Article courtesy www.afl.com.au
NIC Suban might have had to move to the other side of the country at just 18 years of age, but he was never going to be short of friends in his adopted city of Perth.
Suban was one of eight draft selections used by Fremantle last year, not to mention the six rookie picks used as well.
He has played every game for Fremantle this year and is this week’s NAB AFL Rising Star nominee for his 25-possession game in Freo's 54-point victory over Essendon last Sunday.
After moving from TAC Cup team North Ballarat Rebels, Suban said having a large group of players his own age was a big help in adjusting to his new life as an AFL footballer.
“It’s really exciting to have a lot of young guys coming through like myself. We are building to the next few years, and hopefully we can win some more games and help Fremantle push to finals and bigger things from there,” Suban said.
“It is really exciting to be playing with the group of guys we’ve got there at the moment.”
Suban has played all 21 games for Fremantle this year, but none more exciting than Sunday’s romp over the Bombers.
“It’s up there (as the best game of the season). We haven’t had too many wins this year, but we’re building a lot of young guys. It’s good that we can win a couple of games especially against the Bombers, who are really in the mix coming up to finals,” he said.
Fremantle is sitting in 14th position on the ladder with just six wins, but Suban says he and his teammates have plenty of belief and will improve.
“I think every week, we believe we can beat any side if we play our best style of footy," he said.
"We believed in ourselves, and thought that if we stuck to our game plan and won the contested ball, we were a chance,” he said.
“We did that well on the day and were lucky enough to win.”
Suban has had no problems adjusting to life in Western Australia, and by the sounds of it, has no plans on heading back to his home state of Victoria.
“It’s great over here. The weather and the lush grounds are a lot different to Melbourne. It’s not too much different – just things like the weather. It’s a great lifestyle,” he said.
Another unique aspect of life in Perth is playing in front of a roaring home crowd. Fremantle has played its best football at Subiaco Oval this year, and Suban says the experience is uplifting.
“It helps a little bit with the crowd, but it’s not too much difference,” he said.
“Most grounds are pretty much the same and it’s not too different, but I suppose we’ve got all our fans, and that helps a lot.”
For more information about the NAB AFL Rising Star please visit www.afl.com.au
Last Modified on 20/11/2009 10:17
