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IN THE BIG TIME<br />
Fledgling Eagle Brad Ebert<br />
is thankful he had the<br />
chance to play in the SANFL.<br />
The classy midfielder can<br />
now fully appreciate the<br />
competition gave him the best<br />
possible grounding for a<br />
career at the elite level.<br />
His brief exposure to the<br />
WAFL has highlighted a drop<br />
in class.<br />
“The competition here is a<br />
little bit slower,” he said.<br />
“Players back home seem to<br />
have better skills as well.<br />
“The SANFL is harder in<br />
terms of physicality.”<br />
Brad is aligned to Peel<br />
Thunder, a lowly club<br />
coached by dual West Coast<br />
premiership player Chris<br />
Waterman.<br />
He only met his team mates<br />
just over an hour before last<br />
weekend’s season opener.<br />
“I walked in there and<br />
started introducing myself,<br />
and trying to remember<br />
names before basically<br />
running straight out onto the<br />
field,” he said.<br />
“I played okay, kicked a goal<br />
and had more than 20<br />
possessions.”<br />
The Port Magpies product<br />
was considered South<br />
Australia’s finest talent in last<br />
year’s national draft. He<br />
headed across the Nullarbor<br />
when selected by the West<br />
Coast Eagles at pick 13.<br />
The transition has been<br />
made easier thanks to his<br />
host family.<br />
Former West Perth player<br />
Terry Taylor and his wife Jo<br />
live in the affluent suburb of<br />
Jolimont, only a couple of<br />
minutes away from the Eagles’<br />
training base Subiaco Oval.<br />
“Everything has been sweet<br />
so far,” Brad said.<br />
Like most draftees, he has<br />
had his share of surreal<br />
experiences, including dinner<br />
at senior coach John<br />
Worsfold’s house.<br />
IN THE BIG TIME<br />
BY IAN SHUTTLEWORTH<br />
“All the first year boys were<br />
there,” he said.<br />
“We walked in and there we<br />
were having tea with John<br />
Worsfold, a guy who we had<br />
seen so many times before<br />
on television.<br />
“It was pretty cool actually.”<br />
Most importantly, the coach is<br />
pleased with his progression.<br />
“At the moment he’s<br />
impressed with what I have<br />
done,” he said.<br />
“Around the club John’s<br />
really approachable.”<br />
Brad, who turns 18 next<br />
month, is forging close<br />
friendships with fellow first<br />
year Eagle Scott Selwood,<br />
along with rookie listed players<br />
Will Sullivan and Ryan Davis.<br />
“Matt Priddis has been<br />
awesome and he’s a guy I<br />
look up to,” he said.<br />
“Beau Waters and Tyson<br />
Brad Ebert<br />
Stenglein live together and<br />
they’ve had me around a few<br />
times as well.”<br />
Brad is the son of former<br />
Port Magpies and West<br />
Adelaide player Craig Ebert,<br />
and nephew of four-time<br />
Magarey Medallist Russell.<br />
He is excited at the prospect<br />
of playing against cousin and<br />
Power forward Brett.<br />
“Hopefully I get the chance<br />
to do it,” he said.<br />
“I speak to him a fair bit,<br />
maybe once a month or so.”<br />
Brad is hopeful of breaking<br />
into the senior side this year.<br />
SANFL Talent Manager Brenton<br />
Phillips wouldn’t be surprised<br />
if he made an impact.<br />
“Brad is young in terms of<br />
age but mature in terms of his<br />
body,” he said.<br />
“He just doesn’t panic on the<br />
field either.”<br />
SANFL FOOTBALL BUDGET - VISIT: WWW.SANFL.COM.AU 13
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