Caleb Serong has no intentions of plateauing in 2022 after a rapid rise in his two seasons of AFL so far.
The 21-year-old can add leadership group member to his growing list of honours after just two full seasons of football, winning the 2020 NAB AFL Rising Star alongside the 2021 Goal of the Year and a Glendinning-Allan Medal.
Due to a healing finger, Serong spent time playing on the wing to avoid a re-injury at training through January. He has since gone back to the midfield and racked up the most disposals out of all players on the ground in the past two match sims.
“It was quite frustrating through the end of December and most of January with the orange cap on and sitting out on the wing but it gave me a great appreciation for the wing role and I haven’t really played it too much, so I learnt a lot,” Serong said.
“I guess now in the last few weeks it's been great to get back inside and really mix it with the other mids and really try and get involved in the contest.
“Personally, I’m feeling the fittest I have ever felt and I have kind of leaned down a little bit which has been great both running wise and in the gym.
“A lot of the guys are in a similar boat. I think the driving of the standards this off-season and pre-season has been something that has been a massive improvement and not only on-field, but the way the guys are approaching their diet and off-field behaviour has been a massive improvement.”
Serong feels fortunate to have joined the Club around the same time as Senior Coach Justin Longmuir, allowing him to learn a new game plan alongside all of his teammates.
He said he was especially excited to see his teammates ‘living and breathing’ the players’ trademark.
“It was a great time to come in, it was a really fresh start for the Club and JL really brought in a relationship-based feel around the group,” Serong said.
“He wanted to drive that connection and that comes with the off-field side of things.
“On-field, it’s great that everyone has been learning (the game plan) together. Since then I have seen the trademark and culture really grow.
“For us, it’s not just a couple of words on the wall anymore, we are living and breathing it - not just at the Club but away from the Club.
“I think that’s the really exciting part, the more guys that actually live it and not just see it as words on the wall – that’s when real change is going to happen.”
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