By Nick Creely
Emerging defender Will Arthurson is an important part of the revered success of the Berwick Football Club.
And he very well could be playing VFL football in the coming years.
The Wickers are one of the most dominant local footy sides anywhere in the state, and seemingly look likely to once again give a rare three-peat a genuine crack in the inaugural season of AFL Outer East.
And the young Arthurson – an intercept king who continues to develop his craft as a genuine gun defender of the competition – is making waves for the Wickers with a sparkling start to his season in a side that’s difficult to break into.
He said that the entire club is united in its goal of claiming yet another premiership, but will continue to take it one week at a time as they look to build into their best footy over the next month.
“Everyone is really excited; this is our first real four-week block of footy,” he said.
“We’re taking it one game at a time, and hopefully we can get to that halfway point of the season with just one loss, and that’ll help our case.”
With the new league a challenge for everyone, Arthurson said that the Wickers have embraced the change, and said that eventually things will even out after recent lopsided scorelines.
“We all love the new challenge – I know I am,” he said.
“Just not knowing what you’re coming up against is great.
“It’s more even (than the scores suggest) – Wandin, and the Healesvilles, they’ll all get used to the bigger grounds, and when it comes to finals footy, the grounds won’t matter, it’s whoever wants it on the day.”
Arthurson burst onto the senior footy scene back in 2017 as a teenager, playing in the premiership, before backing it up last year with yet another flag in the final year of the SEFNL.
He said that developing his game in a club with so many stars and role-models around him definitely makes him sit and think about how lucky he is.
“You do have to pinch yourself a bit, that’s for sure,” he said.
“Me having three years, and potentially this year going for another flag, is pretty surreal.
“My first couple of years under Stew Kemperman gave me the confidence to take my marks, go for them and then that gave me the confidence to stand out.
“When you see the names like Ash Smith, (James) Magner, (Travis) Tuck – who all played AFL – and you see them as role models, you just want to get to that level eventually.”
The defender played an excellent role recently in the AFL Outer East’s interleague side down in Bendigo, in what was a heavy loss for his side. As a youngster, Arthurson’s marking, ability to take on the play and defensive instinct shone brightly.
Arthurson said it was a tough match for a variety of reasons for the league, but a reminder of what he needs to do in order to take the next step.
“I’m looking to get a bit more size on me, and potentially push into the midfielder later in my career,” he said.
“They (Bendigo) were really well-drilled, and you could tell that the midfielders were a lot bigger than ours, so size certainly does help.
While it was noticeable that the Outer East didn’t quite have the talent on the park to win, Arthurson conceded it was disappointing as a league that they couldn’t attract the biggest names.
“It’s disappointing the turnout with both the leagues combined, even the better players were injured or not interested,” he said.
“I think across the board everyone was disappointed, but I thought that the side we had on the day could compete more than what we did.
“After half-time we put in a good effort, especially in our back half, we stood up.”
Arthurson – away from club land – was last week named in the very first intake of the Frankston Dolphins player development program, which will be headed by former Dolphin Andrew Shannon and coached by ex-St Kilda and Collingwood midfielder Nathan Freeman.
The Academy – which aims to help smooth the talent pathways for players from NAB League or local football into the VFL – will be a massive chance for the Wicker and former Dandenong Stingray to potentially make his way onto a VFL list in 2020 after training with the Dolphins in the pre-season.
“That’s usually the end goal (to play VFL football), I try not to put too much pressure on, whatever kind of happens, happens, that kind of thing,” he said.
“The season’s been going well so far – after training at Frankston all through pre-season definitely gave me the confidence to back myself in.”
