Early in Pakenham’s round seven clash with Monbulk, Jordan Stewart, playing his customary intercepting role at half back, thought he was in for another contested mark to stop a Hawks’ forward thrust.
But coasting in front of him and snaffling the grab was Tahj De La Rue, a skinny 17-year-old displaying no apprehension that might be expected from a schoolkid playing among older, properly-built senior bodies in the Outer East competition.
Many will be familiar with the De La Rue family, most recently through the exploits of both parents, Travis and Katie, premiership stars on the football field and netball court, respectively, at Toomuc Reserve.
On Katie’s side of the family, the Ahern’s could tell the history of the football and netball clubs better than most.
Jan and Tim Ahern, Tahj’s grandparents, were players and administrators in both netball and football, while Katie’s aunt and uncle, Ros and ‘Ashes’ O’Connor, are also storied figures in the history of both.
Rewind even further and Tahj’s great grandmother Lorna Anderson was a founding member of the then Pakenham Netball League, as well as a star in her own right on the court.
Then there’s Ray Leslie ‘Cracker’ Jackson, a man who shepherded the club through a golden era in the 40s and 50s and who the grandstand at Toomuc is named after, who was Lorna’s brother.
Now, it’s Tahj’s turn to continue the legacy.
With eyes on the biggest stage of them all down the track, the winger has made himself an indispensable member of Ash Green’s Pakenham side when not selected for the Dandenong Stingrays, with his ball use and decision making coming to the fore.
Despite a size and age deficit, De La Rue holds no reservations about his place at senior level, applying a simple “see ball get ball” mentality.
“I knew during this year’s pre-season that [Pakenham] is where I wanted to be playing if I wasn’t at the Stingrays and playing consistently there,” De La Rue said.
“When it came to it, Ash (Green) made me feel really comfortable and the players made me feel really comfortable playing.
“I thought that, as long as I was going there confident and didn’t pull out of any contests or anything, I wouldn’t get injured.
“As long as I went in there 100 per cent to the ball, I’d be fine, and I have been.”
In-tandem with the speedy half-forwards and outside players in Bailey Stiles, Jake Thompson and Koby Grass, Pakenham look at their best when those players and De La Rue are working with and for one another to pick-apart the defences of the opposition and use their motors to their advantage.
“I haven’t really thought of it as being one of the go-to players at Pakenham, but I think that when I do get the ball in my hands, I definitely try to make the best decision I can,” he said.
“Now that I’ve played a few games with them, they’ve warmed up to me as well and have confidence in me that I’m going to play my role and that’s what I’m about.
“I just want to play my role in the team, so we can get the four points every week.”
Having earned selection in the Stingrays’ under 18 squad at the beginning of the year, alongside his cousin Kade, the demands of that program mean he can rarely train during the week at Pakenham, and is leaning on the guidance of his senior teammates for instructions on positioning on the field.
The need to split his time between the two groups presents its challenges, as he often finds himself training with one group and then taking the field on a Saturday with another, adhering to different tactics and ideologies.
But it’s safe to say that he’s got plenty in his corner.
Coaching the midfield line from the sidelines is Michael ‘Jock’ Holland, a family friend and mentor to De La Rue, and delivering his and Green’s messages is forwards coach and runner Tom O’Loughlin, who falls into the same bracket.
Tahj’s father, Travis, was a premiership teammate of both Holland and O’Loughlin in 2002, but the 17-year-old was too young to remember seeing them on the field.
“He’s (Travis) has always been really helpful with me, he hasn’t pushed me too hard but pushed me just enough to get me to where I am now,” Tahj explained.
“He’s rapt that Tom and ‘Jock’ are there with me.
“He’s pretty proud and he has confidence when I’m out there that Tom and ‘Jock’ will look after me.”
He also credits his mum, Katie, for embracing his love of the fitness component of football and helping to juggle his commitments week-to-week, from school, to football, to part-time work and everything in-between.
While finding himself on the fringes of selection at Stingrays level, he’s tapped into the resources available at the elite pathway program in search of the edge to elevate his game.
From adhering to the strength and conditioning program assigned to him to a tee, to the well-being and mental training component that he has come to really enjoy, he’s leaving no stone un-turned in his pursuit to reach the top level.
“There’s not much of me but the strength that I get from those sorts of sessions is really good,” he said.
“I’m really trying to focus on my mindset at the moment.
“That’s what my focus is, trying to get the most out of each training session.
“It doesn’t just flick on at training, you’ve got to work it into your day and get the mindset right.
“That’s one thing I’ve really been focusing on since the start of this year.”
Excited at the prospect of coaching him from early in preseason, Green described him as a “sponge”, and said he can “go anywhere” with his football.
“He’s got a lot of courage to go back with the flight of the footy,” Green said after another starring performance from De La Rue against Gembrook Cockatoo in diabolical conditions on Saturday.
“He’s got good skills, he reads the play well, he plays tall, and he’s not afraid at 17-years-old to get his hands dirty and get into the contest.
“I think he’s a special kid.”
With two games for the Stingrays under his belt, he’s hoping to solidify a spot in the side in his draft year in 2024 to give himself the best chance of being drafted.
“The end goal is to play AFL and being in the Stingrays program has definitely cemented that goal and dream,” he said.
“There’s still a long way to go, but that’s definitely the goal at the moment.”
