Young defender Trent McMullan was a standout in the match against Sydney last round.
It’s been a long time between VFL games for the ex-basketballer, but he took Saturday afternoon as the perfect opportunity to cement his spot in the side.
After playing footy as a junior, Trent was on another level with basketball, being selected for the U17 Australian Junior National Championships.
He said it was this fixation on basketball that led him towards footy.
“I finished up at the world championships and didn’t know what was next,” Trent said.
“There was so much other stuff going on that I thought it’d be a good time to give footy a crack.”
“I had a chance to play TAC Cup for the Murray Bushrangers and thought I may as well do that for a bit.”
Turns out he’s pretty good at footy too.
Although, Trent says there are only a few skills he converted from basketball to Aussie rules, with his path to find a position much the same between the two codes.
“Probably just your lateral movements, things like spatial awareness are handy,” he said.
“I was always forward playing footy, then I switched to the backline in recent years and that was probably similar to basketball,
“As a junior I was always scoring and then had to take a role as a defender to make it any higher.”
Trent was given the nod by the coaches as he was named in the best for the side’s match against the Swans.
“I was pretty happy, it’s been a while since I had a run around in an actual VFL game.”
“[Coach Shane O'Bree] has confidence in my ability and continue to read the ball and go for marks if I can.”
The boys sing it loud after a nail biting win on the road against the Swans pic.twitter.com/a1hLyBnJex
— Geelong VFL (@GeelongVFL) May 2, 2021
Once again, the experience of the Bankers’ leadership group shone through in their game and the up-and-comers.
Jackson Thurlow and Aaron Black guided the defensive group on what was, at times, a complete battering of repeat inside 50s.
This defensive work was what saved the game in most aspects as it was such a close contest.
“I love playing with those two blokes, they make it a hell of a lot easier for me.” Trent said.
“They tell me where to go and I just do it.
“It’s unreal having them up there, can’t complain at all.”
Geelong will have to manage a very short four-day turnaround before they face the Northern Bullants Thursday night, 7:10pm at Marvel Stadium.
The game is a ticketed event and patrons wanting to attend will need to purchase tickets prior to the match.
Geelong Cats members receive complimentary access to the game but will still need to register for a ticket using the code: MARVFL. Members will be required to present their Geelong Membership pass with their ticket to enter the ground.
