Shepp News |
Michael Tinkler credits joining the Shepparton Swans with helping release his need for speed.
The 21-year-old’s dashes from defence have become one of the strong images in the Swans’ surge from finals contender to premiership chance.
‘‘I always had a bit of pace as a young kid and did a bit of sprinting,’’ Tinkler said.
‘‘But I don’t think I was comfortable enough to back myself early in my career and it’s more so developed since I’ve been at the Shepp Swans and played on bigger grounds.
Tinkler, whose career began at Murray league club Tocumwal, has since filled a number of roles at the Swans, including resident tagger, and become one of their most important pieces.
‘‘I went off to Assumption (College) then came back and decided to have a gap year,’’ he said.
‘‘But Brett called me in the summer of 2010 and just said, ‘We are rebuilding and I can’t promise you premierships or anything special in terms of success’.
‘‘He just wanted me to come down to get a feel of the club and to see where they were going and I immediately loved the direction.’’
It may be easy to say in hindsight, but Tinkler, who is studying to be a physical education teacher, is not one of the people surprised at the Swans’ resurgence.
He saw development last year, despite his side winning just four games after claiming only two the season before.
Tinkler said top-line recruits Tyson Sidebottom, Dan Lovick and Andrew Riordan simply hastened the process.
‘‘We’ve made a lot of progression the last couple of years and everyone is now seeing the results,’’ he said.
‘‘It has surprised everyone to a certain extent how well we have come on, but internally we knew this year — early in the season — that we were thereabouts, even though we let some games slip.
‘‘It was just a matter of putting four quarters together.’’
Tinkler said fellow backman Lovick was a mentor of sorts for him and the latter’s biggest piece of advice was to defend first.
‘‘Dan’s been awesome and acts as one of our defensive coaches with Tim Bruton,’’ he said.
‘‘I am enjoying a bit of freedom and I’ve loved every bit of this year and the progression we’ve made.
‘‘(Warburton), obviously, says if there’s someone on to take the first option, but if there’s space there to go for it, so they’ve been very supportive when I’ve got the footy.’’
