There was a good reason Don Deeble Sports Star runner-up Daniel Venables could not pick up his award on Wednesday night – he was hard at work in preseason training in Perth with AFL powerhouse West Coast Eagles.
When he was nominated, Venables was touted as a potential first round draft pick, such was his impact for the Western Jets in the TAC Cup and for Vic Metro at the under-18 national football championships.
It was Venables’ dream to become an AFL footballer and that came true in November when the Eagles selected the immensely talented forward as pick 13 in the AFL national draft.
Venables’ proud dad Peter was on hand to accept the award on his behalf in front of a big Deeble awards night crowd.
“It’s terrific – he’ll be rapt,” Peter said.
“It’s a great award, well done mate, great job.”
Venables’ player bio on the Eagles’ website is glowing in its praise. It describes him as “a dynamic play-maker capable of turning a game in an instant”, who boasts “searing speed” aligned with “size and power”.
To Peter, those words mean nothing unless Daniel can back it up on the field.
“I’d just describe him as my son,” Peter said. “We have four in our family and Daniel’s our youngest.
“When you hear something like that (praise), you just take it on board, and then we go back and say you’re only as good as your next game.
“I know it sounds pretty boring, but that’s the case.”
Venables’ next game is likely to be in the AFL, making him one of the stand-out nominees for the 2016 edition of the Don Deeble award, and a deserving runner-up.
But football has not been his only sporting pursuit in the past. Whatever sport he has played, Venables’s gone at it full steam.
“He’s just ultra competitive,” Peter said. “He did Little Athletics and won the Victorian hurdles in the under 10s, and he went on to play cricket and made the state for under 15s.
“He had to make a decision between cricket and football and, as much as I’d prefer he would’ve played cricket, he chose football, and that’s fine because he’s enjoying himself.
“It’s taking him places he never thought he would go.”
For now, Venables is still familiarising himself with West Coast and the Perth lifestyle.
Within minutes of landing on the tarmac, Venables became instantly recognisable to Eagles’ fans as their top draft pick.
And, with that comes a whole heap of pressure.
“Over there, everyone knows you,” father Peter said. “It’s not easy – it’s pretty ruthless.
“West Coast is a fantastic club, but it is a ruthless sport.
“He’s in amongst the big boys now and that’s what he wanted, that’s what he’s after.
“He’s going well, it’s hard work and he’s meeting lots of people.”
