SANFL: South Adelaide’s AFL draft hopeful Dylan Whimpress is used to doing things the hard way
ONE of South Adelaide’s top draft prospects catches a train from Gawler to home games and has taken some Fridays off school to get to Panthers trainings.
ONE of South Adelaide’s top draft prospects catches a train from Gawler to home games and has taken some Fridays off school to get to Panthers trainings.
Dylan Whimpress lives in the small town of Freeling – a 90-minute drive from South’s Noarlunga base.
The 18-year-old half-back flanker joined the Panthers in 2013 while he was living in Seaford and remained loyal to them despite moving back to the Lower Mid-North, where he grew up, in June last year.
South considered Whimpress a “fly-in” player this season, allowing him to train with his junior club Freeling Redlegs during the week.
His 90km, near two-hour journey to Hickinbotham Oval typically includes getting dropped off at Gawler station, catching a train into the CBD and another onto Noarlunga, then walking to the ground.
“It was a fair commitment and I had to make a lot of sacrifices but obviously I was happy to do that for South because they had done so much for me,” Whimpress says.
“On the train, I’d usually listen to music or do a bit of homework, otherwise I’d have to pack my own food to prepare myself for games or trainings.”
Whimpress – one of two Panthers to be invited to either the draft combine or state screening this year – says he has not seriously considered changing to a club closer to home because he is happy at Noarlunga.
He played 15 games this season for South’s under-18s and one with the state under-18s.
After getting called up to the Panthers’ reserves for their final two matches, Whimpress missed three schooldays at Kapunda High so he could make it to senior trainings on Friday nights.
“South gave me the opportunity to come down there on Fridays so I took the opportunity and school didn’t mind that I was doing it (taking days off).”
Whimpress’s parents spend Saturday mornings watching his younger brothers Josh, 13, Brayden, 7 and Caleb, 7, play for Freeling before driving to Noarlunga for his games.
For away matches, Whimpress stays with his grandparents in Modbury.
“The family had to make some sacrifices for me and South supported me a lot.”
Whimpress was playing juniors with Aldinga Sharks three years ago when South talent manager and under-18 coach Tony Bamford invited him to the club.
On Saturday, Whimpress will test for AFL recruiters at the SA draft screening.
“I’d love to play AFL – it’s been my dream since I was a little kid.
“It’d mean a lot to me and my family because I’d know that all my hard work and theirs would be worth it.”