By Tania Martin
BLAKE Walter may be Olinda-Ferny Creek Football Club’s answer to Brendan Fevola.
The 17-year-old Monbulk forward is well on his way to kicking more than 100 goals this season.
He showed his superiority last month in an under-18 match against Kinglake, kicking a massive 19 goals and leading his team to a 183-point victory.
He is proving himself not only in the under-18s but has played several games with the seniors this season.
Walter has now kicked 99 goals, which is down on last season’s 199.
It has been an amazing rise for Walter who is only in his fourth season. He started playing because he just wanted to have a bit of fun with his mates. Despite his amazing goal haul over the past two seasons, Walter is not pinning his hopes on an AFL career. He hopes to continue playing for Olinda for a couple more seasons but says it would be a dream come true to play in the big league – the AFL. “I would love to play for the Tigers,” he said.
But in the meantime he says: “I just love to play with my mates … I will just see what a couple of more seasons at Olinda brings me,” he said.
Walter trains a couple of times a week, practising his kicking techniques. He started his junior footy career as a half-back flanker but was soon moved into the forward line after kicking a few goals.
Walter credits his goal haul to his teammates. “The ball has to come down to me and our team’s backline and middle is pretty awesome … we have a lot of good players and they put the ball wherever I want it,” he said.
He will soon swap his footy boots for a cricket bat as he takes the field for Monbulk Cricket Club this summer.
