Penshurst export Josh Rentsch eager for second year with Sturt in SANFL

The 19-year-old key-forward, who won the Morrish Medal (league best and fairest) in 2021 with the Greater Western Victoria Rebels, played 11 senior and seven reserves games for the Double Blues in 2022.

He kicked 22 goals in his maiden season - 10 in the top grade and 12 in the reserves.

Rentsch admitted his first campaign at the state-league level was challenging but added that he enjoyed playing with tougher, more mature opponents and learning more about the technical side of the game.

He said both facets took time to adjust to.

"(Players had) a lot more experience and the game plans were more technical," he said. "So it was about understanding your role in the team and applying your role to different teams with different structures and different game plans, different opponents and being dynamic in that sense."

The 197-centimetre tall believes that experience will benefit him and his side's youthful forward group this season.

"Our forward line is relatively young but we spent most of the second-half of the year last year together and I think we're understanding how each other play and what we expect from each other," he said.

Rentsch was forced to wait until round nine before making his senior Sturt debut after a year in which he was considered unlucky not to be drafted to the AFL.

He said he found it "tough" at the start, not playing every game in the top grade.

"I had an injury at the start of last year... I missed all the trial matches," he said. "It was a huge change (realising) how important it was to rely on the team and the structures that the coaches' put in place rather than my own ability."

From an individual perspective, the former Rebel would like to earn a spot on an AFL list and is keeping an eye on the mid-season and national drafts. To take that next step he knows what he needs to work on.

"I think at this stage it's just trusting in what we've trained and backing in my own ability," he said.

"And still being open to working on things, (being) open to change and keep practising and pushing ahead on specific areas such as marking ability, contests, ground balls and ground level work. And consistency too."

From a team perspective, it's as simple as winning games for Rentsch, who played in the Double Blues' elimination-final loss to Glenelg last year.

"I think we've got a really good chance at going a long way this season hopefully."

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