LIAM OUR NEXT AARON FINCH
JUNIOR cricket prodigy Liam Blackford is the Geelong Advertiser’s Junior Sports Star of the Year.
At only 15 years of age, Blackford is already regarded as one of the best junior cricketers in the country, drawing comparisons to Colac product and Australian limited-overs captain Aaron Finch.
Blackford, a product of North Geelong Cricket Club, is in Perth competing against players more than three years his senior at the national under-19 cricket championships, gaining selection in the Cricket Australia XI.
It will be his second outing in green and gold — he made 257 runs at 42.83 runs for CA in the under-17 carnival in October — as he presses his case for higher honours and balances his cricket life at Geelong
Cricket Club and Geelong College. Blackford is now among the select crop in Cricket Australia’s Pathways Rookie Squad after a brilliant 12 months at all levels.
The pathways rookie program has fast-tracked some of the country’s hottest prospects, with 2018-19 pupils such as Jake Fraser-McGurk (Melbourne Renegades and Victoria) gaining recognition at national senior level.
Jack Edwards, Will Sutherland, Xavier Bartlett and Cameron Green have also forged careers at first-class level after honing their craft in the pathways program.
Blackford was one of five junior athletes short-listed for the Junior Sports Start of the Year award after an outstanding field of nominations from a variety of sports.
He was unable to accept his award at last night’s Barwon Sports Academy dinner as he was in Perth competing in the national championships.
Ethan Grills (national junior steeplechase champion), Jada Sweeney (national under-12 waterski record holder), Dylan Logan (Australian swimmer at the World Deaf Swimming Championships) and Tiana Boras (national triple-jump medallist) were the other four who made the final cut. Another dozen athletes were the subject of intense debate among the judging and voting panel to determine the shortlist.
Blackford will receive $300 from the Geelong Advertiser as part of the award.
Past winners of the award include Olympic judo star Jake Bensted, fourth-placed Winter Olympic skier Jakara Anthony and Australian sprint champion Mia Gross.
Allie Smith (netball), Damien Birkinhead (Olympic shot put) and Chantel Horvat (college basketball) were also past finalists.