DEAN Towers’ thirst for knowledge is insatiable. It helps explain how Towers, largely unknown outside North Ballarat until this season, has burst into the VFL representative squad.
Towers entered the 2012 season with a grand total of two VFL games, both played in last year’s finals when the Rooster’s were decimated with injuries.
But, the 22-year-old has taken his game to a new level and in a hurry.
Hurry is an appropriate description of Towers, whose speed and acceleration have literally catapulted him from obscurity to the chance of playing for the VFL.
North Ballarat coach Gerard FitzGerald described Towers as “very quick” and his ability to run the lines with his pace has captured the imagination of many observers.
FitzGerald said the rate of Towers improvement – he played 17 games for the Roosters’ Development League team last season – had accelerated people’s interest in him.
“He’s quick, he can dead set run,” FitzGerald said.
Asked how he could measure up against the speedy Isaac Smith, the former North Ballarat player now playing for Hawthorn, FitzGerald replied: “It would be a good race.”
Fitzgerald said there were glimpses in last year’s finals that Towers had the talent to take himself to the next level.
“He marks the ball well, he’s improved his football and he uses his pace to his benefit,” FitzGerald said.
Towers, a member of the AFL Victoria Academy, explained his eagerness as simply his competitive instincts.
“Once you put a footy in my hands, I just tend to be able to get away from most people,” he said.
“At school I competed in everything – every sport. On athletics day, I did everything I could. I played a lot of tennis and basketball and other sports that helped me with that explosive speed.
“Now, I do leg weights at the gym and that all helps as well.”
Towers described as “incredible” his State squad selection and added “everything has happened pretty quickly” this season.
Pressed as to his dramatic improvement, Towers, who didn’t come through the TAC Cup program, said he’s simply tapped into all the resources available to players at the VFL level.
“Just the effort the coaches and managers put into you and the time you get to spend working on your football it’s hard not to improve with everything they offer you,” Towers said.
“Nothing in your game gets missed. It’s all analysed and you know exactly what you have done wrong and what you need to improve upon
“It’s all there. All you have to do is ask and then act upon it.”
Towers expectations for 2012 could hardly be considered grandiose – he wanted to play in the seniors in all the practice matches!
“Once I got to Round 1 it was awesome and I’m only just starting to feel now that I’m a senior player.
“Every week I try to improve; improve on what I did last week.”
Last Modified on 23/05/2012 17:21