Willem Drew is the forgotten man of Port Adelaide’s feted midfield – and he would not have it every other method.
There’s the good younger crop of Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Jason Horne-Francis, Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines and Port’s video games record-holder and twin membership champion Travis Boak.
Then, there’s Drew.
The unsung 70-gamer is commonly deployed in tagging roles on the opposition’s most harmful midfielder whereas hardly ever attracting consideration.
“It doesn’t bother me too much at all,” Drew instructed reporters on Tuesday.
“Happy just to go about my business and do whatever is needed for the team.
“Obviously we’ve bought some actually particular gamers in our workforce who’re taking part in actually good footy so I’m joyful simply to do my bit.
“I’m a pretty low-key sort of bloke.”
The 24-year-old was recruited from North Ballarat with decide 33 on the 2016 nationwide draft.
And since his AFL debut in 2019, Drew has grow to be a mainstay of the Power line-up, taking part in ever recreation since 2021, largely as a tagger.
“Mostly it happens on game day,” Drew stated of his shut-down function.
“If another mid gets on top of the game and (coach Ken Hinkley) Kenny thinks it’s probably worth going to them.
“During the week you all the time know who you are arising in opposition to and know the gamers which can be in all probability going to have the most important affect.
“So it’s always a great challenge and one I am happy to do.”
The unheralded Drew has been amongst Port’s most constant gamers within the South Australian membership’s longest AFL successful streak – 11 consecutive victories heading into Saturday evening’s conflict in opposition to Essendon.
Seven of these wins have been by 22 factors or much less in a streak which has lifted the Power to second spot on the ladder, behind leaders Collingwood solely by proportion.
“You take away the wins and it has probably just been the way that we’ve been able to play and the way they’ve been able to win,” Drew stated.
“Playing in different conditions, we have been up some weeks, we’ve been down some weeks and been able to fight back.
“We have taken loads of confidence out of that and we will preserve constructing on that.
“We still want to improve, we’ve definitely got a lot of things to work on and we’re going to do that in the back half of the year.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
