By Megan Hustwaite
A burning desire to play the best standard of football has led Cameron Penny from country footy in the sticks to the fast-paced VFL.
The bustling forward has joined Werribee after back-to-back Wimmera Football
League premierships with Horsham. Penny was judged best on ground in the 2005 grand final and he won the Toohey Medal, the league best and fairest award, in season 2006. 23-year-old Penny has been training with the Tigers since November
. "The sole purpose of moving back to Melbourne was for study,'' he said.
Penny plans to study multi-media at RMIT University this year.
I began to look into the VFL competition as a way to continuing to develop as a footballer. I'd spoken to Box Hill through a family friend who knew someone there. Out of the blue Werribee called me and it's all happened from there.''
It's really been by chance that I've ended up here.
Penny, who hails from the small farming community of Douglas in the South West corner of the Wimmera, played his junior and early senior football with Harrow-Balmoral. He was part of a Southern Roos premiership in 2002.
He played a season with the University Blues in the Melbourne Amateurs competition in 2004, a premiership year for the club.
He joined Horsham in 2005 and made an immediate impact in the competition where he established himself as an uncompromising and physically intimidating player.
His Toohey Medal win last season came in unusual circumstances. Penny, who was in the middle of a busy shearing schedule on the family farm, didn't attend the presentation evening. Instead he listened to the broadcast on the radio. In an exciting count, he polled votes in the final round to win the medal by a vote.
``It was actually quite embarrassing that I wasn't there. When you look at the footballers that have won it in the past it doesn't feel right being in the same category as them. Penny said.
``I shied away from people in that week leading up to the grand final. Winning the
Toohey threw me off guard a bit. I played a good grand final but nothing exceptional.''
Fitness has been an aspect of his game Penny has been determined to improve.
``I've never, ever been 100 per cent fit. I've looked at the footy I've played over the past few years and thought what sort of an impact could I have had if I was fit. We've been training three times a week but I've been doing a bit of extra training, light gym work and running.
Penny has liked what he's seen at the Tigers so far.
"It's been a big insight into the professionalism of this club and the players.
You look players like James Podsiadly, blokes who are exceptional players and also well-rounded people.
I'm grateful for the opportunity I've been given by Werribee and I'm eager to repay them.
Last Modified on 22/02/2008 10:58