Travelling footballer feeling right at home in defensive end

Camperdown's Sid Bradshaw has a team-high 43 rebound 50s from his first six matches of the 2024 Hampden league season.

He sits third in the competition in that key statistic behind Warrnambool's Taylem Wason (49) and Portland recruit Luke Evans (44).

Bradshaw, 23, said he was happy to play his part in a cohesive Magpies' defensive unit.

"I was a little bit deeper in the first four rounds and the last couple of rounds (coach) Nev (Swayn) has put me a little higher," he said.

"Nev's good at putting people in positions where they can play to their strengths and my role is to try and get it out of our defensive 50 and use my kicking to propel us forward and hopefully we get a score out of it."

Bradshaw is averaging 19 disposals a game with a 78 per cent kicking efficiency.

It is an area he prides himself on.

"It is something I try and perfect and I get pretty frustrated when I turn it over. I try and keep that (statistic) as high as I can," he said.

"Our back six or seven has played together for a few years now so we all know each other's strengths.

"Archie McBean is very reliable and reads the ball well and he probably plays on bigger-bodied opponents most weeks but definitely holds his own."

Bradshaw believes the Magpies' list is filled with promise and teammates such as Tommy and Paddy Baker have impressed.

"I love watching the way they play - they're brothers but they play fairly differently to each other," he said.

"Tommy is very agile and quick and he's got great skills and Paddy is very smart. He gets to the right spots and he has a good mark on him and is a good kick for goal."

The Geelong-based Bradshaw is eager to see what Camperdown - coming off back-to-back wins after four losses to start its campaign - can achieve this season.

It comes after he was limited to nine games last year due to a hamstring injury and a two-and-a-half month holiday in Europe.

"It's getting close to 12 months since I left so I have started to get some memories on my phone and am kind of wishing I was back there with this cold weather that's coming up," Bradshaw, who is studying primary school teaching at university, said.

"I hadn't been out of the country before so it was great, very good fun.

"I'd love to go on another trip but my bank account won't allow me so I will be sticking around for the year with footy and hopefully just tick off week by week and see what happens.

"It would be nice to play some finals football hopefully."

Croatia was the pick of the destinations the Australian visited.

"Everywhere you looked, it looked like a postcard," Bradshaw said.