Ozgur ‘Ozzie’ Uysal has had a whirlwind journey with football, but is adamant that playing football is where he belongs.
Ozzie started off playing local football at Greenvale then was recruited to Calder Cannons, which eventually led to playing for the Coburg Lions. Ozzie is a great player to watch. His ability with the ball, great composure as well as good disposal rate are only some of the skills that make him a great mid-ielder.
As a player you always set yourself a personal goal, whether it be for the week or in general, Ozzie abides by “To play every game to the best of my ability”.
Playing at Calder Cannons in 2011, Ozzie played with Brandon Ellis as well as Tom Sheridan who were both recruited to AFL clubs. As a player that was sought after during that same draft period, the result of not being drafted was extremely hard for Ozzie.
We all know football is unpredictable, you really never know the outcome, however, the result of not being drafted only motivated Ozzie to push forward and prove to everyone in his abilities to one day be a great professional footballer.
Ozzie suffered an injury during pre-season that ruled him out for 4 weeks, which resulted in missing out on both practice matches; he was pumped for a big return but sadly missed round 3 against Collingwood after suffering another injury during round two.
Nevertheless, Ozzie is back this week and his excitement levels are through the roof after enduring a bumpy start. Suffering a couple of injuries at the beginning of a new season isn’t pleasant, however, his determination to push harder, prove to himself as well as his team that neither injury has set him back but instead was the motivation to improve his skills and better himself as a footballer.
Ozzie has had a couple of injuries but believes in his abilities to be better, to come back stronger and simply play the game he loves.
Each player I interview agree that Coburg feels like home, Ozzie is no different, “It’s a great club, feels like home and playing with the group of boys we have now makes it even better”.
As a young player aspiring to one day play football professionally, Ozzie recognizes the benefits of Coburg being a standalone club that will definitely assist him in making his football dream a reality
Re-signing with Coburg this year, Peter German senior coach played a pivotal role in helping Ozzie decide his fate with Coburg. As a coach that is well respected, Ozzie was excited to be playing under the instructions of Germo
“He’s a great coach, pushes you extremely hard but that’s why he’s great, probably the best coach I’ve had”.
Ozzie aspires to push his hardest to hopefully one-day play football, professionally.
“I’m doing this for myself and to make my family proud”
Ozzie’s love of football comes from his dad Kevin. Not only did his dad play football when he was younger but the afternoons spent kicking the ball back and forth in their backyard was ultimately the beginning of a bright career for Ozzie. Kevin is not only Ozzie’s biggest supporter but also his idol.
The dream of playing football isn’t purely for Ozzie, but also for family, especially his dad. Making himself proud as well as his family is extremely important for Ozzie, as the support from them over the years has been beneficiary in pushing Ozzie to work hard and choosing to never give up.
Ozzie is certain that football is where he belongs, through hard work; his aspiration to play professional football will one day be his greatest reality.
Aicha Saad
Last Modified on 24/04/2014 17:35
