After the disappointment of missing out on being drafted into the AFL two years ago, Ben Cavarra needed to make an important decision.
The competitive 175cm midfielder had just enjoyed two remarkably decorated years with Eastern Ranges in the TAC Cup.
The 19-year-old captained the Ranges to the 2013 premiership as well as winning the best-on-ground medal in the Grand Final, all after claiming that season’s Morrish Medal to go along with Eastern’s best-and-fairest award in both 2012 and 2013.
But all the decorations didn’t lead to what Cavarra really wanted.
“Obviously it was extremely disappointing not to be picked up (by an AFL club) in 2013, but I had to quickly move on and make a decision about where I was going be to playing my footy,” Cavarra said.
“In the end, it came down to the Box Hill Hawks or Frankston Dolphins.”
With an eye on working his way up to the elite level where he wanted to be, the decision centred on which Peter Jackson VFL club would provide Cavarra the biggest opportunity to show his wares.
“I spent a week with both clubs and then after that, through talking to my family, my friends and people involved in my footy, I decided to play at Frankston and I haven’t looked back since,” he said.
“Personally, I think it’s the best decision I’ve made.”
That assessment is backed up by Cavarra’s performances across two seasons with the Dolphins so far.
The youngster from Ferntree Gully, fresh out of the underage football system, came into the VFL in 2014 and promptly played all 18 games at his new club, taking out Frankston’s best-and-fairest award and earning selection in the VFL Team of the Year.
His 2015 season is progressing along a similar path, with Cavarra named in the Dolphins’ best players in seven of nine games played.
His disposal average has dropped to 19 per game from 21.6 in 2014, but Cavarra said new Frankston coach Patrick Hill has challenged him to play a different role this year.
“Paddy’s encouraging me to play closer to goals and really use my forward pressure and tackling, and getting on the scoreboard from there,” Cavarra said.
Indeed, Cavarra’s tackles and goals per game numbers have increased in 2015 and, despite playing in a currently winless team, he seems to be succeeding in showing AFL recruiters there’s versatility to his game.
In fact, his chosen club has become a breeding ground for AFL recruits in recent times, with Michael Hibberd (Essendon), Mark Baguley (Essendon), Sam Lloyd (Richmond) and Nic Newman (Sydney) all currently on AFL lists after playing for the Dolphins.
If he’s after inspiration in his quest to make it to the top level, Cavarra doesn’t need to look far beyond Frankston Oval.
Last Modified on 03/07/2015 09:37
