Leslie not fazed by Walker match-up
ANDREW HAMILTON TEX Walker may not even know the name of his opponent today but Suns defender Jack Leslie isn’t losing any sleep about the match-up.
Leslie, playing in his ninth AFL game, will lock horns with powerhouse Adelaide skipper Walker at Metricon Stadium.
Walker is coming off a fivegoal haul against the Bombers last week.
With key defenders Rory Thompson (ankle) and Steven May (hamstring) on the sidelines, 21-year-old Leslie has been thrown into the hot-seat.
“It is probably the biggest game of my career, but it is more of an opportunity I reckon, to show I can hold down a key position,’’ he said.
“I have worked hard on my positioning and trying to play to my strengths, I’m pretty quick and I feel like I read the play pretty well, so I feel like if I can hold my position I can get the job done.
“I don’t really think about the actual opponent too much.
“I’ve been through some edits and identified some areas that suit my game style that might be detrimental to him.’’
While Leslie’s comments may suggest a player brimming with confidence, he is far from a brash young upstart. Instead, he said his self-belief was a new-found thing that stemmed from the attention the coaching staff and NEAFL coaches have shown him over the past year.
The depth of the Suns’ defensive stocks was an area of concern over summer and was exposed when Sam Day suffered a season-ending injury in the opening JLT game against Brisbane.
Coach Rodney Eade used Leslie in key defensive roles throughout the rest of the preseason. “The last few years when you are learning to play the game you aren’t too confident,’’ Leslie said.
“But I know the structures now, I know more about my game and how I want to play and they know what I can do.
“It started with the NEAFL coaches and then in the JLT games, just knowing that I have their full support has really given me confidence.’’
Eade has made a point of saying it will be six against six in defence and not the responsibility of one player to thwart the Crows’ rampant offence, which is averaging 128 points a game through the first four rounds. He said he had faith Leslie could take Walker.
“We have done a lot of work with Jack,” Eade said.
“He played as a ruckman as a junior, so he was recruited as a long-term defender … it’s been a long process for him and I think we saw some great signs over the pre-season, and we thought he adapted pretty well last week.’’