Zac wants his Foot back in AFL door
SUN, surf and sand is what normally attracts people to the Gold Coast but for Southport Sharks forward Zac Foot it was the chance to chase his AFL dream that landed him at Fankhauser Reserve this season.
Foot played two games for the Sydney Swans in the AFL before being delisted at the end of 2020, when he returned to Melbourne and linked with the Casey Demons – the Sharks’ VFL opponents this weekend.
Still only 21, Foot has not yet given up on his AFL dream and felt Southport offered the best platform to help him return to the top.
“Mum was moving houses (in Victoria) so for me I had to find a rental somewhere so I thought, why not try to work my way back into the (AFL) system somewhere else,” he said.
“Coming to Southport, it’s a place I can enjoy my footy … an awesome club that’s a lot more relaxed, that lets you juggle footy and life which is awesome.”
Foot starred for the Sharks in their come-from-behind win over Footscray last time out, kicking three crucial goals in what was his best performance so far in the black and white.
His insider knowledge will be a boon to Sharks coach Steve Daniel ahead of Sunday’s trip to Casey, who are now the only unbeaten team left through six rounds.
“It’s a massive game coming up for us. It will really show where we’re at as a footy club and the work we’ve put in,” the half-forward said.
“We’ve played some really good footy the past few weeks. We showed a lot of character against Footscray after not getting off to the start we would have wanted.
“(Casey) will be an awesome challenge for us.”
Foot is one of two former Casey stars on Southport’s list this season, alongside exMelbourne Demons player Jay Lockhart.
“When Fieldsy (football operations manager Jarrod Field) told me Jay was a target for the club I messaged him straight away and told him to come on over and we’ll ride the wave together,” Foot said.
Both Foot and Lockhart have settled nicely at the Sharks, with the former feeling his recent form has been a reward for his hard work behind the scenes. “I’m feeling pretty good at the moment and I think I’ve put a good month of footy behind me,” Foot said.
“The team has gone really well also, which helps as a forward. We have a great forward group.
“It probably took us a game or two to really understand how to play together. After that (opening round) Richmond game I think we learned a lot from that. Now it’s second nature.”
Southport (4-1) travels to Casey Fields on Sunday to play the Demons (6-0).
First bounce at 12.35pm.