NORTH Warrnambool Eagles’ forward Josh Corbett has soared high in his long-awaited VFL debut, booting two goals in Werribee’s 63-point demolition of the Northern Blues.
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The 20-year-old signed for the North Melbourne-affiliate in February, but had been sidelined with an ankle complaint sustained mid-way through the season.
Corbett linked with Kangaroos-listed forwards Sam Durdin, Majak Daw and Robin Nahas on Saturday to play an integral role in the Tigers’ sixth win of the campaign.
Corbett said his first goal at VFL level was the realisation of a childhood dream.
“I thought about Jack Silvagni kicking his first goal and how much I wanted him to kick that, and even though this is a completely different situation, I was relieved when it went through as it let me focus on playing the rest of the game,” he said.
“The best thing was that we got the win. I hurt my ankle and was out for eight or nine weeks earlier in the year so it was just good to be a part of a win.
“There is the hype and with it being televised I had my mates stirring me a bit (in the lead up) but it was a lot of fun. I had to remember to relax and to not become overwhelmed by it all.”
Corbett praised the guidance of his AFL-listed teammates and the acceptance of the club as a whole.
“Maj (Daw) and Sammy (Durdin) really helped me with the forward line set ups and taught me a lot of on-field positioning and stuff in the game,” he said.
“The boys really just got around me and were really encouraging and inviting straight away. It wasn’t stand-offish at all and I felt like we gelled together really well from the start.”
Corbett, who lined up for Werribee’s AFL Development League side before debuting with the senior side, said his goal would be to help the club snatch a berth in the VFL finals.
“Fingers crossed I can keep my spot but it would be great if both Werribee teams can make finals. We’ve been working hard all year and deserve to play,” he said.
