By Tyler Lewis
The future of footy in the south east is in safe hands.
Beaconsfield’s Kayleb Lovett and Pakenham’s Mitch Toner will don the famous Victorian jumper in July for the School Sport Victoria 15-Under side.
And while this is the first time the pair will pull on the Big V, the approach for both Lovett and Toner will be the same as when they pull on their Eagles and Lions threads:
“Play my normal footy.”
Lovett – who attains an achievement list that a 300-gamer would be proud of – is looking forward to the physicality of the tournament and is leaning on the times he has played football for Beaconsfield in a higher age group when the carnival in New South Wales rolls around.
“It’ll be good to represent the state… (and) playing with some different boys” he said.
“They’re obviously a lot older (when playing up), they’re bigger bodies, for the Vics there will be a lot of bigger bodies.
“I have played a bit everywhere, bit of forward, bit of mid and a bit of back, it’s just so much faster, the ball is moving a lot of quicker.
“(I am hoping to play) midfield – I have played there for predominantly my whole career so probably there.”
Toner is no stranger to playing up either; recently completing a pre-season with the Narre Warren under-19’s and senior group last summer.
The attacking midfielder noticed the speed, skill and ‘game sense’ differences when training with the Magpies, while also revealing what he is looking forward to the most in a months’ time.
“The physicality and the skill level between my age group and training with the (under) 19’s and the seniors,” he said.
“Game sense, how much quicker they move the ball and the physicality as well.
“It’ll be good to play with and against the best players in the country.”
To many parents chagrin, most teenagers spent the repetitive lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 twiddling thumbs on the Xbox or PlayStation, but Lovett and Toner approached the breaks with a different goal in mind.
Lovett focused on building his tank and dabbled in some boxing, all while never failing to have a Sherrin in hand.
“I just tried to keep as fit as I could,” he said.
“I didn’t want to be lazy over the big break, so I was going for runs, I did a bit of boxing with dad, and was always at the oval having a kick.
“Through my school we do heaps of football at school – that has helped me heaps.
“We train every day apart from one, we do skills work, gym another day, recovery on Monday’s – it’s been really good.”
For Toner, it was about improving his touch, completing handball drills with dad Chris at home and creating good running habits – habits he believes he’s carried into 2022.
“During lockdown I was out on the tennis court doing mostly handball practice with dad,” he said.
“Not through Covid, but throughout this off-season I did heaps of work with a running coach.
“Rick Mirabella, he has helped me heaps to get where I am.
“(he has taught me) not just one thing, a lot of footy running, getting me prepared for the season and my goals.”
As ‘play my normal footy’ is the first hurdle Lovett intends to leap over, he does have a bigger accomplishment in mind.
“Play well; get recognised,” he said.
And for Toner, despite being a bottom-ager in the 15-Under side, he isn’t tackling the carnival with the safety net of potentially having a bigger impact next season.
“No I am going to try crack it with the older boys, I got into the team for that reason, “he said.
If a Toner ever bled, they would bleed black and white, so the look of Mitch wearing a Pakenham jumper is odd.
But he has revealed he had a (restricted) choice of where he could play if he wanted to chase some higher division footy.
“I was at Narre for most of my juniors, under-8’s – I played two under-11 seasons – but I was playing Division 3,” he said.
“I really wanted to get out there (and play a bit higher), so I had options to go to anywhere I wanted… except Beacy or Berwick.
“I go to school in Pakenham and most of my mates at school play for Pakky.”
Though the influence disapproving a Beacy or Berwick jumper being worn is pretty strong, Lovett hasn’t wavered from trying to recruit his mate to Holm Park.
“Yeah I always try (to recruit Mitch), I was just talking to him before about it,” he said.
“You can win a flag over at Beacy…”
Lovett – who likes the way Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury has endless composure – and Mitch – who likes the way Dustin Martin and Buddy Franklin impact the game through hitting the scoreboard – jet off to Lavington on 23 July.
