FOR a long time it seemed that Willie Wheeler was flying under everyone’s radar.
During his top age year for TAC Cup club Murray Bushrangers, Wheeler was overlooked for the Vic Country squad. Unperturbed, Wheeler set about to play consistently good football for the Bushrangers and he was rewarded by sharing the club’s best and fairest with Sean Atley.
While Atley attracted the attention of North Melbourne in the AFL National Draft, Wheeler was again shunned. Not even an offer to try out for a spot on a rookie list came his way. Wheeler has no clue why he
was constantly overlooked following his good season with the Bushrangers. “It was a bit disappointing,” he said. “I’m not sure why, no one ever gave me a reason.” The 18-year-old again put it behind him and marched on, determined to play football at the highest level possible. At the suggestion of friend and current Coburg Tigers player Ben Clifton, Wheeler decided to venture to Coburg Tigers in a bid to make it in the VFL.
Given what had transpired, Wheeler’s expectations were measured. Basically, he wanted to gain a senior game.
Coburg Tigers coach Adam Potter wasn’t shackled by a pre-conceived ideas. Potter liked what he saw in one of the youngest players on the list. Initially, Potter used Wheeler as the 23rd player, the excellent rule that allows clubs to use a player that exited the TAC Cup the previous season. When the allocated three
games as the 23rd player expired, Wheeler had displayed enough for Potter to retain him in the team.
Potter has used Wheeler as a rotating inside midfi elder. It’s similar to the role he had withnthe Bushrangers, albeit with longer periods on the ground.
Wheeler found the bigger bodies, increased intensity and the sustained fast pace of the VFL vastly different
to anything he’d previously experienced. He noted that it took him a little while to adjust, but that’s just part of the learning curve. Like many other TAC graduates who weren’t picked up in any of the drafts, Wheeler hopes that finally someone will take notice of him. Playing against AFL listed and rookie players each and
every week can only help with exposure as well as honing your skills. Wheeler found that players run and spread with greater intensity than what he imagined and the importance of clean hands can’t be
understated. “You get to see how AFL players prepare for games and it helps your football a fair bit as well,’ he said. Wheeler can only do what is in his control and that’s play consistently well. The rest is out of his hands.
Last Modified on 14/10/2011 07:36