Defender Peter Faulks is enjoying his first season at the Casey Scorpions after spending the past two years in the AFL with the Sydney Swans. 33261 Picture: Nigel ClementsBy Marc McGowan
ENJOYMENT was Peter Faulks’ top priority after his AFL experience came to a premature end last year.
The Casey Scorpions’ dashing centre half-back was keen to play the highest standard possible this season, but, most importantly, wanted to enjoy his football again.
And that’s exactly what Faulks, 21, told officials from the VFL, SANFL and WAFL clubs who sounded him out at the end of last year.
“I said to them that where I’m going to enjoy my footy most is where I’m going to play my best footy,” he said. “It’s a great bunch of boys down (at Casey). It’s a good young group and I’m really enjoying it.”
The Sydney Swans drafted Faulks with pick 65 in the 2006 AFL National Draft from TAC Cup under-18 side the Calder Cannons.
The 195cm, 83kg defender also played in Vic Metro’s national championship-winning side that year.
“I didn’t really have any expectations whatsoever to be drafted,” he said. “I just enjoyed playing my footy and wherever it took me, it took me. I spoke to a couple of (AFL) clubs, but they don’t give you any certainties.”
A groin injury ruined Faulks’ first year at the Swans and a severe bout of homesickness didn’t help either.
He settled into life in the Harbour City last year and played every game for Sydney’s reserves side, including its grand final win, in the AFL Canberra competition.
The premiership was just his second after also playing in his local club Oak Park’s under-16 triumph.
Faulks felt he had a strong year, so was shocked when Swans officials chose to delist him.
They wanted Faulks to continue training at the club in a bid to make its rookie list, but he turned the offer down.
“I at least expected to stay on the senior list, but I’ve got no regrets about it at all,” he said. “Moving away from home was really tough and I was out on my own a little bit and didn’t (initially) know the expectations of an AFL footballer.”
Faulks is back living at home in Glenroy and carpools to Scorpions’ training with former Cannons team-mates James Wall – who spent a year on Sydney’s rookie list in 2006 – Rian McGough and Chris Clay.
Casey coach and ex-Oak Park junior Peter German played a major role in luring Faulks to the club after following his career from a young age.
“I gave him, not a guarantee, but said ‘if you’re in-form and do everything right, I’ll give you the opportunity to play on some key AFL-type players’,” German said. “His last six weeks have been outstanding and he’s been one of our most consistent players.”
German believes Faulks has the ability to return to AFL level.
“He’s obviously still got to put some weight on and he has some areas of his game that he’s got to continually work at,” he said. “But you look at how he’s gone about it this year and some of the players he’s been able to play on and restrict and … (his ability to also) become an attacking player. I think that speaks volumes about what he could do at the next level.”
Faulks, whose 15-year-old brother John is also showing promise, has played all 12 matches for the Scorpions this year and hopes they can maintain the form that has seen them surge into the VFL’s top four.
But he stopped short of predicting another premiership.
“We’ve shown we can play pretty good footy,” Faulks said. “We lost to (third-placed) Port Melbourne by four points at the start of the year and (top team) Williamstown by four points, so we know we can match it with the best sides in the competition. But we’re just taking it one week at a time.”
