FOR the past two years, Andrew McInnes has been working towards the AFL Under 18 National Championships.
It’s been a burning desire since McInnes’ dream of representing Vic Country in the National Under 16 championships was snuffed.
McInnes made the squad, but missed the last cut.
“It gave me a perspective of where I needed to be and the improvement I needed to make to get up to the standard of the top players in the competition,” McInnes said.
The Dandenong Stingrays key defender sought the advice of a number of coaches. It was identified that McInnes needed to work on his speed.
And, that’s exactly what McInnes committed himself to on top of all the pre-season training. Over summer McInnes cut a ‘Rocky’-like figure repeatedly running up the steps in the Berwick botanical gardens.
It was not uncommon for McInnes to rack up between 30 and 40 reps of running up the steps and jogging back down.
“I wanted to get the power back into my legs,” McInnes said.
McInnes noticed an improvement on the competition testing day. “My jumping ability had improved more than I had expected and hoped for and I felt a lot faster.
Importantly, McInnes said it’s been readily evident during the early stages of the TAC Cup.
“One of my weaknesses was keeping up with the competition, but now I feel much more confident,” he said.
While making the Country squad was a pre-season goal, McInnes purposely didn’t build up his hopes. He remembered all too well the devastating feeling when he missed out two years earlier.
McInnes said his focus was on playing consistently for the Stingrays, aiming to improve on each performance.
The Year 12 Ste Peter’s Cranbourne student has been a pivotal player in Dandenong’s stunning start to the season and was rewarded with a place in the squad.
This time there would be no disappointment, but jubilation at representing Vic Country.
“I’m glad the coaches had the confidence in selecting me and I’m proud to be playing, especially for my family who have really supported me,” McInnes said.
“It’s just a huge opportunity to represent Dandenong Stingrays and Vic Country.”
Already, McInnes has noted the increase in intensity and skill level during the training sessions. “It’s 100 percent full pelt, no one really misses a target.”
The next six weeks will also provide Andrew McInnes with a telling insight in just how far his game has progressed and just as importantly what he needs to address to continue his upward spiral.
It’s a challenge he gladly embraces.
Last Modified on 31/05/2010 13:15