I TOOK the opportunity to have a chat with North Melbourne first year players and future stars Ben Cunnington and Ryan Bastinac.
Almost immediately their competitiveness shone through as the boys reminisced on the day they clashed heads while representing in a TAC Cup under-18 encounter between Geelong Falcons and Dandenong Stingrays.
Ben: "I gave him (Bastinac) a blood nose and the trainer came rushing out to stem the flow."
Ryan: "No you (Cunnington) didn't. We clashed heads, but you didn't make my nose bleed. I was a bit groggy though."
Ben: "We ended up beating you guys that day."
Ryan: "Yeah, but we smashed you guys in the preliminary final when it really counted."
It is has been a different story since.
The two joined forces for Vic Country in last year's National AFL Under-18 Championships and were again in close proximity at the national draft.
Then Bastinac sat behind Cunnington and was quick to congratulate his Vic Country teammate when taken at pick five.
Having an understanding for each other's game has seen the two combine in chains of play already this season. Bastinac recounted his AFL debut against Port Adelaide in Adelaide in round one.
Ryan: "I was pretty nervous - especially going over there because their crowd is pretty crazy. When I got presented with my jumper and told I was the 955th player to represent the club it gave me goose bumps. As I was running through the banner I realised I'd left my mouthguard in the changerooms. Lucky there was time for a trainer to go get it."
During our chat, Bastinac continually reminded Cunnington that he had debuted four weeks earlier than him.
Ben: "Yeah, that's because I had a stress fracture in my right foot that kept me out for nine weeks. Seeing Basti play before me gave me extra motivation to work harder."
Cunnington then leaned across the table with a cheeky grin. He checked my note pad to see if one of my questions was who the first to kick an AFL goal was.
Cunnington kicked his first goal against Brisbane on Saturday night.
Bastinac has managed just eight behinds in his first 11 appearances, much to the amusement of the straight-shooting Cunnington.
Ryan: "Fair go. You've only had two shots and the other one never made the distance."
Cunnington came to the club with big expectations and has certainly delivered so far.
I have seen plenty of highly rated players come through the doors over my 10 seasons.
Cunnington is the best I have seen. Not only are his efforts on the field gaining praise, but it is what the general public does not see that makes him a well rounded young footballer.
He leads our new group of recruits by ensuring they are organised, on time and contributing in a positive way to the footy club.
Ben: "I wanted to debut in round one, but my first goal was just to gain respect from my peers and all the coaches. Being the club's first pick hasn't added any extra pressure. From day one the coaches have treated all the new guys the same."
Asked if they got close to Barry Hall last month when things became heated, each was relieved to say they were not required to fly the flag.
Ben: "I was on the bench, although that wasn't a safe place either."
Ryan: "I was running off the ground when I heard the crowd going nuts. I looked around and saw Spud (Michael Firrito) and a few others wrestling with Hall. He is a big guy. I would have been well out of my weight division."
Ryan, from Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs and Ben, a Princetown boy from near Cobden, live with host families.
Out of all the families that offer their homes to our new young recruits, getting Basti and Cunners is like winning the jackpot.
Drew Petrie played his junior football with Ballarat Swans in the Ballarat Football League.
North Melbourne selected him from North Ballarat Rebels as a second round choice (number 23) in the 2000 AFL national draft.
He made his AFL debut in 2001.
Now 27, Petrie has been elevated to vice-captain this year and has played more than 175 games for the Kangaroos.
Petrie's column is published exclusively in The Courier every second Saturday.
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