DARBY Henderson will not give up on his dream of playing AFL football.
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Because Williamstown teammate Lachie Schultz has proved 20 is just a number, not a barrier to the draft.
If he can make the big leagues at 21, Henderson is hanging in there come hell or highwater.
“Shooter (Schultz) took a bit longer to develop as a player, so he spent those few seasons in the VFL,” Henderson said.
“But he grew as a player while he was here, he became a fantastic competitor and did everything right so when clubs were looking, he’d made the best possible case for himself to get drafted and has performed really well for Fremantle since he got to AFL level.
“He’s given us all a lot of hope. With clubs looking at guys beyond their under 18 year and with the introduction of the mid-season draft, we all believe if we get things right we are a real chance at getting into the system.”
Even five years ago, players being taken in their early 20s were still a novelty, but times have changed, with clubs now looking at more mature bodies and skillsets with later draft picks.
Schultz and Marty Hore (22 when drafted to Melbourne) have become the pinup boys for hundreds of players in what has been the game’s twilight zone – anyone who got past 18 and the draft was considered over the hill.
The journey for Henderson has one constant – the bottle green of his home town.
“In a way I’ve really grown up around our football club,” he said.
“It’s where I have played every level of my junior football and it’s a place I’ve always felt comfortable. It feels like being home.”
Henderson progressed through the junior ranks to senior football and always looked like he had something special in terms of his skills.
His junior football was rewarded with an opportunity to play in the Bendigo Pioneers program.
“I had a great time in their system,” he said.
“It was a fantastic experience to play with other guys who were trying to get to the same place I was. We were able to push each other to get better, we were learning from the best coaches and it was making us better players.
“I played a lot less footy for Echuca in the time I was with Bendigo as I was trying to get on the park with the Pios as often as I could.”
At the end of 2017 a new opportunity would present itself, with an invitation to trial with VFL club Williamstown.
Williamstown featured a number of past and future AFL players, including Schultz and Henderson’s future Echuca teammate Peter Faulks.
For Henderson, it was another opportunity to gain some football experience, but also to learn about how to better live like a footballer.
“They’re such a professional club,” he said.
“Their approach is incredible, the way they teach about the game and what they do to make you a better player. You see how much work really goes into preparing your body and keeping in the best possible condition you can because you need to be at your best when you are coming up against really good quality sides.”
The move to Williamstown, combined with his enrolment in a teaching degree at Victoria University meant Henderson was on his way to Melbourne.
But football would keep him tied to his home town.
Henderson elected Echuca to be his base club and is usually released to play in bottle green when not selected.
And he said the current Echuca regime has done everything they can to help him improve when he is home.
“Andrew (Walker) and Simon (Maddox) have been fantastic,” he said.
“They’re constantly in communication with Williamstown about how I am doing and what I am working on, so Echuca usually incorporates it into their plans.
“I’ve spent a bit of time playing in the forward line this season for Williamstown, it’s been something that I haven’t done a lot of in the past but I’m now really enjoying it. So Echuca have been giving me the opportunity to play the same role when I am up here so I can keep getting better.”
Football is Henderson’s main focus, but alongside his study, has also found time for another venture.
“I started a clothing company last year called Thirteen Three,” he said.
“It’s a project I thought I would take on as a bit of fun, but have been lucky enough to see it grow a bit since it started.
“It’s a big learning curve for me, running a business. You have to be on top of the financial aspects, which is something I am quickly learning about.
“You also need to read your market a bit better, understand which products are going to sell at different times of the year and make sure you are stocked properly for it.
“We had a really good summer and are starting to make some ground for this time of the year. I still have a lot to learn about business, but I’m really enjoying what I am doing at the moment.”
While still learning as a player, he is preparing himself for whatever life after football looks like.
But the dream is well and truly still alive to play at the top level.
“It only takes a bit of good football to get someone’s attention and you may find yourself in the same position as Shooter. I’m still working as hard as I can to get there and I won’t soon be giving up on it.”
Sports journalist