Seagulls defender enjoying spoils of hard work
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HIS side may have been on the receiving end of a 65-point hiding, but representing the VFL against the SANFL last month has been a career highlight for Williamstown full-back Scott Meyer so far.
The annual match at the Adelaide Oval wasn't a good day for the VFL's defence, the visitors leaking 25 goals, with talls Clinton Alleway, Ian Perrie and Brant Chambers proving a handful for Meyer and Co.
"The South Australian midfield was really strong, the ball was been pumped in really quickly, and the delivery was quite good, so there was probably nowhere to hide with those three guys down there," said Meyer. "(But) it was a really good experience to represent the state".
Meyer, 22, can put it down as a learning experience.
He has since returned to the familiar surrounds of Burbank Oval, where he continues to make a name for himself as one of the most promising young key backmen in the competition.
And he is keen to instill a new career highlight by season's end, namely a Grand Final appearance or better yet, a premiership.
After two agonising preliminary final exits in the last two seasons, the focus at Williamstown is to make sure there's an improvement on previous years.
"We'd be definitely hoping to take another step this year," Meyer said.
"There are high expectations (to win the flag). But we take it on a week-to-week basis, try to not get ahead of ourselves, just make sure we keep doing the actions that we need to do, so that we get the right results that we're after."
Meyer has attributed the emergence of young talent at the Seagulls as to why they have led the competition for most of the year until last week's shock loss to Coburg, which saw them slip from top spot on the ladder to second on percentage.
"I think a lot of the younger blokes ... (are) just becoming more experienced, that's what's helping us out this year," he said.
After a switch from the ruck to defence midway through last year, Meyer is now one of the first players picked in the Gulls' line-up.
"(It has been) good to settle down, and have a full year in the seniors, and become comfortable in my role in the team. At the moment it's going pretty well," he said, adding that being a defender had "become second nature.
"It took me a while to learn it. I've picked up most things now, so it's going quite well.
"Our backs coach at the moment, Andy Hayman, helped me out a fair bit this year and in previous years Anthony Eames."
The return of Jason Cloke, the experienced ex-Collingwood defender, has also aided Meyer in his education on playing down back.
"(I've) learnt a bit from him (Cloke), just watching him when he plays," he said. Meyer's year got off to a good start when he trained with the Western Bulldogs over pre-season.
He said it set him for a good season with the Seagulls.
While an AFL guernsey is still something he covets, the former Gippsland Power player has more important things on his mind. "If anything happens (AFL-wise) that'd be fantastic, but it's probably not something in the front of my mind," he said. "(It is) still one of the things that motivates me when I play.
"But, I really want to play in a premiership, that's my first focus at the moment."
HIS side may have been on the receiving end of a 65-point hiding, but representing the VFL against the SANFL last month has been a career highlight for Williamstown full-back Scott Meyer so far.
The annual match at the Adelaide Oval wasn't a good day for the VFL's defence, the visitors leaking 25 goals, with talls Clinton Alleway, Ian Perrie and Brant Chambers proving a handful for Meyer and Co.
"The South Australian midfield was really strong, the ball was been pumped in really quickly, and the delivery was quite good, so there was probably nowhere to hide with those three guys down there," said Meyer. "(But) it was a really good experience to represent the state".
Meyer, 22, can put it down as a learning experience.
He has since returned to the familiar surrounds of Burbank Oval, where he continues to make a name for himself as one of the most promising young key backmen in the competition.
And he is keen to instill a new career highlight by season's end, namely a Grand Final appearance or better yet, a premiership.
After two agonising preliminary final exits in the last two seasons, the focus at Williamstown is to make sure there's an improvement on previous years.
"We'd be definitely hoping to take another step this year," Meyer said.
"There are high expectations (to win the flag). But we take it on a week-to-week basis, try to not get ahead of ourselves, just make sure we keep doing the actions that we need to do, so that we get the right results that we're after."
Meyer has attributed the emergence of young talent at the Seagulls as to why they have led the competition for most of the year until last week's shock loss to Coburg, which saw them slip from top spot on the ladder to second on percentage.
"I think a lot of the younger blokes ... (are) just becoming more experienced, that's what's helping us out this year," he said.
After a switch from the ruck to defence midway through last year, Meyer is now one of the first players picked in the Gulls' line-up.
"(It has been) good to settle down, and have a full year in the seniors, and become comfortable in my role in the team. At the moment it's going pretty well," he said, adding that being a defender had "become second nature.
"It took me a while to learn it. I've picked up most things now, so it's going quite well.
"Our backs coach at the moment, Andy Hayman, helped me out a fair bit this year and in previous years Anthony Eames."
The return of Jason Cloke, the experienced ex-Collingwood defender, has also aided Meyer in his education on playing down back.
"(I've) learnt a bit from him (Cloke), just watching him when he plays," he said. Meyer's year got off to a good start when he trained with the Western Bulldogs over pre-season.
He said it set him for a good season with the Seagulls.
While an AFL guernsey is still something he covets, the former Gippsland Power player has more important things on his mind. "If anything happens (AFL-wise) that'd be fantastic, but it's probably not something in the front of my mind," he said. "(It is) still one of the things that motivates me when I play.
"But, I really want to play in a premiership, that's my first focus at the moment."