Menzie makes most of his opportunity
was the culmination of years of hard work but Tasmania’s newest AFL debutant Jye Menzie says making his debut for Essendon made every second of the long journey worth it.
The former North Hobart product made his long-awaited debut last week, selected as Essendon’s medicalsub in their round 20 clash against North Melbourne.
Taken at pick 18 in the mid-season draft, Menzie got his opportunity in the third quarter, replacing namesake Jye Caldwell, and finished the match with 10 disposals, three marks and three score involvements.
Speaking to The Mercury ahead of the Bombers’ round 21 clash with Sydney, Menzie reflected on a whirlwind few months leading up to his first game.
“The debut was pretty unexpected. I’d been playing some good footy in the VFL since joining the Bombers and had been named as an emergency a few times so I was over the moon when I got told I was playing,” Menzie said.
“All the coaches were pleased with my impact once I came on and they said I brought really good energy so I was overall pretty happy with how I played.”
Menzie has been named as an emergency this week but will travel with the side to Sydney and could be again named as the medical-sub for Saturday’s clash.
After not being drafted at the end of last season, Menzie packed his bags and moved across to Adelaide in a shift he says was the best decision he could have made.
A strong run of early-season form for South Adelaide caught the eyes of a number of recruiters and while the Bombers made clear to Menzie he was only a “50-50 chance” at being drafted, he wants to leave no stone unturned in the hopes of extending his contract beyond the end of the season.