Caleb Serong hopes an obsession with watching football from a young age will continue to help as he looks to take the next step in what promises to be an exciting AFL career.
The no.8 pick in the 2019 NAB AFL Draft grew up in country Victoria obsessed with the likes of Brett Kirk, Adam Goodes and the Sydney Swans.
The midfielder feels the footy-binges with his dad have always helped him when he’s played the game.
“Ever since I was young, I just loved watching footy,” Serong told 6PR.
“Myself and my dad would try and watch every game and it would get to half time and I would run outside and try and emulate what I was watching on TV.
“I would analyse the game and stuff like that, so I think from the young age, I would watch the game quite intently and analyse that.
“I guess it became quite natural once I went out there and started playing - I’d already analysed the game in my own head without even knowing.
“It was quite natural to just go out there and play footy. For me, it’s just knowing where to run and just stuff like that.
“I try and pride myself on (that), and try and outsmart some of the other players.”
Without any football to play, or watch, Serong has been keeping busy back at the family home in Warragul training with his younger brothers.
While he’s loving being around the family, he’s not envious of the weather the majority of his teammates have been enjoying back in Perth.
“I’ve got my brothers that I’m training with at the moment and they’ve got online schooling, so we have to get up nice and early,” Serong said.
“This morning, it was about six degrees when we left my house, so I’ve run the whole session in my hoody, with the hood on and zipped up.
“I was doing everything I could to keep myself warm but, it hasn’t been easy some of those mornings getting up but I guess once you’re up and it’s done, you’ve got the rest of the day to chill out, which has been good.”
While Serong hopes to return to WA soon, he would need be subjected to a 14-day quarantine before re-joining his teammates.
He said he couldn’t wait to get back with the group.
“I’ve loved every minute of it (at Fremantle), the boys have been fantastic, they’re a really young crew and everyone gets along really well,” Serong said.
“All the boys have been really welcoming and the coaching staff have been fantastic with their time and generosity.
“The place itself, has been fantastic. It’s very relaxing, it’s chilled out, it’s a lot different than Melbourne is, that’s for sure, and so far I’ve loved every minute of it.”
While Serong missed out on a round one debut against Essendon, instead travelling as an emergency, he said he had learnt a lot from playing against Carlton and West Coast in the Marsh Community Series.
“(Playing against AFL opponents) is lot different than what I’ve experienced before, that’s for sure,” Serong said.
“Even the pre-season, the interclub games, it was a lot different, it was another step up, and they were only Marsh Cup games, so once it goes into the proper season it will step up again.
“For me, it was about going out there with nothing to lose, so I was just trying to back myself.
“The speed was really quick and I felt like, especially in the Carlton game, I was working into the game as the game when on. I was starting to pick up the speed of the game.
“It was a big challenge and a big step up from what I’ve experienced that’s for sure.”
