From the South Coast Standard
Reported by Peter Fletcher and Matt Neal
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IT'S taken time for former South Warrnambool and Geelong Falcons player Sam Dwyer to settle into the line-up for VFL side Port Melbourne.
Now in his fifth year with the Borough, Dwyer has backed up a 21-out-of-22-game season in 2008 with an even stronger start to 2009.
But time is also working against the 22-year-old, who still harbours dreams of playing in the AFL.
"That would be ideal but it's pretty hard now," Dwyer conceded.
"At 22, I'm getting on a little bit.
"With the new clubs coming in (to the AFL) there might be more opportunities. But in the past it (becomes) harder and harder (as you get older)."
Prior to 2008, Dwyer was averaging about seven or eight games a season with Port Melbourne and had contemplated finding a new club.
"At one stage I was tempted to move," he said. "But before the start of last season we had a change of coach, so I stuck around for another season."
That new coach was Gary Ayres, who Dwyer described as easy to talk to and someone who gets along with all the players.
"Ayresy's been really good," he said. "He's the main part of the reason I stayed at Port Melbourne."
Ayres speaks just as highly of Dwyer, saying the former Warrnambool youngster had been a solid contributor in attack during the first eight rounds and at times in the midfield.
"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.
"He probably just has to make sure he rewards himself a bit more with improved conversion."
Ayres said in addition to Dwyer's front-and-square role to the Borough's key forwards he also had a defensive role when the opposition won possession.
He said Dwyer's age shouldn't be a deterrent to his AFL aspirations and it was a shame more players weren't recruited to the AFL from the VFL, highlighting the impact Liam Picken (Western Bulldogs) and Robbie Nahas (Richmond) had made this season.
With two new teams coming into the AFL competition, he said the VFL player pool was worthy of greater consideration.
"You can only take so many players out of the TAC Cup," Ayres said. "There really has to be greater vision from recruiters to not pigeon hole players from the VFL."
