For Jack Cole, there is only really one thing he asks for, and that is some wins for the Frankston Dolphins.
"My life would be complete!" he laughed at the suggestion of being part of a Dolphins team that won on a regular basis.
"Everything else in my life is going pretty good, so that would really complete the picture."
Like many others his age, 'Char' Cole has set his sights on climbing the enormous mountain of owning his own home, working six days per week as well as one night shift to raise the necessary funds. With this in his sights, a return to the MPNFL is something that regularly crosses his mind.
"It's very tempting," the 20 year old said about returning to Tooradin where he has thoroughly enjoyed playing almost 40 games. But Cole said as much as he loves his local club, living out his VFL dream still holds sway.
"I love the standard, love the challenge. I love training with brand new footies, love training on a beautiful carpet oval, with players who really care about improving and coaches who really want you to improve. It would just be good if we could have a bit more success."
Cole has grown up accustomed to winning.
He started playing football in the Devon Meadows U10s, and in the next five years would win three premierships, all playing up an age group to bolster numbers. "That under 16 premiership is still very memorable," he said. "We weren’t meant to win, they (Somerville) had a great team with Andrejs Everitt, Josh Collie and a heap of other good players, and they were playing as a really good team. That was some win."
Not surprisingly, the pint sized Cole punched above his featherweight in that game, and a couple of years later found himself playing for the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup as a bottom age player. While injuries ruined his top age year, Cole had no doubt he could continue what was becoming a career laden with team success at Frankston Park.
"When I was at the Stingrays we went down and trained one night with the Dolphins," Cole said. "That was when Brett Lovett was coaching and they were in the finals and playing really good footy. I was pretty impressed, and that was the path everyone else (from the Stingrays) was taking, so I just followed the choo-choo train to Frankston Park!"
Things haven’t gone to plan, with the Dolphins winning just five games in the ensuing three years. Despite this, Cole has had to serve a long apprenticeship in the development team before cracking the senior side, another game that is very memorable for the Cannons Creek native. "I was really taken aback in that first game," he said.
"They (Northern Bullants) had O'Hailpin, Walker, Fisher and quite a few other senior players. It was all going so fast that day, I couldn’t catch anyone, let alone the ball!"
The second half of 2011 has seem him get a greater opportunity, and he feels much more comfortable this time around. "It is a really big challenge but an enjoyable challenge," he said. "Compared to those first couple of games, where I would get half a game or a third of a game and wonder if I belonged, I suppose I have gotten more used to it now."
Cole has undoubted speed and talent, and if his actions match his words he should be able to convert last year's Reserves Best & Fairest into a regular senior game come 2012. "I am just trying to chip away and be consistent, because sometimes there isn’t too much you can do about the scoreboard.
"It's a lot more enjoyable (this year) because I am actually getting the footy a bit. I just want to play some more senior footy and keep improving," he said, before adding the one ingredient that matter most to him. "And have a bit more success! That's what it's all about."
Last Modified on 19/08/2011 11:13