WISE words from family and friends led Damien McCorkell to accept an interleague challenge.
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The two-time Warrnambool premiership midfielder will don Hampden colours for the first time today after heeding the advice of two people he respects — his grandfather Ron McCorkell and Bottle Greens coach Chris McLaren.
“I have been invited to go train before but never really have because I don’t mind having a weekend off and getting away from Warrnambool,” he said.
“I know Chris pretty well so he gave me a call and asked if I’d do it and my grandfather called me too.
“He said I might regret it in the future if I don’t do it.”
McCorkell is planning an overseas trip next season which could impact his football commitments with Warrnambool.
He spent a month in Europe and eight weeks in America in 2013-14 and caught the travel bug.
“I missed all of pre-season and came back and played in round four last year,” he said.
McCorkell played in the Blues’ 2012-13 premierships and experienced grand final heartache last season when the Scott Carter-coached side fell to Koroit.
The plumber wants to increase his output after the interleague bye, describing himself as “just going” in the opening month of the 2015 campaign.
He missed round three with a knee problem.
“I hyper-extended it in the pre-season.
“I played the first two rounds and had a week off and it’s done it the world of good,” McCorkell said.
McCorkell, 23, will start in the centre square against Murray today.
He is excited to play with some of the Hampden league’s brightest and share the moment with his Warrnambool teammates Sam Cowling, Travis Graham, Tim O’Keeffe, Brendan Moore and Jackson Bell.
McCorkell, Graham and O’Keeffe are cousins.
“Sam Cowling is one of my best mates so it’s good playing with him at interleague,” McCorkell said.
Hampden league’s other interleague debutants are Portland pair Luke Crane and Ben Malcolm, Camperdown duo Jack Williams and Cam Spence, Koroit’s James Gow, South Warrnambool’s Olle Lee, North Warrnambool Eagles’ Sam McLachlan and Adam Wines.
justine.mc@fairfaxmedia.com.au