Ferraro, the mythbuster

By Paul Pickering
DANDENONG Stingrays captain Ricky Ferraro is a TAC Cup mythbuster.
At 170cm, Ferraro is the smallest player on the Stingrays list, but his stature within the country’s elite under-18 competition is almost unrivalled.
Some people will tell you the TAC Cup’s role is to turn six-foot athletes into AFL footballers, but Ferraro contradicts that theory.
Others will say that TAC Cup players are more focused on individual glory, but that couldn’t be further from the truth for Ferraro.
In his second year at the Stingrays, Ferraro has led his team out of the TAC Cup cellar towards a likely top-four finish.
He’s played every game this season, kicking 20 goals and averaging 19 possessions and four tackles per game.
Ferraro wasn’t even asked to try-out for the Vic Metro under-18 side, and most pundits expect his size – he’s two centimetres smaller than Kangaroo Brent Harvey – to deter AFL recruiters on draft day.
But Stingrays coach Graeme Yeats says the skipper has left an indelible mark at Shepley Oval.
“It’s a cut-throat competition and there are limited opportunities to get on AFL lists, but if there was a draft for heart and soul and effort, Ricky would be taken in the first round,” Yeats said of his on-field general.
“He’s someone who’s really passionate about the place. A lot of kids come through and use this as a vehicle to better their football and move on, but Ricky’s one of the kids that will stick in your mind, because he’s had a great time while he’s been here and really contributed to the club long-term.”
Last week, Yeats raised some eyebrows when he was quoted in the daily press likening Ferraro to “a miniature Michael Voss”, but that is how highly he is regarded by his coaches and team-mates.
“That comparison was from a leadership point of view, his work ethic and willingness to put his body on the line – as well as his passion and spirit,” Yeats explained.
Ferraro was flattered by the comparison.
“I was rapt with it, because it’s a big call, but it was a bit embarrassing,” he said.
“I copped a bit of stick about it.”
Ferraro has become accustomed to people focusing on his height, and he’s learnt to use it as motivation.
“It makes you strive a bit harder, because I definitely feel like I’m trying to prove myself to people,” he said.
Ferraro can find some encouragement in the resurgence of the little man at AFL level.
As Stingrays region manager Darren Flanigan notes, the success of the AFL’s new mosquito fleet – including the likes of Cyril Rioli and Alwyn Davey – has made recruiters more likely to consider under-sized youngsters.
“If you’re good enough, you’re big enough,” Flanigan said.
“But Ricky’s going to have to do a Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn) and go through the back door.”
Mitchell was overlooked by recruiters when he graduated from the Eastern Ranges, but he won a Liston Trophy with the VFL’s Box Hill Hawks to force his way into the AFL.
Ferraro says Mitchell is an inspiration, and he’s determined to follow a similar path.
In the meantime, he is hoping to lead the in-form Stingrays to a TAC Cup premiership.
The Stingrays play the Murray Bushrangers in a top-of-the-table clash at Wangaratta this Saturday.