Willie Wheeler bound for AFL
Sam Landsberger
From: Leader July 18, 2011
Will the Victorian Football League sensation from Avenel, near Seymour, be drafted?
Wheeler has all the attributes to play AFL footy. He's 19, explosive off the mark, tackles hard wins his own ball, and can kick goals.
He showcased his talents playing for the Murray Bushrangers last year, collecting 41 touches and laying seven tackles in a breakout match against Bendigo.
Wheeler went on to share the TAC Cup club's best-and-fairest with a kid called Shaun Atley. Atley was snared with a first-round pick by North Melbourne and is already a lock in Brad Scott's starting side.
Wheeler was overlooked. And again at the rookie draft, that time by all 18 clubs.
"My height," Wheeler said when asked why he thought he was overlooked. "Maybe my pace as well, I'm not really sure what it was.
"I always thought it would be hard with my height, but I never thought it should matter as much as it does."
Wheeler, who stands 176cm 13cm shorter than Atley is understandably irritated
"It gets frustrating when you see some other people get drafted that you think you could easily play on and hold your own against, but that's just the way it is," he said.
"I think if they say 'he's just too short' I don't believe it should matter as much as it does."
Wheeler is within 2cm of Collingwood's Jarryd Blair and Western Bulldog Luke Dahlhaus.
That pair was forced to fight for senior AFL listings via the rookie draft, which is why Wheeler landed at Coburg this season.
Last week, he signed a one-year extension at the Tigers, arriving at the club to sign his deal and undergo media commitments still looking grubby and tired after a long day of work and about to hit the track for a training session.
It summed up how hard the teenager works and, while the club was rapt to secure him, it knows Wheeler is no certainty to stay put next year.
Two AFL recruiters last week indicated he was likely to be snapped up.
On form it is a mystery his name was not called last year. Wheeler started on Collingwood's Ben Johnson in the Round 9 ABC clash.
Before the Magpie veteran limped off injured, commentators were already marveling at Wheeler's natural flair and nous at the stoppages.
Against Casey in Round 12 Wheeler enjoyed one of the best quarters seen this season. In his seventh game of senior football the nephew of former Western Bulldogs and Williamstown coach Terry Wheeler dragged his side across the line with 25 touches and three goals, including the last two of the match.
He was opposed to Melbourne-listed players Addam Maric and Lynden Dunn.
It seems when Wheeler plays well, so do the Tiges.
Wheeler said he is now trying to model his game on Steele Sidebottom, another country kid with close roots back home.
Coburg coach Adam Potter could not have been more glowing in his appraisal of Wheeler.
"He's the best I've seen come in from the TAC Cup and have an impact in the last six years I've been involved (at VFL level). He averages 25 possessions, wins clearances and tackles well," Potter said.
Wheeler is a regular at Potter's nearby Ascot Vale home for dinner and the coach played a key role in settling the second-year plumber into a city lifestyle.
But why Coburg over Williamstown, a club synonymous with the Wheeler name?
"At the start it was because Coburg were closest to the country because they were out at Craigieburn (in pre-season), and I had a few mates down here from Seymour that I knew," Wheeler said.
The Seagulls and Werribee both missed out on the excitement machine, who finally believes he can cut it at the top grade.
"When AFL players come back and you play on them and every now and then you hold your own and it does give you confidence," he said.
Wheeler said he resisted the temptation to stay home and take the easy option of playing country footy for a quick cash grab. He is determined to realise his dream.
"I still like to get back home and do some outdoor hunting and shooting or play other sports," he said. "(I hunt) foxes, or anything that annoys the farmer. It's good fun with all my mates.
"A lot of people do that (stay home and play country footy). It's a big step to come down. That's the reason for me coming down, to get looked at."
He cites his dad, Jeff, as his biggest influence on his football, and could not be held in higher regard at the Tigers.
Recently, Coburg captain Nick Carnell, who Wheeler rates as his best skipper yet, penned a new two-year deal at Coburg.
He said at the time it was partly because of coach Adam Potter's influence and partly because of how excited he was about the next brigade of emerging stars.
Carnell highlighted Wheeler as the most promising, speaking in awe of his work ethic and ability.
If Wheeler is not selected in this year's draft, he plans to spend one more year building his strength and consistent pace at the Tigers.
You get the feeling the story of Willie Wheeler is only just beginning.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/willie-wheeler-bound-for-afl/story-fn53khop-1226096860330
