The Central Giants have announced Max Hicks as their first retained base player for the 2017 AFL New Zealand Premiership.
Max was first identified at the AFL New Zealand Youth competition last year and at only 17 years of age, Hicks was approached to play in the Premiership and had a stellar debut Premiership season in 2016 where covered multiple positions for the Giants and quickly became a loud voice on the field.
To cap off a fantastic AFL season, the 196cm student from Rosmini College was selected in the national NZ Hawks Under 18 side which toured Melbourne in May. His form continued in the game against the South East Victorian side as he kicked two crucial goals for the Hawks and was named among the best. Several AFL Club scouts were also on hand at the match and were impressed with what they saw.
In 2017, the Giants will look to develop Max further under the guidance of experienced head coach Rob Malone. “Max is a talented young footballer with a lot of potential in the game of AFL. The Giants coaching staff will identify the areas that we want him to develop as he is a big asset in the side for next year’s competition.
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