LIFESTYLE OVER MONEY
You were last with Seymour in the Goulburn Valley Football League, which is one of the strong leagues in country Victoria. What was it like there?
AI was out there for four seasons and it was a really good standard of football. I really enjoyed playing up there. It was really hard to leave the footy club and come to Port Douglas. I did not want to really leave because I made a lot of good friends there and we had a very good side. We made the preliminary final last season so it was hard to leave that. Apart from that, there was no real reason that was keeping me in Melbourne. I really enjoyed playing at Seymour. The GVFL (pictured) is probably in the top three country leagues in Victoria, up there with Geelong and Ovens and Murray Football League. The GVFL is a good standard of footy and you are playing on big grounds.
Most people reading this would understand the massive money that is on offer for a former AFL player in country Victoria, so what appealed to you about coming and playing in AFL Cairns?
AThe money is a lot better down in Melbourne for footy (laughs). It is about a lifestyle change for me. I got sick of the cold, to be honest. Being a chippie, I am always outside and got a bit over it. I got back from Europe in the middle of last year and after seeing that my sister had come up here, I thought I would do it too.
Port Douglas played Hermit Park in the first ever North Queensland Challenge Cup last Saturday ahead of AFL Cairns Round 1 yesterday. How have you found the standard of footy?
AIt was a little bit slower than what I had played in the GVFL but I thought the standard was good. Considering the amount of rain we had, the grounds held up well and it was real wet weather footy, but nothing compared to what you get down in Melbourne. The standard of our training in Port has been really solid too. I can’t see a real lot of difference between Cairns and playing in the GVFL yet. It is hard to tell until you play a block of games but from what I have seen so far, I do not think there is too much difference.