Mawson’s move to strong NEAFL club looks a winner

NEAFL club Aspley have an outstanding record of having their footballers drafted and the Hornets are hoping Port Douglas’ Josh Mawson becomes the next on their production line.

Crocs premiership player and reigning Troy Clarke AFL Cairns Rising Star Award winner, Mawson, will take his huge talents south to the NEAFL in 2020 following his outstanding 2019 AFL Cairns season.

The Victorian on-baller was always likely to spend just one season in the Far North, with the aim to play against experienced men and return south with an eye to getting drafted into the AFL.

Aspley football manager Mark Perkins can see AFL ability in the lightning quick midfielder after having Harris Andrews, Eric Hipwood, Aliir Aliir and Mabior Chol, among others, drafted to the big time from their NEAFL club in recent seasons.

“One of the key things we want to do as a club, we want to win premierships and win games of footy, but we really want to give kids the opportunity to get drafted,” Perkins said. “We have done that well over the last decade with 12 drafted from our club.

“Watching Josh’s highlights, we think he fits into that profile in our NEAFL program, we are keen to bolster our midfield in terms of leg speed.

“We saw this as a great opportunity to get a kid into our system and then hopefully get him drafted in the future.

“We have a few midfielders that are a little long in the tooth so a kid like Josh should give them a chop out.”

Youngster Mawson claimed a top three finish in the Crocs best and fairest.

Mawson becomes the latest Troy Clarke AFL Cairns Rising Star Award winner to dominate the local competition as a teenager before heading to the NEAFL.