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Prismall's learning curve
11:03:24 PM Thu 16 November, 2006
Jennifer Witham
Sportal for afl.com.au
Earlier this year, Geelong midfielder Brent Prismall said he did not feel he deserved to play senior football in his first full year on the Cats' list back in 2005.
Now, two years after he joined Geelong, the somewhat-unlucky 20-year-old - who broke his arm in his debut match back in round five this year, admits it took time for him to learn just what is required of an AFL footballer.
With the aim to play every match in the 2007 season, Prismall believes taking another step - bigger than the one he took in the 2006 pre-season when his fitness and skill level soared - might just result in him reaching his goal.
"I definitely felt different this year. I'm not sure why, but in the back of your mind you always think when you get drafted, you're a chance to play senior footy that year," Prismall told gfc.com.au on Thursday.
"But looking back on my first year, I wasn't as fit as I should have been and I just didn't appreciate the hard work I had to do to get into the senior team."
Prismall knows the worth of a strong pre-season and credits hard work at the start of this year to the fitness he was able to recover after his broken arm.
"After I had my arm broken, I really wanted to get back in there and looking back now, I got rewards for all that hard work I put in during that five week period when I couldn't do anything," he said.
"Over the pre-season (in 2006) I worked hard so that was pretty much why I got those rewards towards the end of the year."
As for this year, the former Western Jet says the Cats are already working hard after coming back from holidays and are reaping the rewards from hitting the track with vigour.
"It's been good. It's been solid and different but we're already starting to see rewards at the end of the tunnel," he said.
"We're really enjoying it."
Prismall was granted the opportunity to play against the Power in London last month and called the experience one he won't forget in a hurry.
"It was an interesting experience, playing with streakers and Mexican Waves and stuff going on," he said.
"It was an awesome experience and one that will stick with me forever. I was really privileged to play in the game and it's good that the AFL still have that relationship going with London."
As far as club morale at the Cats is concerned, Prismall believes the club's disappointing results in 2006 have sparked a strong desire to raise the bar in the approaching season.
"I think there is a new lease of life with the whole team at the minute. There's a real desire to do well at the moment," he said.
"We appreciate that we didn't fulfil our expectations last year and our ambition is to go forward in 2007 and make it a year the Geelong footy club will remember and hopefully we can walk away with something at the end of it."
Meanwhile, Prismall's younger brother Rhyce is in the mix to be drafted in next Saturday's NAB AFL Draft and the 20-year-old said his sibling is hesitant to talk up his chances.
"I imagine he'd be pretty nervous, I suppose the best thing is for him not to think about it," he said.
"If he gets drafted, he'll be rapt, but if he doesn't he has still got next year to have another crack at it."
"But I'd love to see him running around playing AFL footy as well."
http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=306757
-----------------------------------------------
I hope Pris has a massive year next year, he's all class
11:03:24 PM Thu 16 November, 2006
Jennifer Witham
Sportal for afl.com.au
Earlier this year, Geelong midfielder Brent Prismall said he did not feel he deserved to play senior football in his first full year on the Cats' list back in 2005.
Now, two years after he joined Geelong, the somewhat-unlucky 20-year-old - who broke his arm in his debut match back in round five this year, admits it took time for him to learn just what is required of an AFL footballer.
With the aim to play every match in the 2007 season, Prismall believes taking another step - bigger than the one he took in the 2006 pre-season when his fitness and skill level soared - might just result in him reaching his goal.
"I definitely felt different this year. I'm not sure why, but in the back of your mind you always think when you get drafted, you're a chance to play senior footy that year," Prismall told gfc.com.au on Thursday.
"But looking back on my first year, I wasn't as fit as I should have been and I just didn't appreciate the hard work I had to do to get into the senior team."
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"I think I've done that now but by no means have I hit the levels I need to be at. I still need to keep improving with my fitness and my skill and stuff. But I've got a bit more of an understanding of my body and AFL footy and what goes with it."Prismall knows the worth of a strong pre-season and credits hard work at the start of this year to the fitness he was able to recover after his broken arm.
"After I had my arm broken, I really wanted to get back in there and looking back now, I got rewards for all that hard work I put in during that five week period when I couldn't do anything," he said.
"Over the pre-season (in 2006) I worked hard so that was pretty much why I got those rewards towards the end of the year."
As for this year, the former Western Jet says the Cats are already working hard after coming back from holidays and are reaping the rewards from hitting the track with vigour.
"It's been good. It's been solid and different but we're already starting to see rewards at the end of the tunnel," he said.
"We're really enjoying it."
Prismall was granted the opportunity to play against the Power in London last month and called the experience one he won't forget in a hurry.
"It was an interesting experience, playing with streakers and Mexican Waves and stuff going on," he said.
"It was an awesome experience and one that will stick with me forever. I was really privileged to play in the game and it's good that the AFL still have that relationship going with London."
As far as club morale at the Cats is concerned, Prismall believes the club's disappointing results in 2006 have sparked a strong desire to raise the bar in the approaching season.
"I think there is a new lease of life with the whole team at the minute. There's a real desire to do well at the moment," he said.
"We appreciate that we didn't fulfil our expectations last year and our ambition is to go forward in 2007 and make it a year the Geelong footy club will remember and hopefully we can walk away with something at the end of it."
Meanwhile, Prismall's younger brother Rhyce is in the mix to be drafted in next Saturday's NAB AFL Draft and the 20-year-old said his sibling is hesitant to talk up his chances.
"I imagine he'd be pretty nervous, I suppose the best thing is for him not to think about it," he said.
"If he gets drafted, he'll be rapt, but if he doesn't he has still got next year to have another crack at it."
"But I'd love to see him running around playing AFL footy as well."
http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=306757
-----------------------------------------------
I hope Pris has a massive year next year, he's all class
