SEAN Darcy expects to be surrounded by many familiar faces today when he makes his senior debut with Cobden.
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Standing 201 centimetres, the 16-year-old will be one of nine under 18 players in the Bombers line-up which takes on a youthful South Warrnambool at Cobden Recreation Reserve.
Such is the inexperience in the match, he will know almost half his opponents, with the Roosters fielding eight players 18 or under.
For Darcy, his first senior game is a homecoming of sorts. His family lives at South Purrumbete, he boards at Xavier College in Melbourne, plays footy with his school and TAC Cup side Geelong Falcons.
“I’ve played a fair bit of junior footy with most of them (teammates),” Darcy said.
“I played 16s and 14s with them.”
The ruckman is looking forward to today’s match.
“I’m pretty excited about it, a little bit nervous,” he said.
The year 11 student set himself a simple goal at the start of the year but his pre-season was reduced because of issues with his hamstring tendons not growing at the same rate as his frame.
“I just really wanted to play consistent footy,” he said.
“I didn’t have much of a pre-season because I was injured but I’m OK now.”
School football takes priority over the TAC Cup and Hampden league appearances but he is pleased with his form.
Darcy is keen to take his footy as far as he can.
“Everyone would like to get drafted,” he said.
“If I get drafted, I get drafted. If I don’t get drafted, I don’t.”
While he enjoys playing in the ruck, he also plays at full-forward.
“I just want to play my role and help the team get a win,” he said.
Cobden coach Wayne Robertson said he was rapt Darcy would play his first senior game, giving the Bombers much-needed height and options up forward.
“I reckon it’s going to be a good game of football, really good young players playing against really good young players,” he said.
“We know South are coming down here really gung-ho for a win. It’s a really big game for us and they are looking at it the same way.”
Robertson said the Bombers had been good on the track this week — a far cry from last week before they copped an 89-point loss to Koroit.
The loss of star Brody Mahoney, who was called up to VFL side North Ballarat Roosters, hurt but Robertson said the Bombers were delighted their interleague representative would play at a higher level.
South Warrnambool coach Nigel Kol said the return of four quality teenagers from TAC Cup level boosted his side’s chances of a first win this season.
“Hopefully we have a bit more get up and go that we were missing in the second half last week,” Kol said. “If we bring a four-quarter effort we will be pretty competitive.”
Kol said injuries against Port Fairy last week shaped his team’s chances after half-time.
“We were brittle down back when we lost (Jamie) Mugavin and Tempy (Jakeb Templeton).”
He said the Roosters were looking forward to stepping out against a similarly young side.
