It took recruiters just one game to sit up and take notice of draft prospect Zane Duursma, who hopes to follow in the footsteps of older brother Xavier and make it onto an AFL list.
The talented teen from Foster racked up 22 touches, 10 marks and kicked four goals in a stunning display for Vic Country earlier this year to propel himself into top five draft contention.
Multiple sources spoken to by foxfooty.com.au believe if North Melbourne hold their two top-three picks, they’d use at least one of them on Duursma – the explosive Gippsland Power medium forward with match-turning capabilities.
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But the self-confessed “footy head” says he’d go anywhere to crack an AFL list.
“I’m ready, ready as ever,” he said.
“I’ve been hanging out for this for a while now. I can’t wait.”
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Despite a slow start to the year as he battled a chest infection, Duursma came home with a rush to rocket up draft contention.
The teen says his brilliant display against Vic Metro certainly gave him the confidence to finish out his Coates League season with 20 goals in the last six games.
“It’s the one (game) I guess everyone’s talking about. Everything clicked in that third quarter; the ball just started coming straight to me and it was great,” he said.
“Getting that confidence back … I think that really helped me in that game.”
His outstanding form saw him rewarded with three VFL games, including lining up alongside Casey teammate Brodie Grundy.
One talent manager said playing against Duursma can be “death by a thousand cuts” while a former coach of the teen described him as the “most skilful player” he’s seen.
But it wasn’t all smiles in season 2023 for the 18-year-old who admits “struggling to breathe” during the early part of the season.
“I was a bit sick at the start of the year. I think my pre-season was really good … but sickness got me,” he said.
“I was knocked for six for about six weeks. I was pretty ill.
“I was struggling to breathe out on the ground.
“Once that passed and then championships started, I picked up from there on out.”
Duursma is no stranger to the AFL environment, watching brother Xavier get drafted to Port Adelaide, and then sister Yasmin debuting for the Power in AFLW.
With younger brother Willem powering through the junior ranks, there’s no doubt it’s a talent-packed Duursma family.
And this year’s draft hopeful credits his dad for the work he put in – plus plenty of backyard footy sessions as siblings.
“(Dad’s) been my coach since I was nine, playing under 11s for the Stingrays,” he told foxfooty.com.au.
“He’s had a great influence on my footy career, coaching and improving what I’m good at. Under 16s was the last time he coached me.
“He definitely gives feedback – whether it’s good or bad. Constructive feedback to us boys. I think his knowledge of the game is quite incredible as a coach.”
Duursma laughed as he recalled backyard football bust ups with his siblings, admitting he was the “troublemaker” when it was just himself, Yasmin and Willem on the field.
“We’ve had a few blues every now and then. Playing footy up on the little footy oval area,” he said.
“Put some little goalposts in when we were younger. We used to have a few fights up there.
“It would be those two versus me and I wouldn’t hold back.”
Duursma held draft interviews with the likes of GWS coach Adam Kingsley (pick 7), North Melbourne’s Alastair Clarkson (picks 2 and 3) and Hawthorn’s Sam Mitchell (pick 4) in recent weeks.
Melbourne also loom large with pick six (thanks to the deal for Luke Jackson with Fremantle last year), with Duursma training with the club last pre-season.
It’s unlikely he’ll be reunited with brother Xavier who was traded to Essendon last month, giving the Bombers don’t have a pick until 9.
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