A year ago, Northern Knights’ Jack Petruccelle was one of the state’s hottest basketball prospects.
He had represented Vic Metro at the under-18 Australian championships and had caught the eye of people at Basketball Australia.
In August, he was one of 31 players who attended a basketball prospects tournament in Canberra where he trained under the eye of national team staff, professional coaches and American college representatives.
While many expected him to be focusing on whether he looked at going to college or not, a letter from the Northern Knights asking him to attend a mid-season try-out changed everything.
“Football was always in the background and basketball was the focus,” the Epping resident said last week.
“I got the letter from the Knights and I thought that it might be my last opportunity to try out for them.”
After impressing at his try-out, Petruccelle made his TAC Cup debut against Oakleigh in late July.
He kicked three goals and was named among the best players, then lined up again to play the following week.
Those two football games sparked something in Petruccelle, who was left with a tough decision – focus on the sport he had always played or take the risk and focus on football.
“I decided to stop playing basketball,” he said. “It was a huge decision. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make in my life. Everyone left it up to me. I think it was the right decision.”
The 18-year-old returned to the Knights for their pre-season, with hopes of making the squad for the current season.
Having spent so much time playing basketball, Petruccelle’s first football pre-season presented some challenges.
“There was kids there that I’d never played against before,” he said.
“There was heaps of fitness work, which was pretty good, but I’d never done anything like that.
“You need a different fitness for basketball than you do football.”
Petruccelle says an improved and modified fitness level has propelled his game to the next level.
He has played in all eight of the Knights’ games this season and been named among their best players seven times. In his most recent performance, against Gippsland Power, he kicked five goals in a best-on-ground performance.
It’s those performances that have him on the draft radar and part of the Vic Metro 47-man training squad for the National Championships.
“It’s weird,” he said. “Just over 12 months ago I was playing basketball for Vic Metro. I didn’t expect to be picked for that team. It’s an even bigger surprise to be in the squad for football.”
Petruccelle doesn’t know if he will make the final Vic Metro football squad, but he knows he’s got a lot of improvement in his game to come. He says his kicking is the main area he an improve on.
He said he had noted the feats of the likes of Melbourne star Christian Petracca. Like Petruccelle, he was a talented junior basketballer before focusing on football.
And while it’s possible Petruccelle could find himself on an AFL list next year he’s not thinking that far ahead.
“I’m just focusing on playing with the Knights,” he said. “I haven’t even thought about the draft or playing AFL.”
