Big is not always better when it comes to aspiring junior AFL players.

Larkan Turner, a member of the QBE Swans Academy from Sydney’s northern beaches, is one of the smaller players in his Under 14 squad but that is not holding him back.

Academy general manager, Chris Smith, says Larkan, who plays club football for Manly, uses his speed to advantage. “He’s quick to run into space and provide options for his teammates,’’ Smith said.

“He also has very neat skills, which means he can use the ball well and hit targets.

“He’s a great example of a young player who works with his own strengths.’’

Smith said it’s important not to focus too much on size, and especially height, when assessing junior footballers.

“Too often when selecting junior representative teams the advantage goes to boys who have the extra centimetres or the extra kilograms,’’ Smith said.

“Because the lighter or smaller boys can’t crash and bash their way to the football like the bigger boys, they can sometimes be unfairly overlooked.’’

Smith said the Swans Academy was very aware that boys grow at different times, with some being early developers while others are late bloomers who don’t gain height until their late teens.  

“The key is not to make harsh assessments of players at an early age,’’ Smith said.

“We want to encourage boys like Larkan who lack brawn or height to focus on other assets they might have, such as speed, skill or their ability to read the play.

“That means they’ll be well prepared once they have their growth spurt.’’

Conversely, boys who are early developers and dominate in junior football because of their size can find it hard to adapt when other boys catch up.

“At the Academy we’re very conscious of what stage boys are at with their physical and emotional maturity. We look at their long-term prospects and take a long-term approach to developing players.

“With those things in mind, we’re really happy with the way Larkan is progressing and look forward to watching him develop over the next few years.’’