Ten of Victoria’s best young auctioneers will compete in the 2018 Australian Livestock & Property Agents Association’s (ALPA) Victorian Young Auctioneers Competition at Pakenham on Monday.
And this year’s field of competitors is majority first-timers, according to Elders auctioneer and head trainer Morgan Davies.
“You usually get a few guys who’ve been doing it for four or five years, but there’s been a bit of a change of the guard this year with a lot of them now either too old or already successful, so there’s seven newbies,” Mr Davies said.
He said the finalists come from a range of locations, businesses and experience levels.
“Some have been selling for three or four years and are quite senior auctioneers, and then you’ve got your rookies, who are still very good,” he said.
He said judges will have strict criteria to look out for, but will also enjoy seeing the auctioneers’ personalities come through.
“They’re going to be judged on selling three lots to a field of buyers, judged on the values they ask for and what they get, as well as their clarity, poise and confidence,” he said.
“Auctioneering style is a funny and complex thing, you can really let your personality shine through.”
He said the finalists will have to deliver on all of these expectations while most likely “packing their dacks with nerves”.
“It’s a nervewarcking thing, being up there in front of your colleagues and other industry people, but they’re all certainly up to it,” he said.
He said the training program was quite stringent, with multiple training days in the lead up to the competition.
This will be the 29th year of the competition that is held in partnership with the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV).
The winner and runner up will have the opportunity to represent Victoria at the 2019 ALPA National Young Auctioneers Competition, held in Sydney at the Royal Easter Show next April.
The competition will begin at 11.30am on Monday, September 10, and will be livestreamed here.
