The 10 finalists for the Victorian Young Auctioneers Competition revealed
The Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association has shortlisted its finalists for the Victorian Young Auctioneers Competition, and there is talent all around.
Ten of Victoria's finest young agents have been selected by ALPA following last week's young auctioneers school at Mortlake.
Thirty agents were put through their paces over two days at the Western Victorian Livestock Exchange (WVLX).
Agents from across several agencies and parts of the state were tested on their auctioneering skills with their speech, voice, value knowledge, body language and control of the sale all examined.
This year's 10 Victorian finalists will fight it out at the WVLX again on Monday, September 15.
From there, a winner and a runner-up will progress to the 2026 National Young Auctioneers Competition at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney.
A competitors' dinner will be held on Sunday, September 14 at the Warrnambool Racing Club.
The 10 Victorian finalists include:
- Jake Anthony, Phelan & Henderson & Co, Leongatha
- James Gadd, Elders, Ballarat
- Declan Haines, Elders, Ballarat
- Will Holt, McKean McGregor, Bendigo
- Will Phillips, Elders, Yea
- James Robbins, Nutrien, Leongatha
- Henry Bensch, JM Ellis & Co, Hamilton
- Carley Einsiedel, Alex Scott & Staff, Sale
- Jack Richards, Elders, Kyneton
- Trent Severino, TB White & Sons, Ballarat
The Victorian Young Auctioneers Competition finalists
Pictures by Barry Murphy
Stock & Land caught up with some of those selected about their start in agency work and aspirations for the future.
Will Phillips, Elders, Yea
Will Phillips, originally from Bathurst, NSW, undertook the Elders traineeship four years ago and now works as an agent at Elders Yea.
During his training, he spent some time in Wagga Wagga, NSW, but has now been at Yea for two years and works mostly with cattle producers, alongside fellow Elders agents Ryan Sargeant, Jamie Quinlan and Bruce Elliot.
Mr Phillips wanted to be involved in agency work from a young age.
"I grew up on a farm and wanted to get into the agricultural industry, and the livestock industry just seemed like the best route to take to be a part of so many different farming operations," he said.
"[It's about] connecting with your clients and being a part of their operation, taking notes of little things like family members, all that sort of stuff, and just building the relationship.
"That's probably the biggest part."
He said he would like to still be working with the Elders Yea team in 10 years' time.
"I just want to continue to grow the business in Yea and continue building on the auctioneering," he said.
"I want to make more relationships and build the ones that I've already got."
Jake Anthony, Phelan & Henderson & Co, Leongatha
Jake Anthony, from a beef farm at Arawata, started in agency work five years ago, originally with Alex Scott & Staff, and started auctioneering four years ago.
Mr Anthony joined the Phelan & Henderson & Co (PHC) team two years ago and is now building up a strong client base in South Gippsland.
He said the "social aspect" was one of his favourite things about livestock agency work.
"It's about being able to talk to a range of different people and the connections you can have with them," he said.
He said the PHC team worked to offer clients a service that ultimately helped improve their profitability.
He hoped to still be working with PHC in 10 years' time.
Mr Anthony said he'd like to continue to "just grow my business and become a sufficient and profitable agent".
He said he took part in the auctioneers school to get feedback on his selling skills from those outside of his own saleyard.
"Having that feedback is something that helps you get better and better," he said.
Carley Einsiedel, Alex Scott & Staff, Sale
Carley Einsiedel, originally from Boisdale, joined the Alex Scott & Staff team at Sale two years ago and started selling her first stock 12 months ago.
Ms Einsiedel is the first female to make the final of the Victorian Young Auctioneers Competition and was the sole female competing against 29 men at the auctioneers school.
She said being a woman never held her back from wanting a career in agency work.
"I always loved the agriculture industry and the livestock and forming connections with farmers and clientele," she said.
"That just drew me to the industry."
Ms Einsiedel hadn't seen any other female auctioneers selling stock, particularly cattle, across Victoria.
She said she took part in the ALPA school to "broaden my horizons".
"I wanted to improve my knowledge of auctioneering and make new connections with other agents which it's been fantastic for," she said.
Declain Haines, Elders, Ballarat
Declan Haines, originally from a beef farm at Carcoar, NSW, has been an agent with Elders at Ballarat for five years.
He also completed the Elders traineeship and started out seven years ago.
"I think growing up around the industry and just off a cattle farm myself, it was just always a career path that was very interesting to me," he said.
Mr Haines said he always liked the auctioneering aspect of livestock agency work.
"That was probably from the outside looking in before I started," he said.
"Now I'm really taking a significant interest and enjoying the client-facing work, building a business and working with clients to sell their stock."
He said the young auctioneers competition was a "great opportunity to network and connect with agents of a similar age".
Henry Bensch, JM Ellis & Co, Hamilton
Henry Bensch, from a sheep and cropping farm at Penshurst, started as an agent with JM Ellis & Co at Mortlake and Hamilton as recently as last October.
At 19, he was one of the youngest agents to be shortlisted for the Victorian final.
Mr Bensch had worked with JM Ellis & Co casually over his summers for four years at Hamilton.
"I quite enjoy interacting with people every day and trying to get the best result for our clients," he said.
He enjoyed building client relationships with farmers and "getting to see all the countryside".
Mr Bensch said he hoped to "establish a solid clientele" and to be trying to sell cattle in 5-10 years' time.
"I'm happy to see where [agency work] takes me, but mostly [I'd like] to get a good clientele together and be an auctioneer as well," he said.
He said sheep were his comfort zone and something he had a strong passion for.
He was encouraged by fellow JM Ellis & Co agent Jack Hickey to join the auctioneers school.
"Jack's been a big mentor and influence on myself," he said.
"It's a good opportunity to gain better skills and keep progressing."
James Gadd, Elders, Ballarat
James Gadd, originally from a beef and sheep farm at Swan Hill, started the Elders traineeship five years ago and has spent time working at Hamilton, Bendigo and Yea.
He now operated at Ballarat, working with the Elders team.
Mr Gadd said livestock agency work was all about the people.
"It's about working with good, like-minded people, whether it be clients, other agents or people in the branch," he said.
He said agency and auctioneering were very much results-driven roles.
"When we do a good job, when it's rewarding for us, it's also rewarding for the client at the end of the day, too," he said.
"We have a good, strong team around us in Ballarat, and I think we do a great job."
He took part in the auctioneers school because he enjoyed "fine-tuning" his auctioneering craft.
"It's good hearing different people's views and opinions on different things you're doing, what you're doing well and what you could do better," he said.
