FRAZER Dale has never considered himself a leader.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But after two seasons at Carlton followed by a stint at South Adelaide, the 22-year-old is naturally one of the most experienced players on Myrtleford’s young list.
Dale played under-18s at Myrtleford before joining the Calder Cannons, where he was taken by Carlton in the 2011 rookie draft.
He played two games for the Blues under Brett Ratten, including a memorable AFL debut against the Western Bulldogs where he a kicked a goal after the siren to seal a famous victory.
The son of former Myrtleford coach Andrew is now on Footscray’s VFL list but, like teammate Hugh Wales, plays for the Saints when not required by the Bulldogs.
Dale has provided a midfield spark for the Saints in the past two weeks, helping them to an against-the-odds victory in his senior debut against Lavington before pushing Yarrawonga all the way in round six.
The super-fit Saint is keen to pass on all the knowledge he can to his teammates, which include younger brother Lachlan.
“Coming back from that level, you pick up so many little things and you learn a lot about the game and now I’ve got a lot of knowledge that I can pass on to younger blokes at the footy club,” he said.
“It’s been an exciting challenge for me to be a leader because I’ve never really been someone who’s been a leader.
“Because of where I’ve been, without even trying, I’ve just become a leader for these younger blokes at the club.
“A lot of the young fellas are still learning a lot about the game and one of those things is to keep yourself motivated each week.”
The Saints will look to carry their recent momentum into Saturday’s clash with Wangaratta at Norm Minns Oval.
“If we can bring that energy and enthusiasm like we have the last two weeks, we’ll be a really good chance,” he said.
“It’s been a really good couple of weeks, it was obviously great to win in my debut with the Saints.
“It was an amazing win against Lavington and great to a part of it with my little brother, for the first time, and some great mates, who I’ve grown up with.
“To be back playing at home on that Anzac weekend, and winning, was a pretty special feeling.
“It turned around our form and has set the standard going forward for us. We’ll go into the game against Wang pretty confident.”
Elijah Wales, Sam Confait and Chad Martin return for the Saints against the Magpies, who have been bolstered by Judd Porter, Michael Bordignon and Brad Melville’s inclusion.