Lenny Christie is the fist player on debut to be nominated for the Rising Star award this year, and there is good reason why.
His five-goal haul against Morningside on the weekend was one of the key factors in Wilston Grange’s big win.
From the moment it was announced Christie would be making his debut, the Gorillas got behind him
“I was pretty confident. The boys got around me both Tuesday and Thursday, and we had the dinner Thursday night as well so they were really good,” Christie said.
First game, first kick, first goal; not a bad club to join.
“The first goal was a huge rush. The first quarter is always the hardest, and to crumb a pack like I did and kick the goal was exciting,” he said.
“After kicking it, everyone got around me and it was really inspiring to see they had my back.
He didn’t stop there though. Christie commanded space in the forward 50 like he was the full forward in the team of the year.
His physical attributes left the Morningside defense scratching their heads as to how to stop him.
He is explosive off the mark, has strong leading patters, and has a fantastic leap on him. At just 17 years of age, it’s clear he belongs on the senior stage.
“I worked back, worked hard, tick led and basically it was just a running game which suited me,” Christie said.
“There was aspects I could improve on, but on an overall point of view, for my first game in the seniors I had a good one, but now I have to improve on that.”
Christie’s goal looking ahead is a pretty simple one, regularity.
“I would like to lock down on a senior spot for the rest of the year, and hopefully Matt Trewhella see’s something in me for that to happen,” he said.
Christie might just provide the perfect foil for Declan Bevan going forward for the Gorillas.
His presence up forward has won them one game, and there’s no reason why that can’t continue.
The Gorillas travel to Chelmer to take on the Western Magpies this Sunday.
Keep an eye on this kid.
By Andrew Wiles – @andrewjwiles
