Casey Scorpions star and former Sydney Swan Stefan Garrubba is hoping to receive another chance in the Australian Football League after training with Hawthorn for the past three weeks. By Marc McGowan
THE Casey Scorpions may be robbed of two more of their star players, with midfielders Stefan Garrubba and Kyle Matthews in line to be drafted by AFL clubs next week.
The Scorpions have already lost champion on-ballers Steve Harrison and Nigel Carmody and key playmaker Troy Makepeace since the season finished.
But with former Dandenong Stingray and North Dandenong resident Garrubba, 21, training with Hawthorn for the past three weeks and Matthews, 21, set to undergo special testing with a unnamed Victorian club this week, Casey potentially faces further strain on its playing stocks.
The AFL pre-season draft and rookie draft will take place on Tuesday morning.
Garrubba, who is renowned for his breathtaking speed and endurance, has already had a taste of the elite level as a rookie-listed member at Sydney in 2005 and 2006.
After spending a year with the Scorpions, he is looking to return to the top flight, after receiving a call from Hawks list manager Chris Pelchen asking him to train with the club.
“I thought I had a pretty good year with Casey, so it wasn’t really surprising that it came about, but I was pretty happy when I got the call,” Garrubba said.
“It’s just a matter of doing the best you can. You can’t put too many high expectations on yourself because at the end of the day there are a lot of kids that can be rookied.
“You’ve just got to do your best, I suppose, and not put too much pressure on yourself.”
Garrubba will definitely be drawing on his experience with the Swans, which came during the club’s premiership and losing grand final years.
“They made two grand finals while I was there and not a lot of young blokes got an opportunity, but that’s just the way it is when a team is that strong and successful,” he said.
“It was definitely an experience and I learned a lot – probably from the best (Sydney coach Paul Roos).”
It has been a rollercoaster ride for Garrubba after earning an AFL/AIS Academy and being selected to play for Victoria Metro in his teenage years.
He expected to be drafted after speaking with “six or seven clubs”, and admits he was disappointed not to have his name called out in the national draft in 2004.
The lifeline with the Swans in the rookie draft came a month later, but Garrubba does not believe this is his last opportunity.
“I was always pretty adamant on coming back and starting again because I’m only 21, so I’ve still got a couple of years to have a crack at it,” he said.
“If I keep playing consistent footy the opportunity can arise, but at the same time I’ll be disappointed (if I don’t get drafted).”
The secret testing Matthews will undertake this week has left the brilliant wingman, who made his second consecutive Victorian Football League team of the year this season, hopeful for next week’s draft.
“I’m pretty excited, but I don’t really know what’s going on with it,” the electrician said.
“It’s the best opportunity I’ve had as yet, but I’ve never expected anything.”
Former Scorpions coach Peter Banfield has his fingers crossed for both players.
“Halfway through the year Stefan was winning our best and fairest before he had a bit of a dip, but later in the year he finished off really strongly,” Banfield said.
“He brought an enormous capacity to train and certainly set the bar high in terms of standards.
“Kyle is a super player and will hopefully get an opportunity.
“Players need to have special attributes to play at AFL level and they both have that.”
