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THERE have been some pretty handy AFL players from Albany in recent times — and Tyron Smallwood is hoping he is about to join their number.
“I lived probably about 500m away from Jeremy McGovern growing up and went to the same primary school,” Smallwood said of the premiership West Coast defender. “We’ve known each other for pretty much our whole lives.
“Marley Williams, I’m pretty close family friends with him so I talk to him a little bit along the journey and he’s been very good.
“Their advice is just pretty much just take the most of your opportunities. Not many people get the opportunity (to be drafted) so if it does come true, just make the most of it.”
Smallwood, 18, admits he will be very nervous when the national draft is held over Thursday and Friday.
But the 179cm midfielder and small forward has put together an impressive year, despite copping a broken jaw in May.
“I was just in a State 18s practice match and I just came up for a spoil and some guy came across me and his shoulder got my jaw and it wasn’t necessarily a big hit, it just must have got me in the wrong place so it broke my jaw in two places and needed surgery in two places, six screws inserted,” Smallwood said.
“The doctors originally said eight to 12 weeks but it was only about five weeks out from the start of the 18s carnival so I pushed it to be six and then it ended up being five and a half until I was back.”
Smallwood returned to have an impact for WA and then played three league games for Claremont, including two finals.
Getting to play alongside brother Dylan, 20, was a particular highlight.
“It was a really pleasing year in the end,” Smallwood said.
“I definitely didn’t think that that’s how it would end up, especially making my league debut and making it alongside my brother, that was a pretty special moment for not just me but the whole family.
“We were always in the backyard. There were countless times that one of us would come away bleeding and crying and that but it’s all good fun.”
“I lived probably about 500m away from Jeremy McGovern growing up and went to the same primary school,” Smallwood said of the premiership West Coast defender. “We’ve known each other for pretty much our whole lives.
“Marley Williams, I’m pretty close family friends with him so I talk to him a little bit along the journey and he’s been very good.
“Their advice is just pretty much just take the most of your opportunities. Not many people get the opportunity (to be drafted) so if it does come true, just make the most of it.”
Smallwood, 18, admits he will be very nervous when the national draft is held over Thursday and Friday.
But the 179cm midfielder and small forward has put together an impressive year, despite copping a broken jaw in May.
“I was just in a State 18s practice match and I just came up for a spoil and some guy came across me and his shoulder got my jaw and it wasn’t necessarily a big hit, it just must have got me in the wrong place so it broke my jaw in two places and needed surgery in two places, six screws inserted,” Smallwood said.
“The doctors originally said eight to 12 weeks but it was only about five weeks out from the start of the 18s carnival so I pushed it to be six and then it ended up being five and a half until I was back.”
Smallwood returned to have an impact for WA and then played three league games for Claremont, including two finals.
Getting to play alongside brother Dylan, 20, was a particular highlight.
“It was a really pleasing year in the end,” Smallwood said.
“I definitely didn’t think that that’s how it would end up, especially making my league debut and making it alongside my brother, that was a pretty special moment for not just me but the whole family.
“We were always in the backyard. There were countless times that one of us would come away bleeding and crying and that but it’s all good fun.”