KENNY Ong, the eldest son of Malaysian father and Chinese mother, found his love playing Australian Rules in the school yard.
Ong’s parents migrated from their respective countries and met in Melbourne where Kenny and younger brother Cancho, 18, were born.
Interest in the game with his parents was limited to knowing the clubs, but little else.
It didn’t stop Ong from from pursuing his passion. “I basically started playing footy at school during lunch time,” Ong recalled.
“I just got asked with some of the other guys to go down to play with the local club and it’s gone on from there.”
While he also played tennis throughout his school days, Australian Rules now consumes all Ong’s sporting time.
It quickly became evident that the kid at Ormond Junior Football Club possessed talent and he gained an invitation to try out with Sandringham Dragons.
During his two seasons with the Dragons, Ong played in Sandringham’s 2011 TAC Cup premiership and last year played every game.
He was invited to the State Draft Combine testing and when nothing happened at any of the NAB AFL Drafts, Ong headed to the Trevor Barker Oval to play for Sandringham.
While their interest may have been minimal beforehand, Ong’s parents are now regulars and have watched him progress through to the VFL.
“Dad loves it, he’s pretty keen now, but before I started they didn’t really follow it,” Ong said.
Expectations were measured when he started at Sandringham, but Ong has played eight games and is on track to play double digit games for the Zebras – an outstanding return for a teenager straight out of the TAC Cup.
“I think I have been a bit lucky with the team not travelling as well as we would have liked,” Ong said.
“’Macca’ (Sandringham coach Simon McPhee) has given me a fair bit of opportunity, which has been great.”
The step up from playing against teenagers to AFL listed players with, in some cases, 100 plus games behind them took some adjusting.
As did the endurance running required over the course of a game. “Everyone on the ground knows where they’re going, knows where to run.
Sandringham has endured a fluctuating season with a constant turnover of players each week, which has affected stability and consequently consistency.
Ong hopes he can build on the experience of his first VFL season to end the season playing more consistently and helping the Zebras put some more wins on the board.
Photo: Dave Savell
Last Modified on 11/07/2013 10:21