By werrribeefc.com.au
Nick Buykx has caught plenty an eye with his endeavour on the footy field, but few have had the chance to observe as keenly as Daniel Fraser.
As coach of Werribee’s development side, Fraser was in the box seat to witness the form that earned the 19-year-old his call-up for a VFL debut with the Tigers against the Casey Demons in Round 4.
But he first had the chance to observe the young recruit in action during his coaching days with WRFL club Point Cook, where Buykx was running around as a junior.
“I remember going down and watching a few junior games when I was senior coach there, and one kid kept catching my attention,” Fraser recalls.
“He was only small at the time, but he had a real desire to win the footy, and he just kept competing.
“He was very determined, and he was never beaten in the contest. He always caught my eye as one who would take the next step and who would get the most out of himself.”
Fraser’s instincts proved spot on. Buykx was soon snapped up by TAC Cup club Western Jets, where his strong performances last year were enough to entice Werribee recruiting manager Ange Cristoforo to invite him to spend the pre-season with the Tigers.
Since arriving at Avalon Airport Oval, Buykx has impressed the coaching staff with his attitude as much as his ability.
“It’s his willingness to be coached and his desire to get better – that’s one thing I’ve really noticed with him when I’ve been coaching him,” says Fraser.
“He wants to listen to everything, he wants to take everything on board, and his determination to make himself the best footballer he can is first class.
“I think a lot of the guys can take something out of that for their own improvement.”
Now three games into his VFL career, Buykx is already riding the peaks and troughs of elite football.
As 23rd man against the Demons, he enjoyed the kind of debut most can only dream of, kicking the opening goal of the game and collecting 26 disposals from the back pocket to finish as one of the best players in his side’s gritty 13-point win.
It was enough to see him elevated straight into the 22 the following week, and he admits even he was surprised to learn how well he had performed.
“I was a bit excited on the day, and then I wasn’t really sure what to make of it,” he says.
“I just wanted to find my feet and get a few touches early on, and then it turned out a lot better than what I thought in the end.
“To get a win was good and then find out that I had a fair bit of the footy, I was pretty happy with that.”
But things haven’t always come quite so easily in the weeks since. After forming part of a defensive line-up that conceded the first eight goals of the match against Collingwood before righting the ship, Buykx found himself on the receiving end of a four-goal haul from former Western Bulldog Andrew Hooper in his side’s nail-biting win over North Ballarat.
It’s an experience Buykx describes as a “massive learning curve”.
“It taught me a fair bit,” he says.
“He (Hooper) knew exactly what he was doing, saw who I was, saw that I was a first-year player, and just knew that he could run me around.
“It took me a while to adjust, and I had my moments where I thought I had him covered, and then I had my moments where I thought, oh no, he’s gone.
“But I got a bit out of that, and I’m looking to improve on it.”
To a certain extent, Buykx has created a rod for his own back. Having been elevated to the 22 after his stellar debut, he is no longer eligible for selection as 23rd man, and competition for places in the senior side is likely to heat up through the season as experienced players return from injury and other young recruits push their case for selection.
Nonetheless, he is hopeful of retaining his place as he continues to hone his craft down back through his work with Werribee defence coach Ben Patrick, who he says has been “massive” for his development as a player.
“I’d love to hold my spot in the senior side, keep playing my role each week and get a few more wins,” says Buykx.
“I just want to keep learning as I go on, look to play my role, find the footy, and contribute to the team.”
Picture: JESS WARD PHOTOGRAPHY
Last Modified on 06/06/2017 15:06