Angus Eaton is born and bred in Tatura.
Last weekend he was able to realise a lifelong dream to play senior football for his beloved Bulldogs.
After biding his time in the reserves competition with the Bulldogs not fielding an under 18 team, Eaton made his debut in the seniors against Rochester.
He couldn’t have asked for a tougher initiation into the top flight against one of the league’s top dogs.
“I was pretty nervous at the start, but Linc Wellington (coach) said to me before the game to back myself and not worry too much about making mistakes,” he said.
“That was really good to hear him give that advice and I also got some good support from the senior boys in the team.”
Eaton says having to adjust to the first real wet weather weekend made the step up even more of an obstacle.
“Once I got my first couple of touches and laid a couple of tackles I felt a lot more relaxed,” he said.
“I played in the forward pocket and then spent a bit time a little further up the ground at half forward.”
The 17-year-old is very much like every budding young footballer who aspires to play regularly for his home club.
He started in the Auskick program in grade three and then progressed through the club’s junior ranks.
Eaton played some thirds football last year, but unfortunately they could not muster enough players to field a team in 2016.
It means he has to adjust to the physical nature of playing against men as a teenage boy.
Other noticeable differences, Eaton has found with senior football is the pace, the limited time you have to make a decision from the time you gather possession to someone tackling you and the higher intensity.
His goal is simple – play well when given the opportunity to play seniors to keep his spot and to get in the best regularly if he drops back to the twos to keep the pressure on other guys to keep their spot in the seniors.
Last Modified on 27/09/2016 17:22
