Mark Robinson: Talented young talls bringing back a bygone era of blockbuster one-on-ones
Sam De Koning could be the best of an oustanding 2022 Rising Star crop after his first two seasons were derailed by Covid. But he tells Mark Robinson they weren’t wasted.
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The pages of football rivalries are always turning.
Youngsters, such as Sam De Koning and Aaron Naughton, firstly establish themselves as players and then, because of their skill, reliability and performance, the rivalry comes calling.
Van Der Haar and Knights were kids once, as were Carey and Jakovich, Scarlett and Lloyd, and Taylor and Riewoldt, for example, and on Friday night, De Koning, 21, and Naughton, 22, will kickstart their rivalry in the spotlight of Friday night football.
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Those two might be anxious about the impending match-up, but the rest of us can hardly wait.
On Sunday at the MCG, it was Darcy Moore v Charlie Curnow. Five days later it will be De Koning v Naughton. Footy is in good hands.
“Aaron’s probably one of, if not the best forwards in the comp, but I will go through my same preparation, and obviously with the target of making sure he has as little impact as I can make him have,’’ De Koning said.
“He’s a great player, and it’s going to be a tough but good match-up.
“I do get a little anxious, not having played many games, but I speak to Harry Taylor a bit, and he’s a champion of the footy club, and he tries to reassure me to just accept the challenge.
“I’m young but so are these players like Max King and Aaron and there will be plenty of match-ups in the future, so you just have to embrace it and try to improve your game going forward.’’
De Koning could end up being the pick of this year’s rising stars. In fact, Cats premiership player Cameron Mooney argued in the Herald Sun that De Koning should be the favourite for the award – and that was before De Koning was nominated on Monday.
“My manager sent me that article,’’ De Koning said Monday. “It’s nice to read things from legends of the club and it’s nice to be nominated, that’s for sure.’’
De Koning has a career total of 10 games and already this year has stood – and quelled – some of the opposition’s best key forwards while proving a revelation for almost 100,000 SuperCoach players.
In Round 9, he kept King to two goals – which is another rivalry at its embryonic stage – and has kept the likes of Nick Larkey and Rory Lobb goalless.
Naughton is at the top of his game.
He’s kicked 29.19 and is considered one of the most reliable aerialists in the competition. His past for games have returned four, three, three and four goals.
In contrast, De Koning has been a revelation in a brief career that was scuppered by Covid for two years. He now leads the pack of the better under-23 key defenders which include Sam Taylor, Brennan Cox, Tom McCartin, Charlie Ballard, Harrison Petty and Lewis Young.
He says his education – like, assessing when to spoil or mark – has come since he was drafted in 2020 via the likes of Matty Scarlett, Corey Enright, Taylor, Matthew Egan and teammates Tom Stewart and Mark Blicavs.
“It’s a huge area I’m still working on, knowing when it’s the right time to spoil or mark. It comes with games and you build more confidence in yourself and your ability to read the play,’’ De Koning said.
“Definitely early in my career it’s impact first and that means taking the mark or spoil, and you just have to assess it quickly and make the decision.’’
Drafted with pick 19 in the 2019 national draft, Covid thwarted his 2020 season and most of his 2021 season.
He built his craft on the training track and his body in the gym and kitchen. He was drafted at 85kg and now weighs a strapping 100kg.
“I did it steadily, I’m not trying to break any records,” he said.
“The hubs were a huge help, getting food made for us and it was unlimited food.”
It’s all adding up to what is shaping to be an influential first season as a key back.
“This has been my dream my whole life,” he said.
“I’m just trying to get better every day.”
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