Full steam ahead
PBC speed machine ready to unleash after injury setback
PALM Beach Currumbin outside back Xavier Savage is quick-thinking, quick-talking and blazing quick on the football field.
At 16 the Cairns product recorded his personal best 100 metre time of 10.5 seconds, the fastest time of any footballer in the country and an all-time state record for his age.
It’s the type of speed that leaves rivals glancing over their shoulders on every break, never quite safe from a chase-down when Savage is stalking them down the field.
It’s the type of speed that shines brightest in chaos on attack. Any defensive misstep risks six points because Savage is fast enough to punish teams who lose focus for even a second.
“It’s major,” Savage said, lighting up as he describes how it feels to be the fastest man on the field on every field. “There’s a lot of things in my sprint training like reaction time that integrates with my footy play.
“As soon as I get the ball it’s reaction time, off-the-mark, and I just open up. I look where I need to go and I’ve got the speed to burn.”
Patience can be a virtue in short supply for track kings unused to waiting for anything.
The crawling, painstaking rehabilitation from surgery to repair a grade two syndesmosis ankle injury was the greatest test of the 18-year-old Canberra Raiders prospect’s career.
“It’s been pretty tough,”
Savage said.
“I’m a very energetic person and I like to get out and do things, so sitting around in a moon boot wasn’t too much fun. I just had to think of the bigger picture and stay patient.
“Coronavirus was bad but it was kind of a blessing in disguise for my rehab because I wasn’t missing out on any sport. It gave me time to focus on myself and regather.
“I’ve been itching to play so it’ll be good to get out there and show everyone what I can do.”
Savage and his PBC teammates will open their Langer Cup title defence against Ipswich State High at Currumbin Eagles RLC on Wednesday at 5pm.
The match will be live streamed with commentary on the Gold Coast Bulletin and News affiliate websites.