2020 NAB League season a chance for Liam Herbert to impress AFL scouts

They were basketball teammates for Australia as juniors and football teammates at South Warrnambool and GWV Rebels.

Then, last November, Rantall was drafted to AFL powerhouse Collingwood.

Herbert went onto sign with VFL club Geelong and was given another chance as an overage prospect in the NAB League.

But the pair was reunited when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Both returned to Warrnambool and quickly teamed up when training was restricted to duos.

For Herbert, now 19 and eager to join Rantall in the AFL system, it was the ideal opportunity to fine-tune during the football hiatus.

"I trained a heap with Jay when he was home, a few Collingwood sessions and all the Geelong VFL sessions," he said.

"I tried to get seven sessions in a week. It was good just to get back to training with him, obviously missed him being up there (in Melbourne).

"It is good for us to always keep pushing each other."

Herbert's avenues to play in 2020 dried up quickly.

First Geelong was told it wouldn't feature in the VFL this season, due to rules implemented during the pandemic.

Then the Hampden league cancelled its senior seasons, ruling out appearances for South Warrnambool.

But news the NAB League would return in a six-week format from August 22 was a pleasing result for the first-year university student.

"It should be good to get a few games, a bit of exposure," Herbert said.

"It will just be good to get out there. It's turned out well to have something to go back to now the VFL is over."

Herbert said it was a relief to have a return-to-play timeline to follow after a period of uncertainty.

"It's just really good knowing when we're going back and having it set in stone, so we can give our bodies some rest and know when to get back into it and push ourselves," he said.

"I had been going pretty flat out (training) not knowing when it was going to go back, trying to keep myself fit in case they said 'we're playing in two weeks'. It's good knowing we have until (August) 22^nd to get ready."

Injury has impacted Herbert throughout his junior career. "My groins are really good, feeling stronger than they have been before, which was my issue last year," he said.

"I'll give my body a rest for a little bit. I'll drop it back a fair bit, give myself two weeks and then get back into it."

Herbert wants to remain with the Cats in 2021.

"I really enjoyed it there and loved living there (in Geelong) and the club was awesome, really supportive. I loved it," he said.

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