Leader News |
JARROD Bayliss could be forgiven for suddenly becoming superstitious.
The Wandin captain-coach entered the round 15 game against Olinda Ferny Creek with 41 goals to his name and shiny new football boots on his feet.
The 24-year-old had broken the studs on his regular footwear the week before and was sporting bright red-and-yellow replacements at the Wandin Football Ground.
But, usually a reliable kick for goal, Bayliss sure didn't have his kicking boots on against the Bloods.
He kicked 10 behinds and went goalless for just the second time this season.
Bayliss had amassed just six points to three-quarter time.
"In the last quarter I ran into an open goal from 35m out and missed, then missed the exact same shot on the same side. Then I missed two set shots and by then I was ready to walk off," he laughed.
"Even the opposition were getting into me, I just laughed and the joke's continued on ever since.
"The new ones gave me sore feet and I couldn't kick straight, I wore them on the Thursday night to training but it wasn't enough.
"I'm not really a superstitious person but I did think about burning those boots."
A Mooroolbark junior, Bayliss enjoyed two standout seasons with Wandin's under-17s and, when promoted to the seniors the next year, made the transition with ease.
He finished runner-up in the club's best-and-fairest award and decided to test himself at a higher level, so he tried out with VFL club Box Hill in the 2007 pre-season.
"I made the list and had a really good year. I won the reserves best and fairest, played a couple of senior games and got a pre-season with Hawthorn out of it," Bayliss said.
"But I stuck with my business. I'd just started up a carpentry business at the time and I was focused on that. My heart wasn't in it (footy)."
Bayliss spent a season with Eastern Football League side Norwood in 2009, then joined Croydon the following year.
When asked, for the second time, to come home and lead Wandin, Bayliss agreed at the ripe old age of 22.
"I'd lost a bit of interest in footy before I started coaching," he said. "They came to me and I thought, 'I reckon I could do this', I talked to Dad about it.
"I brought an influx of 20-25 players and last year was a big learning curve and challenge.
"We sat down and set a plan to play finals within three years and we improved out of sight in the first year. We moved in leaps and bounds, won 8 1/2 games and came home strong.
"That's continued into this year. We're a chance to finish third and as a whole the club hasn't been in this sort of strong position in a long time."
Bayliss' successful season hasn't been limited to the grounds of the Yarra Valley.
He captained the YVMDFL to an interleague win over Central Murray at Swan Hill, and then represented Victoria in the Australian Country Football Championships at Wagga Wagga.
Bayliss was part of the leadership group and his selection in the All-Australian team was reward for stellar form.
"I love that challenge of playing at a higher level and having to work and think harder about your footy," he said.
