IT was the moment every kid has dreamed of – the chance to win a title with the last kick of the game.
But while Regan Clarke lined up the set shot which won the AFL Under-18 Championships for WA, his captain Deven Robertson could not bear to watch.
“I didn’t watch it go through. I walked off to the boundary line because I knew it was the last kick,” Robertson said.
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READ NOW“I had my back turned and when I saw all the boys go up on the bench, I knew he must have slotted it.”
Victory capped a sensational tournament for the tenacious inside midfielder, who won the Larke Medal for the championship’s most outstanding player, following in the footsteps of Stephen Coniglio, Christian Petracca, Dom Sheed and Lachie Whitfield.
The Perth Demons product also broke the competition record for most disposals over the four-game series, previously held by Carlton’s Sam Walsh, the number one pick in the 2018 AFL Draft.
Robertson, the nephew of ex-West Coast Eagles captain Darren Glass, was instrumental in his side’s final round win over Victoria Country, finishing with 28 possessions, eight tackles, six clearances and six inside-50s to lead WA to its first Under 18’s title in 10 years.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Robertson leaned on his uncle’s big game experience for some words of wisdom on the game’s eve.
“I saw Darren a couple of times when I was over in Melbourne, I went and saw him the night before a game as well and then after the game he came down into the change rooms,” he said.
“He just said although it was a big game, it was just another game and I shouldn’t approach it any differently.”
Robertson’s outstanding form, which saw him named captain of the Under 18 All-Australian side, surely turned the head of many a scout, but the Aquinas College student insists he is not getting too carried away.
“I’m not too focused on the draft at the moment, you can only really focus on one thing at a time and my main objective at the moment is playing good footy,” he said.
“If you play good footy, things will take care of themselves and at the end of the year, you’ll get what you want.”
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