Treloar feels all at home third go around
Bulldogs star prepares for 200th game
As Adam Treloar prepares for his 200th AFL game, the Western Bulldogs star can’t help but think the hardest decision he ever made in his life, not just his career, has turned out to be the best one.
That was the call to live in a separate state to his partner, netballer Kim Ravaillion, and his daughter Georgie, a decision made amid his acrimonious exit from Collingwood, his second AFL club, at the end of 2020.
Both have thrived in their respective sporting pursuits, driven by each other’s constant and unflinching support.
Georgie will be in Ballarat on Saturday afternoon for one of the proudest moments in Treloar’s life when the Bulldogs tackle the Gold Coast Suns.
“Georgie is coming down, she’s never been on a footy oval with me, and will run through the banner with me, which will probably be my proudest moment. There will probably be a few tears,” Treloar said on Wednesday as he reflected on a challenge-filled journey to the milestone.
“Being able to watch Kim and watch her blossom and find that form (with the Queensland Firebirds) … it gives me great peace of mind that it was the right decision.
“It was a great decision for our family, for her to be doing what she is doing, and for her to support me. It has its challenges, but with the people around me, and same goes for her, it’s not as hard as people think it is.”
Treloar, who started his AFL life at GWS after moving to Sydney as a 17-year-old before moving to Collingwood and now the Bulldogs, said he’d “always have a connection” with all three clubs.
But he made a telling comment about the importance of the Bulldogs in his career, and life, having formed strong bonds at the club.
“It’s kind of that recency bias where if I was to retire now, who would I support? It would probably be the Bulldogs just because this is where I’d finish my career,” he said.
“I feel like I am always going to have a piece of me at the three footy clubs, but I don’t want to play for any more footy clubs. I want to finish here.”
Treloar was best-onground last week against his old team Collingwood after a season that he said had been inconsistent both personally and for the Bulldogs after making last year’s grand final.
But the 28-year-old thinks that win over the Magpies could be the “launching pad” for the ninth-placed Dogs, with a 4-5 record this season.
“I think we are (viewing it as the launch pad),” he said.
“We’ve had some good wins this year, a really good win against Sydney (in round 3) we thought would be the launching pad, but we were still trying to find our best footy.
“Whether you want to call it a turning point or not, I feel like it can be the launch pad into where we ultimately want to go.”