A giant role for convert
BRAYDON Preuss’s incredible journey from rugby league convert to North Melbourne ruckman comes as no surprise to those who have helped him along the way.
The Hermit Park Tigers junior will make his AFL debut with North Melbourne tomorrow afternoon in their season opener against West Coast at Etihad Stadium.
Standing 206cm and weighing 109kg, Preuss cuts an imposing figure on the football field and former coach Barry Gibson said that size made him a natural fit for Aussie rules.
The former Kirwan State High rugby league player was a rough diamond when he made his senior debut under Gibson at the Tigers in 2012, but the coach said Preuss’s talent was obvious.
“I can tell you that he was incredibly raw,” Gibson said.
“He was new to the game so he was still trying to understand the rules, but there was no one getting around at his height. Straight away we identified some potential in him.
“His tap work is outstanding and gives his midfielders an armchair ride. That’s been there from day one and he kicks the ball well for a big man.
“He missed the majority of the year in 2012 with glandular fever, but we were down all our ruckmen for the start of finals and he came back in with no preparation.
“He’d been out for 10 weeks and did an amazing job with no fitness. He was probably unlucky not to play in our premiership team when a few guys came back.
“Clearly then we knew this guy was a rare talent.”
AFL Townsville regional manager Kath Newman said Preuss had a strong work ethic both on and off the field, which she believed was the driving force behind his rise to the elite level.
“He started playing in his late teens. He was a rugby league player, but anyone who’s 206cm like he is, then AFL is probably a better sport,” Newman said. “He’s well suited and his work ethic has just grown with him.
“Because he’s gone through that whole pathway through the academy, he’s also the sort of young man who gives back.
“When we’d have junior camps, he’d come back. We’ve got some really great photos of him and all these little kids.
“It’s not about him. He realises that he’s had to put in the hard work, but he also knows where he’s come from. He’s really in touch with his home.”
Gibson is a passionate North Melbourne supporter, which he said would be even more special when Preuss takes the field for the first time in the blue- and- white- striped guernsey.
Meanwhile, round one of the local RMS AFL Townsville senior competition this weekend has been cancelled due to the conditions of the grounds and the cyclone warning.