- Banned
- #51
Are you the youngest mod wow2006/2007 - U/12's, medium sized forward, bobbed up for a couple of goals a game, not much else. Was good with my skills and at ground level, loved a snap over a set shot.
2008 - first year of graded competition in U/14's, serviceable forward in the 2's, we got pumped every week though so there wasn't a whole lot to laugh about as a goal kicker. Many a scary day travelling out to Thomson or Corio early in the morning.
2009 - U/14's 2's premiers, such a great feeling. I have vivid memories of this season. I was reinvented as a full-back as I started to get a bit taller, still skinny as a rake though, was 176cm/54kg. Relished the FB role after hating it initially. Come the grand final we were 3 goals up with three minutes left against the best team all year. I don't know how, but we nearly threw it away. The opposition hit back hard and levelled the scores. We went into extra time, after spending the second half of the final term on the pine I got thrown into the forward line in extra time. Immediately took a mark from just outside 50 and bombed it long to the top of the square, one of my best mates takes a mark and kicks the goal to win the game. Awesome stuff.
2010/2011 - Up to the U/16's. Back to being a forward in the 2's. Still yet to ever play a 1's game. At times I kicked a few goals but generally it was pretty tough as I was still dealing with Severs Disease in the heels that I had since about 2006. It is a shocker of a problem and really affects your bone spurs etc.
2012 - First year in U/18's, felt much more like a part of the club, doing my job as a forward in the 2's still, had shot up in height though and was also a part time ruckman. Missed the first six weeks of the season through shin splints. Couldn't take a trick, fractured shins on both legs. Learnt to hate boxing. Kicked a bag of 6 in the wet one cold day and took a screamer too, umpire clapped me as I took the mark, one of my favourite games. I always had the ability to kick very opportunistic goals that were more suited to small crumbing forwards but I was too inconsistent and went missing at times. Regardless I still won our team goal kicking with about 25 goals for the year.
2013 - Final year of junior footy in U/18's, began to love training because I hated fitness work so much. Coach took a punt on me by putting me in the 1's round one and it's paid off, have held my spot the last seven or eight weeks and really loving my footy after basically conceding I was giving up at the end of last year. Have become a full time ruckman and my size is now 194cm/79kg. Still skinny but have filled out a bit more, still go down forward occasionally, but just love being a part of a team where there's greatly skilled midfielders to palm the ball down to. Best part of being a ruckman is that you are always in the play.
Overall it is a stroke of luck that my last year in footy has been my most enjoyable but it also comes down to a bit of perseverance and belief that I finally made the 1's side after six years.