As he prepares to play his 100th senior Peter Jackson VFL game, Werribee vice-captain Scott Sherlock is amazed he’s been able to play his entire football career so close to where he grew up.
The 26-year-old Werribee local will bring up his milestone against Coburg at Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday. It will be his 98th appearance for the Tigers, to go along with two games as the 23rd player for Williamstown in 2009.
Sherlock represented the Western Jets in the TAC Cup before arriving at Werribee in 2010, where he shrugged off some injury troubles in his early years to establish himself as one of the competition’s premier small defenders.
“It’s been pretty amazing to play all my footy close to home, to be honest,” Sherlock said. “As a child I supported the Western Bulldogs heavily, so I found myself at a lot of Werribee games (during the clubs’ alignment) growing up. I played all my junior footy just down the road through the Werribee juniors as well.
“It’s been an amazing experience to have been in the competition for so long. I guess all I was focused on at the start was playing my first senior game, and then I managed to string a few together in my first year and never looked back.
“I managed to get through my first year in 2010 injury-free and then did my ACL before the start of my second season. That wiped me out for a full year... but the last few years I’ve managed to play relatively injury-free.”
Sherlock thinks his first season back at full health in 2013 was his best at VFL level. A defender with responsibility for minding opposition small forwards but also providing offensive drive off half back, 173cm Sherlock represented Victoria against the WAFL and was named in the VFL Team of the Year.
John Lamont’s arrival as senior coach in 2014 has seen him given more freedom to play in other positions, but Sherlock still thinks he plays his best football in defence.
Things have changed off the field in recent years as well.
“I got married in November last year and this year we’re expecting our first child in late November,” Sherlock said. “I think I was 19 turning 20 when I first started, so I’ve definitely grown up a lot over those years.
“Moving out of home probably four years ago made me really grow up and stand on my own two feet. I think in a way it helped my footy – it made me work hard at my job while still working hard at footy.
“I’ve always had a massive work ethic, on and off the field. It’s something I pride myself on.”
Sherlock saw his best friend Kyle Hartigan drafted from Werribee in 2012 and since become an integral part of Adelaide’s AFL defence, but with dreams of graduating to the top level now past, his primary goal is team success at the Tigers.
“Early on I had aspirations to play at the next level, but to see one of your best mates get picked up is just as good,” Sherlock said. “What Kyle’s doing is a credit to him and how hard he worked, and a credit to the Werribee Football Club that they can produce players like that.
“Now, I’d hand back every game I’ve played if I could have a VFL premiership medallion hanging around my neck and see the club reach that ultimate success, which is what they really deserve.”
Last Modified on 23/06/2016 12:41
