Lions in Focus: Flynn Gentile

By Daniel Atamian

He’s only 20 years of age, but for this up and coming VFL talent, Flynn Gentile is taking the state league competition by storm with his football prowess and ball winning abilities.

From his earliest memories of filling in for his older brother Ned’s team when he was around 5 when the team was short of a couple of players, Flynn was very excited to help them out and play alongside his brother. “My first full season came when I was 6 playing in the U/10s for Airport West. It was a no brainer for myself and my family because Dad; Angelo, played over 400 games there and my brother had alrady started playing for the Eagles”.

A natural ball winner, Gentile stated his best position on field is playing on ball “I think this is where I can play my best football because I am around the ball and am able to use my ball winning ability to benefit the team”. His talents would soon be noticed by the Calder Canons who would take on Flynn into their pathway program to help develop his game, it would be here that Flynn’s confidence in his abilities would begin to grow, “I started to gain confidence in my game when I was selected to play for Calder Cannons in the then TAC Cup when I was 16, this was a great challenge but gave me belief that I could really play the game”. As Gentile reflects on his time with the Cannons he highlighted some of top talent in the country that he was fortunate enough to lace his footy boots with “I was lucky enough to play with some great footballers at Calder. Harry Jones is one that stands out because our dad’s played together and to see him go out and play in front of 90,000+ fans is still crazy to me. Josh Goater and Zac Taylor were my age growing up. Zac and I had a great rivalry growing up playing juniors against each other and it’s great to see him succeed”. Looking back at his draft year in 2021 Gentile mentions the disappointment he felt being overlooked by AFL clubs to play on at the national level after the Global pandemic, but acknowledged he had area that needed some work. “Getting overlooked in the draft in 2021 was tough, but with two Covid riddled season I didn’t expect anything. I definitely had areas of my game which still need improving and some still do if I want to take the next step. I was just a skinny little kid who had physical development coming, which I’ve made a big focus now”. 

So why did Flynn choose Coburg you ask? A meeting with club CEO; Sebastian Spagnuolo, & then Head Coach. Andrew Strugess, sold him the ample amount of opportunity that a standalone VFL side would have to offer him compared to that of a VFL Reserve/Aligned side and the values Coburg uphold resonated with what Flynn believed in. “I was doing a preseason at Essendon when Seb and Coburg reached out to me, I sat down with Seb and Sturg and they told me everything I wanted to hear. They emphasised the family values and the “Burger Spirit” which really stood out to me. I knew there and then that I wanted to play for Coburg”. Flynn would not need to wait long to make his VFL debut with the Lions as he was thrown right into the fire for Coburg’s first game of 2022 in a Round 2 clash against an old standalone rival in Port Melbourne at Piranha Park. “I was so excited to get my first chance in the first game of the 2022 season. I knew Coburg and Port Melbourne has a rivalry being two successful standalone clubs. I didn’t know what to expect playing VFL football, but it was a day I’ll never forget. We won by 4 points I think and singing the song in the rooms after the game was truly unforgettable.”  

Entering his second year of VFL football, Flynn credits his development from his first game to become more adapted to the state league level to the likes of Jesse (Corigliano) and Braedyn (Gillard). “My development from my first game to now has been thanks to some of my teammates. The likes of Rigga & Gilly have really taught me how to play VFL football, but more importantly how to help Coburg. Rigga being the captain and Gilly being next to me in the midfield have given me the confidence and belief to take my game to the next level”. When asked about the level of promise and excitement that has built around his impressive first year with the Burgers, Gentile has not planned out any goals outside of helping his side improve in 2023. “I can’t really say I have any goals for this year. I would love to get drafted; that’s always been a dream, but for me at the moment I’m just looking to enjoy my time at the VFL level and trying to play good footy with some great mates. Whatever comes from that is a bonus.”

2022 would see Flynn finish off his debut season at 4^th place for the Best & Fairest award but taking out the Phil Cleary Rising Star Award at the Lions Jim Sullivan B&F Awards night, The young prospects game play was also noticed by the competition as he would finish as a finalist for the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal at the 2022 VFL/W Awards Night. “I was pretty surprised when I was a finalist for the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell last year considering the young talent across the VFL. It was great to be recognized for my hard work but this is just the beginning of my journey. It gave me great confidence and a little motivation to be even better this year and take my game to the next level”.

When asked about the upcoming 2023 AFL Mid-Season Draft and how Coburg has prepared him to take the next step and make an impact for a club looking to take a chance on him, Gentile responded “With the Mid-Season Draft around the corner, I’m just trying to play my best footy and prove I’m good enough for the next step. I could benefit an AFL club through my work rate, leadership and ball winning ability. These are the areas I pride my game on and will continue to do so in whatever competition I find myself in… Coburg has taught me many values; Resilience, Loyalty and Celebrate, are the ones that stand out to me. These are areas we pride our club on and moving forward I will pride my career on. If I’m lucky enough to make it to the next level that would be a dream come true, if not I’m looking to further improve here at Coburg and make it the best team possible”.  

Off the field, Flynn has started a new career path and likes to enjoy in a hobby or two, “I have just started a plumbing apprenticeship with NOVCON based in Coburg, and this is my focus when outside of football. When I’m not playing or working I enjoy playing Golf and just spending time with my family and friends”.

Whether he is selected in the AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft or not, Flynn Gentile has shown he has plenty of upside and is a rising star in the footballing world and one to watch and with plenty of football left in season 2023, he is sure to continue to leave his mark on the VFL competition.

#WeAreCoburg #LionMode