Ruckman Dan Currie arrived at Metricon Stadium during the off-season in search of increased opportunity after just four senior appearances in eight AFL seasons.
The 27-year-old spent five years in Sydney without playing a senior game before shifting to North Melbourne, where he was parked firmly behind All Australian ruckman Todd Goldstein with little chance of emerging from the shadows.
With Tom Nicholls starting the year as Gold Coast’s number one ruckman, Currie has been forced to bide his time in the NEAFL across the opening rounds of 2016 as the SUNS started their campaign in imposing fashion.
It’s a challenge Currie accepted and a series of impressive performances in the reserves has now resulted in a round five call-up to Rodney Eade’s side.
“I can’t wait to get out there so really looking forward to it,” Currie told SUNS TV on Thursday.
“He (Eade) just let me know after training on Tuesday. All he said was ‘you’re playing this week’ but that was all I needed to hear.
“It was just a little comment made to me as I was walking off the track and I was obviously over the moon.”
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Funnily enough, Currie’s first senior game in the red and gold comes against his former club, the Kangaroos.
Despite establishing strong friendships over his three seasons at Arden Street, Currie revealed all pleasantries would disappear once the ball was bounced on Saturday.
“I think there’s a little bit extra in it,” he said.
“Obviously got a lot of good mates there and left there I felt on pretty good terms but all that goes out the window for that few hours on Saturday.”
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The task awaiting Currie is one of the toughest in football in the form of the durable Goldstein, who has established himself as the competition’s premier ruckman.
The Kangaroos ruckman is averaging 15 disposals and 39 hitouts per game in 2016 (second in the AFL behind Max Gawn) and has been damaging across the ground, with seven goals in four appearances.
“Last year obviously took his game to a new level. You almost say he doesn’t have a weakness in his game,” Currie said.
“He’s a complete package really so just trying to negate his influence on the weekend and just try and take it to him.”
