Opportunity is one of those funny things in football. It comes and goes very quickly. The best teams and the best players are always ready to take opportunities when they arise.
Working with the younger players at the Swans, there is nothing I stress more to them than to be prepared to seize every opportunity.
2010 has been a rare one for the Swans, in that we have been able to give opportunities to many of our young players. Historically we haven’t been a club that has played first year players in the seniors at all, but this year has probably been an exception to the rule.This has come about not because we have changed our philosophy of playing guys when they are ready, but because our exciting group of young players continues to show us on and off the field that they are ready to take the next step.
Two of the players who have seized their opportunities this year are Lewis Jetta and Trent Dennis-Lane. Both are more mature aged players who have come from playing against big bodies in the WAFL competition in Perth. Lewis and Trent will flourish over time and with the experience of playing every week. They will continue to learn about the intensity of AFL football and about the attributes of established AFL opponents.
Dan Hannebery has been another rare case. Though he did play a few games in 2009, his ability to come in and play almost every game this year has been outstanding. Both physically and mentally it is tough for a 19 year old to achieve what Dan has this year. He is a fantastic example for our younger players in regard to consistency of effort.
Perhaps the player that has most pleasantly surprised me and the rest of the coaching staff has been Sam Reid. Sam was taken in the draft as a key position prospect and with your key position players you generally expect them to take a bit longer to develop - physically but also in terms of the impact they have on games.
Watching him play in the TAC Cup he would drift in an out of games, but what he has shown this year is that he has a great work ethic and he’s a reliable player regardless of the position he is playing. Sam has played a number of roles at either end of the ground and even in the ruck at times this year. He is a no questions asked, do what the team needs type of player. I think his attitude has really pushed him up the list in terms of getting that opportunity at senior level.
At whichever end of the ground he finds his position at senior level, he has the skills, smarts and competitiveness to be a really good player for this club. He has been the ideal example of player that has been consistent with his effort and put himself in a position where an opportunity will soon come his way.
Gary Rohan is another player that has impressed us and played senior footy in his first year. He has some fantastic attributes, but the best thing we believe for his development this year is to alternate his time in the senior team and back in the reserves. He’s going through this process at the moment, and at the same time, like all first year players, he has to get his body used to the rigours of senior footy and getting through a full season given the training loads involved. It’s a real balancing act in terms of trying to prepare them and making sure that they recover well from games. There are a variety of areas all new recruits need to learn regarding professionalism, work ethic and football development and that’s been the process Gary has gone through this year.
You never know when an opportunity may arise, which is exactly why consistent effort, week in and week out, is so important. Young players simply can’t afford to miss an opportunity, because it arose when their effort dropped. Over the next four weeks, more opportunities will present themselves to our group and with consistent effort, one of those opportunities could be finals footy.
