SA wrestlers Jake Dornford and Adam Collett vying for Glasgow Commonwealth Games places

JAKE Dornford says he had no idea what he was getting himself into the first time he tried wrestling — now he is on the verge of the Commonwealth Games.

JAKE Dornford admits he had no idea what he was getting himself into the first time he tried Greco-Roman wrestling five years ago.

“I wanted to do something like boxing or kickboxing, but mum and dad weren’t keen and said they had found a sport called wrestling instead,” the O’Sullivan Beach resident, 19, says.

“I’d never even heard of it and didn’t even watch WWE so it was brand new to me.

“Now I love it — it’s full on and it’s real tough on your body.”

Dornford and fellow Croweater Adam Collett will this week take on Australia’s best as they battle for places at this year’s Commonwealth Games.

The pair need gold medals in their weight divisions at the National Wrestling Championships in Canberra to book their tickets to Glasgow.

“It’s one of the first competitions I haven’t had to cut any weight for, so usually I feel pretty drained but this time I feel strong and fit,” says Dornford, who will fight in the 74kg category.

“I reckon I’ve got two really tough opponents in my division — beat them and I go to the Games.”

Dornford won a junior gold and a senior silver medal at last month’s Oceania Championships.

Collett, 25, hopes to go one better than the runner-up spot he earnt in American Samoa.

“Commonwealth Games and Olympics are the big ones for all wrestlers — it doesn’t get much bigger than that,” the 65kg Happy Valley wrestler says.

“There’s probably three or four of us who are all contenders for the place, so it will be pretty tight.”