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Oskar Smartt is another hoping to impress AFL scouts on the run home with the Leitchville Gunbower mid-fielder wanting to impress with his contested ball winning.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the inside role,\u201d he said. \u201cI love getting in there and having a good fight with the big bodies.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started off a bit slow I reckon in the first few weeks but I definitely showed my strengths in the Gippsland game before missing a few weeks with my ribs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m hoping to make the Vic Country squad to be honest, and to show the rest of Victoria who Oscar Smart is and to just play some really good footy.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the girls, both Steph Demeo and Bryde O\u2019Rourke are looking to have strong second halves to the year, at opposite ends of the ground, and see where their footy takes them.<\/p>\n
Demeo said she switched to the backline recently after spending most of her time across the middle.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started on the wing then a bit of inside mid and now I\u2019m starting down back,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is different being behind the footy, sort of seeing what’s happening, then just trying to rebound.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t really have big goals or anything at the moment, I\u2019m just going with the flow going to keep enjoying it and see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Rourke has also had a position change this year, but the Strathfieldsaye junior said she has a more set goal in mind for the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year I’ve been playing centre half forward so that key forward position,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a bit different this year because I’ve usually been playing wing or outside mid, so it’s a bit different, but I’m enjoying it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to get drafted so I\u2019m just trying to keep working hard for that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BOTH the boys and girls Bendigo Pioneers teams have had solid starts in the Coates Talent League this season with the boys in the ninth spot with three wins and the girls at thirteenth with two. But with the season essentially halfway done, players from both squads are looking to make their mark in the […]<\/p>\n