By JARROD POTTER
WHETHER or not it pays off, Noble Park midfielder Jack Sketcher knew he needed to give the big stage one last, proper crack.
Sandringham Dragons’ 2010 Morrish Medalist – awarded to the TAC Cup’s best-and-fairest player – wanted more out of his footy career after stints in the VFL and WAFL before returning to the Bullring to play out of the Eastern Football League.
Sketcher, 24, from Noble Park, decided to sign up for season two of ‘The Recruit’, a FOXTEL reality show series designed to find the best player outside of the AFL system and give the winner a chance to join an AFL list.
It meant he had to say goodbye to Noble Park Football Club and take the step up, but Sketcher wanted to give his second, and potentially last, chance the best opportunity to succeed.
“It was a great opportunity and one that I didn’t make the most of when I was 18 and looking back on it now,” Sketcher said.
“Obviously to get that second opportunity is a big thing and looking forward to the show to start.
“I suppose after watching season one, it made me think if it’s really worth it and if was I unlucky or not, but now it’s done and dusted and it’s a great opportunity and looking forward to it to start.”
Sketcher was put through the wringer by legendary premiership winning coach Mick Malthouse, as well as assistant coach Ben Dixon and Port Adelaide’s world class fitness guru Darren Burgess as high performance coach.
“His (Malthouse) record speaks for itself,” Sketcher said.
“Ben Dixon and Burgo too – great people to lead us and definitely learned a lot on the show.”
For now, everyone will have to tune in to see if Sketcher became “The Recruit”, but in the meantime he’s plying his craft back in the VFL at Frankston and enjoying his second crack at life in the elite Victorian football system.
“Back down at Frankston with a few blokes I’ve previously played with,” Sketcher said.
“I know the coaching staff down here and know them pretty well down there too – pretty good to be back in the system, but also missing playing here with the Bulls as well.”
The Recruit is a 10-part reality series that starts on FOXTEL’s FOX8 channel on Wednesday from 8.30pm.
