Despite being told three days before the match that he was in the side, it still wasn’t enough time for the former Northern Knights star to get his head around the fact that he was going to play senior football.
And that’s how Meredith found himself on the ANZ Stadium turf, running around like “a chook with its head cut off” for about 20 minutes of the first quarter.
“It was a big game to come into, against the reigning premiers. It wasn’t too bad before the game but when I got on to the ground, the nerves started to kick in,” he said.
“It was good to be out on the ground when the game started and I got my first touch late in the first quarter. I was a bit out of it before that but it was good to get the first touch out of the way.”
Meredith finished with nine kicks, three handballs, six marks and a behind as the Swans stormed to a 38-point win against the Hawks.
Naturally, he was delighted to have contributed to the side’s first win of the year.
“I was pretty happy. It was just exciting to get out there but to get a few kicks was even better,” he said.
It was a mature performance from the 20-year-old in his second year on the Swans list, after struggling for fitness last year.
A persistent shoulder injury restricted him to just four games with the Swans’ reserves and he said those setbacks had fired him to greater efforts in the pre-season.
“[Last year] was tough. I just tried to work hard off the track and get better at other things. I worked on my legs and the weights and that sort of thing,” he said.
“I’ve worked pretty hard in the pre-season so I was happy to play on the weekend. Now, hopefully I’ll keep my spot in the team and keep playing well.”
