This season four youth players have debuted with the Wānaka Associated Football Club (AFC) First Team, playing in the ODT Men’s Southern Premiership. 

“The Men’s First Team has historically been primarily made up of international or overseas players who now call Wānaka home,” Wānaka AFC director of football Ben Sippola said.

“While this is still the case, there is now a huge emphasis on the development of Wānaka youth and providing them with a clear pathway to play senior football at the highest level locally.”

Ben said this was on the back of a “fresh approach” from Wānaka AFC to create a more cohesive connection between the junior, youth and senior club and the academy.

The young First Team players include Zack Adams-Bigg (14), one of the youngest players to debut for the First Team, who has been included in the squad multiple times and started the match in a 1-1 draw with Roslyn Wakari AFC. 

There’s also Barnes Metcalfe (16), a goalkeeper who has played the season with the Men’s Reserve Team. Barnes made his starting debut for the First Team at home against Northern Hearts a couple of weekends ago where he kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 win. 

MJ Dvoracek (15) and Joe Miller (16) also made their debuts early in the 2024 season. 

Wānaka AFC started incorporating the top youth players into full-time training with the senior men’s group in October 2023. 

Ben said this had created “exponential growth and resulted in lots of opportunities and the continued development of Wānaka youth”. 

A number of the club’s youth players will also be part of the 2024 U17 Boys National Youth League squad, which Wānaka AFC is running on behalf of the Central Otago region. 

“The Wānaka AFC First Team are now closing in on the end of the season, and we have our sights set on a second-place finish in the league, which would be our best ever finish,” Ben said.

“The Wānaka AFC U15 Youth Development League team have also had their best ever season, with four games left to play.”

PHOTO: Wānaka AFC