Flying Falcon a new ‘student’ of the game after big start

CAIRNS Falcons receiver Louis-Gaston Rancourt admitted his knowledge of gridiron was limited to what he had seen in movies like The Longest Yard two months ago.

Now, he considers himself a student of the game.

A basketball and football player as a teenager, Rancourt desired a return to team sport when a conversation with personal trainer Chris Cole, the Falcons’ strength and conditioning coach, put him on the gridiron path.

“I’d seen some of the flyers they’d put up so that sort of piqued my interest ... I said I was looking at joining a team sport but just wasn’t sure what to do,” Rancourt said.

“(Chris) said come down to Falcons training and meet the coach, meet some of the players, watch some of the practice and see if you like it.”

That he did, and he hasn’t looked back. While his knowledge of gridiron was limited at the time, Rancourt said he had since become a big fan of the sport and was trying to soak up as much about the game as he could.

“I’d seen a few movies like The

Longest Yard and you get a bit of an idea about it, but it’s very different once you start playing it – I didn’t realise how complex the game gets once you start getting into it,” he said.

“I’m really liking the physicality of it, in terms of the athletic side – the running, the footwork, the handwork, and getting all those skills combined – and even though you’re wearing pads and helmets, it is still quite rough.”

Playing as a receiver, at tight end or slotback, Rancourt said he was now looking for ways to improve his game.

While the thought of trying something new would be daunting for most, Rancourt said the Falcons’ welcoming nature made it easier for him to step outside of his comfort zone.

“Having never played a football code before and joining a game that I never really understood too well, there’s a lot to pick up, but all the boys have been great in terms of giving tips and pointers, telling you what you’re doing well, telling you where you need to improve, and just in general the whole team is very supportive of each other,” Rancourt said.

The Falcons take on the Mavericks at 3.30pm, before the Mulgrave Vikings face the Cyclones at 7pm.

You can watch both games live at cairnspost.com.au/sport.