By JARROD POTTER
Our look at the top seven Stingrays’ prospects – the seven-article Ray A Day series – heads across to Narre Warren, as Kurt Mutimer hopes his wide array of experience and inside midfield nous earn him a place in the big league.
KURT MUTIMER
CLUB: Dandenong/Narre Warren/Hallam SC
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 185cm/81kg
ACHIEVEMENTS: U18 National champion, Vic Country, National Combine.
PREDICTION: Pick 50-rookie list.
FROM the first time I talked to Kurt Mutimer, I thought he was someone well worth keeping an eye on.
The young Narre North Foxes midfielder had earned his spot in the 2012 School Sport Victoria under-15 schoolboys’ team – a proving ground for the handy footy types such as Joel Selwood, Luke Hodge and Travis Boak – and already then his goals were set on pushing himself and his sporting boundaries.
“I just want to keep playing club then Stingrays start up again over summer and hopefully next year I make the Stingrays under-16s,” Mutimer said in June 2012. “I definitely hope to play AFL and the highest standard of footy and once I make it, I’ll see how I go.”
It’s easy for a 15 year old to say anything, just to placate a journalist, but Mutimer backed up his words with an enormous finish to his junior career, which has placed him on the path towards the national competition.
Even if he doesn’t make it, the hard work he put in can’t be erased and his achievements are always his to look back on regardless.
“It’s definitely been a lot of hard work – you hit goals when you’re a young age and work your arse off to get to the highest level,” Mutimer said. “Some make it and some don’t, but it feels good after all that hard work has paid off and I’m one step off making that level and hoping it becomes a reality.”
He came into the Stingrays fold in 2014 with a strong resume; Mutimer rose through Narre North Foxes, went to the under-16 national championships after his schoolboys’ campaign and eventually picked up a handful of games as an under-17 in the TAC Cup.
But his top-age year has taken his football resume to the next level – under-18 national champion, AFL Combine invitee and prominent presence in the TAC Cup as one of its best inside midfielders … at least when he’s allowed to play there.
“I see my natural game as an inside midfielder – I’ve played there since under-9s and all the way up since juniors and always enjoyed playing there,” Mutimer said. “Always been able to hunt the ball and give it off to a lot of my team-mates too.
“It’s definitely hard coming into Vic Country where I was an outside mid playing wing and playing most games at Stingrays as an inside mid, but it was something I could adapt to and managed to pull it off and play my role for the team.”
Through the centre he featured in Vic Country’s championship side – one of his greatest highlights alongside school efforts for Hallam Senior College, despite the sports academy’s Premier League defeat this year by Essendon Keilor in the finale.
On top of that his Combine efforts definitely stand out – his 20m sprint time was equal quickest in the country alongside his top-10 finish in the handball test.
He’s left nothing in reserve searching for his AFL dream, but it’s a unique feeling to have his future taken out of his hands.
His fate is an unknown prospect, but Mutimer hopes one of the 11 clubs who interviewed him shows enough interest to bring him into their ranks.
“Not so much nervous, just anxious – I don’t know what’s going to happen, don’t know if I get picked up or where I’m going to go – it’s a lottery,” Mutimer said. “The clubs have shown their interest and we’ll soon find out on Tuesday night.”
His Narre North Foxes/Narre Warren/Dandenong Stingrays team-mate Gach Nyuon could also get drafted as well – potentially making the first time in their football journeys where the tandem are on opposite sides of the bounce.
“Grew up playing under-15s with Gach – me and him were down at the Foxes, mucking around at training and both had the same aspirations of hopefully one day playing AFL,” Mutimer said.
“Three or four years down the track, hopefully we’re in the position to get drafted, which is definitely good.”
The pair moved upwards and onwards to Narre Warren FNC and now the Dandenong Stingrays, always playing together and side by side as a ruck and ruck-rover combination.
“I think his pre-season was really strongly and got his opportunity early in the Vic Country trial games and I think Kurt’s form in the Vic Country was really good,” Dandenong Stingrays coach Craig Black said.
“He was able to hold a spot for the five games in Vic Country as an inside-mid, outside-mid and his kicking ability on his left foot was great with amazing pace.
“He was Mr Consistency – he wasn’t going to pop up and kick six goals a game or going to take the big screamers, but did everything well during the season.
“He can use his pace to his full ability – but then again he played well as an inside-mid, so anyone looking for an inside-outside midfielder could use Kurt and he could even develop into a half-back.”
