IT was early in the pre-season when Merbein coach Peter Johns approached Kyle Stevens to dangle a carrot in front of his face.

The 16-year-old was coming off a promising year in the club’s Under 16s and Under 18s and was always considered one of the next generation at Kenny Park, earmarked for senior football early.
“Johnsy came up to me about three weeks, maybe two, into the pre-season and said I’d be getting a run this year in the ones ‘so just train harder if you can’,” Stevens said.
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