GEELONG speedster David Wojcinski considers himself lucky enough to “have always had a little bit of toe”.

Well, “a little bit” might be putting it mildly.

Wojcinski has been thrilling Cats fans – and his teammates – for almost a decade now.

When he gets the ball in space against the Brisbane Lions this week, a ripple of anticipation will go through the Skilled Stadium crowd, before the locals urge the 27-year-old to hit the accelerator.

Wojcinski’s dashing – and often daring – runs from defence have become a trademark feature of Geelong’s exhilarating, attacking brand of footy in the past 12 months.

But they have always been a part of teams in which the Cats’ No. 40 has been involved.

“I’ve always had that in my game, it’s just something I’ve grown up doing,” Wojcinski said.

“Every time I got the ball in juniors, my Dad and coaches used to tell me just to run with it.

“[They used to say] ‘Don’t hog the ball and take too many blokes on but just get it and run and bounce and carry the ball’ and that’s something I’ve always done.

“It comes naturally for me and I’ve kept doing it here at Geelong because the boys love it when I do it, so that’s all I try and do is get it and go.”

Wojcinski, who has played 123 games since being drafted with the 24th pick in the 1998 national draft, said he never did athletics as a youngster.

He instead opted to play football and cricket when growing up. Wojcinski’s speed, it seems, comes naturally. It is a gift.

“My old man reckons he had a bit of toe when he was young,” he said.

Wojcinski isn’t sure exactly who is the quickest player at the Cats, and has never bothered timing himself over 100m.

However few would argue that, with a ball tucked under his arm, the electrifying winger would leave most opponents in his wake.

But whereas on the field, life can be a blur, off it the man Cats fans refer to as “Wojo” – among a host of other nicknames – admits it’s nice to enjoy some quiet time.

That’s where family and a new work interest come in.

Wojcinski and fiancé Casey will marry later this year, and the Geelong star couldn’t be happier with things at home.

Son Alfie is at the “fun stage” and Dad, like a Cats fan in the outer, is loving sitting back and watching.

“He’s great, we’re having a ball with him at the moment,” Wojcinski said.

“You can teach him things and he’s just really happy all the time. He just entertains everyone when they come around to visit and he’s just so much fun.”

Wojcinski isn’t the only member of the ‘Dads with Bubs’ club, with Cameron Mooney, Darren Milburn and Matthew Scarlett also enjoying fatherhood.

“It’s great, no matter how bad a day you’ve had at footy training or a game, you come home and see Alfie. It just puts everything into perspective,” Wojcinski said.

“It certainly puts a smile back on the face.”

A couple of years ago Wojcinski says he spent a lot of his spare time surfing.

While he still tries to find time to ride the waves with regular boarders Cameron Ling, Joel Corey and Brad Ottens, he’s also found a new pursuit is keeping him busy during his time away from the club.

Wojcinski is one of a number of Cats doing a part-time carpentry apprenticeship, where he works a day a week and also attends trade school.

“There’s a few of us doing it and it’s going really well,” Wojcinski said.

“We work one day a week, on our day off, and then go to school one night.

“I was going to go and have a surf today but I’ve got school later, so I can’t.”

Some things in Wojcinski’s life have had to change.

But as long as it’s only surfing that he’s cutting back on, and not those lightning runs through the middle, then Cats fans won’t mind at all.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.