It’s easy to get the feeling that success is going to follow Jayden Laverde wherever he goes.
The gun midfielder seemingly collected junior premierships for fun, landing five with his junior club Keilor.
Representative football was always going to come knocking and Laverde has wasted no time making a splash at the next level.
After a brilliant TAC Cup campaign with the Western Jets, he was selected in the Vic Metro side for last month’s national championships.
While pulling on the Victorian jumper may have been daunting for some, the 18-year-old showed his performance only increases when he’s on the big stage.
Laverde starred for Metro and was selected in the competition’s All-Australian team.
“It’s a pretty busy time at the moment, but I feel like I’m handling it pretty well,” he said.
“I’m just trying to keep on top of things and balance it all. That’s the key at the moment.
“I just wanted to try and have a consistent carnival [with Vic Metro]. I really wanted every game to be a good one.
‘‘I was very happy to get that sort of recognition.”
After his dominant display for Metro, Laverde’s name is now a constant in AFL draft discussions.
However, he’s not getting caught up in the speculation and plans to let his game continue to do the talking.
“I just want to make sure I’m enjoying my footy for the rest of the year,” he said.
“I will just take each week as it comes. I’m not looking towards the end of the year just yet. There’s still a long way to go.
‘‘I just want to concentrate on playing the best footy I can.
“Obviously I want to play AFL, but I want to enjoy my footy and not really think about that sort of stuff yet. I’ll just wait until November comes.”
After a bye last week, the Western Jets resume their TAC Cup campaign against NSW/ACT Rams on Saturday.
It’s been an up and down season for the Jets, who lost their first three matches only to bounce back with five wins in a row. The club has since lost four of its past five and is seventh on the ladder.
Laverde hopes the Jets can cement a spot in finals in the coming weeks. “We need to start putting some games together,” he said. “We’re just sitting around the bottom of the eight at the moment. These next couple of weeks are pretty crucial and we need to get those points on
the board.”
Jayden Laverde playing for Vic Metro. Photo: Wayne Hawkins
