The towering twin brothers dominated at both ends of the ground for the Murray Bushrangers this year, with both Jack and Matt looming as potential first-round picks in the upcoming AFL Draft in November.
Matt was awarded the full-back spot in the Team of the Year side, while Jack was given the full-forward position.
The Murray Bushrangers had four players — the second most in the competition — feature in the Team of the Year, with forwards Joe Berry (Wangaratta) and Josh Murphy (North Albury) also making the side.
Murray Bushrangers coach Mark Brown said the four Bushies selections in the Team of the Year side demonstrated the effectiveness of the club’s program.
“It speaks volumes of the four boys and how much work they have put in throughout the year,” Brown said.
“In the end, we are a development league, so it is about making the individuals as good as they can be.
“To have four selected in the Team of the Year — I think it was second most behind Sandringham — is a good reflection of the boys and also the program.”
Brown said people only see the tip of the iceberg in terms of how the Whitlock brothers have emerged as two of the best junior footballers in the country this season.
“You look at it over a few years, first as bottom-agers and then as draft-age players,” he said.
“They are tall, lean, athletic and their bottom-age year was incredibly important and to their credit, they were often matched against bigger, strong players, but they never dropped their head and conceded.
“They kept working hard and kept listening and kept getting better.
“Now, in their draft year, they are five or six kilograms stronger and heavier and they started to dominate Coates Talent League games.
“People think it happens by luck, but it doesn’t.”
The Murray Bushrangers held their awards night on the weekend, with Berry and Mansfield’s Max Mahoney tying for the Bushies’ best-and-fairest award.
Brown said that the Bushrangers’ program helps junior footballers not only push for the AFL but also secure state league contracts and more.
“Joe Berry started the season exceptionally well; made the Vic Country side, played really well, made the All-Australian squad and is touted as a top-15 draft pick,” he said.
“He is on one end of the spectrum and then on the other end of the spectrum, we have Max Mahoney.
“(Mahoney) came in as a top-ager and impressed from the minute the pre-season began and he just got better and better and better.
“He didn’t get the opportunities with Vic Country, but he played exceptionally good football and was a worthy winner of our best-and-fairest.
“Hopefully, Max will go and play state league football and in three or four years' time, he will be one of those VFL players that you hear about mentioned as mature-age draftees.”
Young gun Holly Egan has rounded off her exceptional season by claiming the Murray Bushrangers Girls’ best-and-fairest award.
The skilful defender from Shepparton United was also named in the Coates Talent League Team of the Year, positioned on the half-back flank.
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