that has to go to Kev May.
“Kevin took control of the junior development around 2006 onwards.
“He gave a lot to these kids and set them on the right pathway.”
Barlow, who was signed by the Sydney Swans, was also a former Sea Eagle.
“For a small country town like Tathra to lay claim to these two boys drafted is massive,” Taylor said.
Chris joked that she was fuelling up the car.
“We can see that we will be travelling quite a bit to Melbourne in the near future, and may have to change our allegiance now to the Demons,” she said with a laugh.
