Roof caves in for House
Defender cut without making his AFL debut
DELISTED key defender Timm House said the retirements of Tom Lonergan and Andrew Mackie last year gave him the hope he would have a shot at AFL level this season.
House, 23, was told in an exit meeting with coach Chris Scott, list manager Stephen Wells and football boss Simon Lloyd yesterday he would not be offered a contract after two seasons on the Cats’ list without an AFL debut.
It came as a surprise for the West Australian, who was plucked out of Newtown & Chilwell’s 2015 grand final team to play VFL for the Cats in 2016, before his drafting to Geelong at the end of that season.
“I was quietly confident they’d give me another shot,” House told the Geelong Advertiser.
“My manager gave me a heads up yesterday (Monday) not to get my hopes up, which it was lucky he did I reckon.
“A bit of the feedback I got from ‘Wellsy’ was to do with my speed and agility, but other than that, it was all positive feedback during the year.
“I thought I played some pretty good footy throughout the year and I would have liked to get an opportunity, but it didn’t go my way.”
House said he saw opportunity for himself in the AFL team this year with Lonergan and Mackie’s departures, as well as injuries to Lachie Henderson and Harry Taylor, but was never given the chance.”
The Cats elected to go with former athletes Mark Blicavs and Jack Henry in a new-look defence, with Jake Kolodjashnij as the third tall, for the first half of the season.
House said the club’s obvious affinity for runners saw him pigeonholed as too slow.
“That’s probably one of the attitudes held about myself,” he said.
“When I think about it, I think that’s probably what’s hurt me a little bit.
“I didn’t really get that information at the time (yesterday’s meeting) and I didn’t really feel like asking after I was told (I’d been delisted).
“There was an opportunity (to ask why), but after receiving the news, I didn’t feel like (asking), I didn’t want to stick around there.
“Throughout the year, all the feedback I’ve received has been positive. I felt like I did everything I could and at least I can be proud of that.”
House — who often dominated the marks column on the stat sheet and played a number of eye-catching games as an intercept defender — said his form at VFL level showed he was capable of taking the next step.
“I probably got to the stage this year that I believed I was good enough to do it (play AFL),” he said.
“That’s one thing I’ve learnt this year, that I think I’m good enough to play at the highest level.
“I haven’t always believed that, but from this year I reckon I can do it.
“I’ll wait to hear about the free agency period and if that doesn’t go my way, then I’ll have to make some decisions where I’m at next year.
“My manager has been doing the best he can, I think, getting as much interest as he can and gauging what’s out there.
“There is a bit there, which I hold on to a bit of hope, but it still takes someone to pull the trigger.”
But if House is not offered another opportunity in the AFL system, the farm management student said he had to weigh up whether to stay in Geelong or return to Western Australia.
“There is a temptation to go back west, certainly, but I do have another year of uni to do in Geelong and that’s also a temptation, for me to stick around for another year,” he said.
“I’ve got a great lifestyle here. I’m lucky enough to live on a farm out of town, have got a lot of friends in Geelong and I’ve got everything I need here really.
“My girlfriend likes living here and having my brother over this year was really good for me.
“I’d be happy to stay here for a little bit longer; it just depends if it’s the right thing for me.”