Current New Zealand backline regular, Jared Court has been named Captain of the Western Crows line up for the 2016 AFL New Zealand Premiership Season commencing in February.
Coach Rob Malone was very happy with the appointment and has expectations that Courts calming and calculated influence will benefit the team greatly.
The 27 year old Court made his senior debut for Canterbury Club Eastern Blues in 2005 and has been a solid representative within New Zealand teams since 2011.
Four National Provincial Championship victories with the Canterbury Cobras as well as four Canterbury AFL Grand Final victories with local club Eastern Blues, make Court the perfect leader for the fledgling team. A coaching role within the New Zealand Under 18’s team over the past three year has also provided balance to his leadership qualities.
Court said,
“I have seen a lot of young players develop through the New Zealand High Performance system but an area we have really missed is a good amount of game time development. The AFL New Zealand Premiership is a perfect addition to the regional club seasons and a great opportunity for players at NPC level to play more games at a higher level. I’m looking forward to promoting players from Canterbury to be a part of the Premiership Competition.”
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It is expected that Head Coach Rob Malone will utilise Courts experience in a coaching capacity during the season.
“Jared’s voice and organisational skills can be used easily in the position of a defensive line coach and we will make the most of his abilities in this area.”
