AFL No.1 draft choose Willem Duursma is already relishing the prospect of making an attempt to supercharge West Coast’s rebuild alongside fellow prime choice Harley Reid.
And the 18-year-old Gippsland Energy product is brimming with confidence as he eyes a hero-and-sidekick partnership with Reid within the west.
“If I’m Batman,” Duursma quipped, after being offered his first Eagles jumper by Reid at Wednesday evening’s nationwide draft.
“He gave me a giant hug on stage, so we’re able to get cracking, us two.”
Coming off a horror one-win season in Andrew McQualter’s first yr as coach, West Coast bolstered their younger expertise shares with high-end picks Duursma and Cooper Duff-Tytler.
Bids for Gold Coast academy product Zeke Uwland and Carlton father-son prospect Harry Dean had been matched by these golf equipment earlier than the Eagles settled on Calder Cannons ruckman Duff-Tytler at choose 4.
Duursma and 2023 No.1 choose Reid might quickly be housemates when the brand new Eagle strikes to Perth, with the latter to play an essential function mentoring his new teammate.
The pair will probably be key figures in McQualter’s try and carry West Coast off the underside of the ladder.
“We’ll complement one another rather well,” Duursma stated.
“He will get his fingers soiled beneath there and I’ll assist him on the skin a good bit, for the beginning a minimum of.
“The sky’s the restrict, I feel.”
Duursma, from the city of Foster, about 170km south-east of Melbourne feels properly ready for the transfer to Perth and the fanfare that can include it.
“I’ve seen Harley do it and it’s positively fairly full-on, however I’m fairly excited and I’m able to go,” Duursma stated.
“Footy takes you to superb locations and there’s lots worse locations to go than Perth to play footy.
“You’re doing the factor that you just love, so I can’t complain in any respect.”
Duursma can also be ready for a steep studying curve as he joins a West Coast workforce that has received simply 11 video games over the past 4 seasons.
“I’ve seen Harley and (others) undergo it and I do know it’s not straightforward, however you’ve simply received to look on the brilliant facet and suppose positively,” he stated.
“They’re solely going to get higher … so I’m actually eager.”
Duursma’s older brothers Xavier (choose 18, 2018) and Zane (choose 4, 2023) had been additionally first-round draft picks, and are actually established gamers at Essendon and North Melbourne respectively.
Older sister Yasmin performs AFLW with Carlton, however the youthful sibling now has some bragging rights.
“I used to be dishing it to them already however it’s fairly particular,” Duursma stated.
“They’ve all had their fair proportion of particular moments, so it’s nothing to remove from them that I went choose one.”
Duursma selected soccer over basketball as a youngster and was closely concerned within the dance college run by mum Susie, most not too long ago that includes in a twist on the traditional story of Rapunzel.
“In case you ask Mum, it’s been extra useful to me than coaching for footy, however it has helped,” Duursma stated.
“I’ve developed a little bit of a sidestep and clean motion, so I assume it has helped.”
Duursma is the fourth participant taken by West Coast with the No.1 choose at a nationwide draft and simply the second this century, after Reid in 2023.
The Eagles beforehand picked Drew Banfield (1992) and Michael Gardiner (1996) with the highest choice.
© AAP
