Reported by Andrew Thompson
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POTENTIAL
Warrnambool AFL draft recruit Sam Dwyer is already looking forward to the
Victorian screening on October 3, just days after his side Port Melbourne was
knocked out of the VFL finals.
Port Melbourne lost to Northern Bullants last weekend to miss out on a berth in Friday night's grand final against North Ballarat.
The Borough was seven goals down at half-time but stormed home to go down by just over three goals.
Dwyer, 23, was again among Port's best to top off an excellent season in which he finished fifth in the VFL best and fairest, the Liston Medal, behind North Ballarat's Myles Sewell.
The silky skilled former South Warrnambool and Geelong Falcons player said yesterday he was still recovering after the weekend encounter but his attention would quickly turn to the state screening at the Melbourne Sports And Aquatic Centre on October 3.
He said he was invited to the session a month ago after scouts registered interest in him.
``No one has talked to me specifically, but I've had a pretty good year. I've been down here five years and this is my best year by far,'' he said.
``Each pre-season you get fitter and I've put on a bit of weight. I was generally pretty small but I'm just getting fitter and stronger.''
Dwyer said the success of mature recruits Liam Picken (Western Bulldogs), Robin Nahas (Richmond) and Hayden Skipworth (Essendon) had helped lift the profile of VFL recruits.
``They've shown they can match it and that's definitely helped. There's new teams coming in and there's a lot more interest in the VFL, which is now clearly the second best competition in the land,'' he said.
Dwyer credited his season of improvement to new coach Gary Ayres.
``He's been really good. He has an enormous knowledge of the game _ he's a real good coach,'' he said.
The forward/midfielder will be joined by Port Melbourne teammates Jarrod Dalton and Chris Cain at the Victorian screening in preparation for the AFL draft on November 26.
The apprentice electrician said he would do some light training ahead of the screening. ``I'm a bit sore but by then I should be all right. In the VFL grand final on Friday night, North Ballarat has been the best team all year and deserves to start
favourite,'' he said.
Ayres also speaks just as highly of Dwyer, saying the playmaker had been a solid contributor.
``His consistency has been there and his work rate is very good,'' Ayres said. ``He's a lot more comfortable and competent at senior level than he was last year.''
Ayres said Dwyer's age should not be a deterrent to his AFL aspirations and it was a shame more players weren't recruited to the AFL from the VFL.
