Jesse Drever has labelled his appointment as the Geelong Falcons’ new Talent Lead a “privilege”.
K rock Football revealed last month that Drever would become just the fifth Talent Lead/Regional Manager in the club’s 32-year history, following in the footsteps of Paul Armstrong, Michael Turner, Tom Lonergan and Bree Beckley.
After spending the past 12 months working for AFL Cairns, Drever is back at Highton Reserve and renewing his lengthy association with the Falcons.
The 33-year-old spent time as a training partner with the Falcons before contacting Turner about an involvement when he commenced his tertiary studies.
“I started off in the club’s exercise science space and working with Levi Turner at the time,” Drever, a father-of-two, said.
“It’s the way the program is; if you want to learn, if you want to develop, there’s always opportunities to do so.
“So, I developed through working in footy operations with Andy (Allthorpe), who invested me in that space, and Dan O’Keefe did the same.
“That’s something I’ve always found really special about the program and something I’ll continue to develop.
“Obviously, it’s a player development pathway, but it’s also a people development pathway as well.”
Drever believes missing out on the main list gives him a different perspective from others in the program who went further with their football.
“I made it all the way through to the final cut, so it’s something I’ve been able to pass on when we’ve had exit interviews and those conversations,” he said.
“A lot of the publicity goes to players that go onto higher honours – AFL, VFL.
“I can share the story of “This is what happens; most kids don’t make it in the program, so what can you learn from that side of things?”.
The fixture for the boys’ and girls’ Talent League seasons has been released.
However, both Falcons teams are scheduled to play just three times combined within the boundaries of the Geelong region.
The boys’ side have five home games at Werribee’s Avalon Airport Oval, while after playing on GMHBA Stadium for the first time later this month, the girls’ team aren’t fixtured for a game in Geelong for the remainder of the season.
Having more matches in Geelong will be a priority for Drever as he starts to warm the Talent Lead chair.
“To make sure the Falcons are front and centre in conversations around playing games in the region,” he said.
“Werribee’s been a great home for us for a number of years.
“GMHBA, we really want to make sure we get as many possible opportunities there.
“But, there are some great grounds in the Geelong region, and I think there’s some opportunities in that space to showcase the best talent in the region within the region itself.”
