Broadbeach’s Josh Searl is the round 14 Syd Guildford nominee.
When the rain started to fall in the Cats’ win over Wilston Grange on Saturday, contested ball became king, and Searl went to work.
“It was alright I guess. I usually don’t like playing in the wet too much, but it was good fun, we don’t get too much wet weather footy here, I think this is the first game this year, so it was good for a change,” he said.
“It was played through the middle all day, the contested stuff was important, but it was also about just trying to get it forward in those slippery conditions.
“We played a bit better than the last couple of weeks, so that’s what I was more happy with.”
When you look at the names currently available to to pick from each week, the Cats list is one of the youngest in the league.
That means not only has Searl’s workload increased, but at 25, he quickly became one of the clubs leaders.
“Yeah it definitely has increased this year. It’s been difficult at times, balancing worrying about your own stuff at times, while worrying about everyone else,” he said.
“It’s been good though, I’ve really enjoyed the leadership stuff. Hopefully all the other guys enjoy me in that role as well.”
While his last two months have been outstanding, it was a grind to get fit and on the park early in the season.
“I had knee surgery last year, which was still no good this pre-season. I had a big cyst in the knee. Once that was cleared up I got started at the start of March, so it was an extremely short pre-season that’s for sure. The first month wasn’t great but I started to get going,” Searl said.
“It’s pretty tough, you feel like you’re a step behind everyone else, but you just have to keep working, keep training and it eventually comes along.”
It’s been a big couple of weekends for Searl. In round 13, he played senior game 100 for the Cats. Something he hangs his hat on.
“It meant quite a bit to me. I have never played a senior game for another club, so it was nice to get that milestone up. It would have been nice to get a win, but that wasn’t to be,” he said.
And that’s why he isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future.
“Broadbeach is home. With work up here on the Gold Coast now, I don’t see that changing any time soon,” Searl said.
The Cats take on the Western Magpies at home after the bye on July 30.
By Andrew Wiles
Follow @andrewjwiles
