DOB: 13 February 1989
Height: 182cm
Weight: 80kg
Drafted: East Fremantle
You have represented WA in two other sports aside from football, can you tell fremantlefc.com.au about that?
As a youngster I was playing football during winter and in summer was playing baseball. I started off with Tee-Ball and went through the ranks before playing with South Perth Baseball Club. I played a few years with them before getting the opportunity to represent WA in the national championships in Alice Springs when was 14. I also did karate from when I was six years old and continued with that for about 10 years or so. I have my black belt and represented WA a few times from when I was 12 to 15.
The U18 Championship was a very successful one for you personally, was that rewarding?
Obviously the most important thing was to win the carnival, that was my goal from the outset, and to play some good footy along the way so we could achieve that goal. To win those awards was a huge bonus but it wasn’t something I aimed for – my primary goal was to play as well as I could to help WA win the Championships.
You were also named in the All-Australian Under-18 Team, a huge honour considering the level of competition you played against?
It was a real honour to be a part of that team. To see the other guys named in the team and how good they are was just such a privilege and a very humbling achievement.
How was your experience at the AFL Draft Camp?
It was very physically demanding. We had a long season with the National Championships and a full season of league football, so to have the Draft Camp after all of that it was quite demanding. You have to maintain your fitness all the way through between the end of the WAFL season and the Draft Camp to make sure you are as physically prepared as possible. It was also mentally demanding but all you had to do was be yourself and it made a huge difference.
Draft day is always a nerve wracking day but your experience was extra nerve wracking. What happened?
I had all my friends and family around to watch the draft. We had the computer hooked up to the TV and after pick 3 the internet froze and no one knew what was going on or if I had been picked up. We got a phone call and someone said I had been picked up by Essendon so the house went a bit quiet but once the computer refreshed and we all saw my name next to Fremantle’s first pick we all jumped up and started screaming.
You were part of the playing squad that went to South Africa. How was that experience?
It was an amazing trip. To see the things that we saw made me realise how lucky I am to live in WA and how easy we have got things compared to some sections of the population in South Africa. It was good to also play my first game over there.
Which players have helped you the most?
I’ve gotten pretty close to Paul Hasleby and Byron Schammer since i have been here. They have given me good advice on how to go about things and prepare for training and playing.
