Elliot Stewart is resilient young man on the rise.
He has had to cope with a fair bit of late, including watching his father Ken go through his own battle with bow cancer.
Unfortunately his father was recovering in a Bendigo hospital from an operation as he was running around in his debut match against Mansfield last Saturday.
But he has used the tough last few months to enjoy every experience.
And that he did against the Eagles.
"It was a great experience and I found the speed, physicality and the way the game is played at a senior level very different," he said
"I also found that you need to be so much more skilful at the senior level."
The 17 year old says having played in the TAC cup with the Bendigo Pioneers on three occasions helped prepare him for the rigours of senior football.
Another factor to assist him is his flexibility on field, in the fact that this year he has played down back, forward and through the midfield.
"It is very important to be put in different environments because that helps you adapt better and quicker," he added.
He names the Shepparton junior under 16 premiership in 2014 as one of his career highlights along with winning the best on ground medal in the thrilling win over Kyabram.
His goal is simple for the remainder of the year.
"I would love to play a few more games in the seniors as well as a few more with the Pioneers," he says.
Last Modified on 27/09/2016 17:57