Glen Carrick needed some persuading during the off-season that he should remain a Coburg Tiger in 2009.
For an outsider that may have seemed strange given Carrick was coming off a season when he had broken into the Coburg
seniors, split his time evenly between the seniors and reserves and, despite that, won the A. Todd Medal as the VFL Reserves best
and fairest player. But bouncing back and forth between the seniors and reserves, a victim more often than not of the selection issues
that face most AFL-aligned sides, was a real concern for him.
And Carrick had often found himself on the rough end of those selection decisions, given the abundance of Richmond midfielders available most weeks for Coburg. It was tough, but what made me keep playing well was that I enjoyed playing well with all the guys in the reserves,Carrick said. Weighing up my options, I didn't think I was going to get a game. I was going to go back (to my former club Gisborne), but I ended up staying and I'm glad I did.Carrick had earlier approached Coburg Tigers coach Jade Rawlings about his plans for the 09 season. Rawlings told the rover he would be in contention for regular selection. Jade said he could see me playing about 15 games, that's pretty much what got me to stay,Carrick said.
This is the first year I have started in the ones. I'm pretty happy with my start and the teams start so far. All the Coburg guys Horney (Andrew Horne), Clarkey (Tim Clarke) and Liddle (Nick) are flying.
When he arrived from Gisborne at the start of the 2007 season, Carrick was unsure what to expect. His height 174 cm he'd flown under the TAC Cupradar, but it did't diminish his confidence he could play at a high level. Carrick thought if he managed a senior match in his rookie season it would be a good achievement. He ended up playing two senior games that year, adding a further nine senior
matches last season. While there are frustrations for many VFL players at aligned clubs, Carrick said there is also a definite upside.
Carrick noted getting to play alongside players with extensive AFL experience like Greg Tivendale, Mark Coughlan and Adam Thomson was a definite bonus. They are all hard at it and it makes you want to go hard at it, too, watching them go about it, Carrick said.
Last Modified on 30/10/2009 21:58