By JARROD POTTER
TRADING running spikes for footy boots is a tough transition for any athlete, but Gippsland Power’s Matt de Bruin is not letting the sporting shift slow him down.
He stepped away from football at the end of 2012 to pursue higher ambitions in athletics and was rewarded with a ticket to Eugene, Oregon to participate in last year’s World Junior Athletics Championships in the 110 metre hurdles.
But after ascending the heights of junior athletics success, the allure of chasing the oval ball became too much to resist for the 18-year-old from Pakenham.
His first official hit-out in over two years was on Saturday as the Power took an emphatic 55-point win over rivals Dandenong in de Bruin’s inaugural TAC Cup season.
For de Bruin, his return to football – mostly spent roaming half-back and deep forward – went to plan despite it taking a while to readjust to playing the national pastime.
“Really good actually – just took a little while to find my feet again,” de Bruin said.
“Obviously I played some practice matches, but it’s nothing compared to an actual game of footy and the vibe is so much more different in an actual round of football.
“It took me a couple of quarters to get into it, it’s my first round in two years, but second half I starting to read the play better and was put a little deeper playing forward, so it was really promising but there’s still lots of room for improvement.”
The pacey utility has also come to appreciate getting back into the team sport environment and the benefits associated with being part of the Gippsland squad.
“It’s awesome – I really enjoy it – obviously athletics is good as you can focus on your own thing, but having a bunch of boys get you through the game, warm-ups and after-games, having them around you is a lot more fun,” de Bruin said.
The sporting-polymath has earned significant praise from his TAC Cup coach Leigh Brown, who believes the unique mix of height and speed will see de Bruin go a long way in his return to the footy oval.
“He was in our program as an under-16 so he’s been out for a couple of years and played very little footy, but you can certainly see his speed and his footy touch and knowledge is starting to come back and become a bit more instinctive,” Brown said.
“We expect him to keep improving and keep adding to our team in the coming months.
“He’s versatile because of his height – he can play back, forward or in the midfield and his speed is very good and adds something different to our team that’s for sure.”
De Bruin – who is eligible to play for ROC Football Club during TAC Cup bye rounds – and his Power side face Murray on Good Friday.
