FLAG PARTY ROLLS ON FOR BELL POST HILL
IN just his fifth senior game of football, Liam Meyrich is a premiership player at Bell Post Hill.
It’s been a whirlwind six weeks for the 21-year-old who, until Round 16, had never played senior footy.
Until the end of July the tall forward/ruckman had been juggling reserves football with basketball at Corio Bay.
His Youth League 1 men’s side made it all the way to a preliminary final, with Meyrich contributing a team high 16 points in the 97-59 loss to Keilor Thunder.
It was then that Meyrich turned his focus towards playing senior footy.
“I’ve been playing ressies for three years here now and just with basketball, I don’t have the time to play seniors, but we got knocked out in basketball so then I went up to senior footy and I fit in pretty w well, I guess,” Meyrich said.
“I love playing twos and just playing football; I’m all about the e enjoyment s side of things.
“But once you get the op- portunity to go up to the seniors, you’re not going to not take it.”
It was a talk from reserves co-coach Nathan McLure that sparked the idea that led to Meyrich becoming a senior premiership player.
“I’ve been pretty uncommitted until this season; I think this is the first season I played all the games,” Meyrich said.
“We had sort of being talking about it all season, but ‘Macka’ came up to me at training and gave me a talk about it, to go up and play seniors in Round 17.”
But Meyrich’s spot was never guaranteed.
Bigman Justin Tarr had overcome a knee injury and was in the frame for a recall after missing the preliminary final.
But after chatting to coach Brad Martin, Tarr said he wouldn’t have been able to compete through the ruck.
It left Martin with no choice but to hold on to Meyrich.
“On the Wednesday night, ‘Basher’ rang me up to tell me early I had made the team to settle the nerves,” Meyrich said.
“I really expected it to go either way before I got the phone call.
“It’s a big five games I never expected at the start of the season.”
Meyrich said he would soak in everything that comes with winning a senior flag.
“Memories, meeting good people, making new mates and just having a fun time and enjoying it,” he said.