Exciting off-season for Rongdit

From training sessions with “Jezza” and “Paddy” to digging into team building exercises at the “Hangar,” Colac’s Ben Rongdit has football at his fingertips ahead of his promising draft year.

Local rising star Ben Rongdit has had an unforgettable couple of weeks, training with AFL powerhouse the Geelong Cats as well as participating in a high-intensity Vic Country camp at Essendon’s Hangar.

The 17-year-old, who is part of the AFL Academy and the Vic Country squad, is gearing up for his draft year in 2025, with plenty of eyes on his development.

Training with the Cats two weeks ago as a part of the AFL and Next Generation Academy programs proved to be a defining moment in Rongdit’s young career.

The Colac Tiger was full of enthusiasm after the experience.

“It was the best experience I think I have ever had,” he said.

“Once you train with an AFL team, it makes you realise how much you want it more.”

Rongdit, a versatile defender with exceptional athleticism, was particularly excited to learn from some of the league’s elite players, such as Geelong stars Jeremy Cameron and Patrick Dangerfield.

“Training with players like Jezza and Paddy was unreal,” he said.

“They’ve got probably some of the best facilities in the competition and some of the best players in the competition.

“It really opened my eyes to what it takes to play at that level.”

Throughout the week, Ben worked closely with Geelong’s first-year players, gradually increasing his involvement with the main group.

“We had to sit out a few drills early on, but as the week progressed, we got to do a lot more with the main group.”

Last week, Ben shifted his focus to a Vic Country camp at Essedon’s Hangar, where he spent time building connections with new members of the squad and continuing his football development.

“It was all about building connections with the new guys in the squad,” he said.

“We had a 7am training session last Tuesday morning which was like something I’d never done before—I was pretty cooked.”

The schedule has been intense, but Rongdit remains driven.

“It’s been tough.

“As soon as school finished, we had the AFL Academy camp, then straight after that with the Cats, and now last week with Vic Country.

“I’m a bit burnt out from it all, but it will be good to recover and rest. I’m already keen for what’s to come.”

Looking ahead to next year, Ben wants to focus on showcasing his strengths while also improving on areas of his game.

“I want to show all my strengths off to recruiters—my intercept marking, my ability to create contests around the ground, and my athleticism.

“I also want to work on my weaknesses, like my kicking efficiency,” he said.

“I want to push myself as high as I can, another thing I want to improve is my leadership and I feel like that has improved substantially.”

Rongdit had a solid 2024, playing predominantly with Geelong Grammar in the APS, as well as an appearance on the MCG in the Futures match on AFL grand final day.

With no doubt surrounding his potential, the Cats will keep a close eye on the Geelong Falcons defender as he is aligned with them through the Next Generation Academy.

This means the Cats will have the option to match a bid on Rongdit at any point of the draft.