ANGUS Byrne is used to having good footballers around him.
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He’s played with more than a few AFL players, be it before their careers took off, or when they have returned to his home club Echuca.
His coach at the Murray Bombers, Andrew Walker, is a 200-gamer at the top level. Byrne also plays in one of the five best leagues in country football (Goulburn Valley League) and he has played at VFL level for Geelong.
So being in the presence of great players doesn’t play on Byrne's mind.
But one man managed to leave him starstruck – Cyril Rioli.
“He’s incredible,” Byrne said.
“He still has it, he’s an absolute star. He’s so down to earth, he’s kind to everyone around the place and does a great job looking after the local boys.
“I don’t get starstruck easily, but I was when I was around Cyril.”
But running into – and around with – quality footballer is just a reality for Byrne as he settles into the 2020/21 Northern Territory Football League season with the Tiwi Bombers.
After the GVL was officially called off for the 2020 season, Byrne was one of four Echuca footballers who made the trip north to play in the Top End’s premier football competition.
“It’s pretty awesome being up here,” he said.
“With the situation we are going through back home, it was pretty likely I wasn’t going to get the opportunity to play any football this year.
“But since I’ve been up here I’ve been training pretty hard and have now started games for the season.”
Byrne’s season didn’t start perfectly, with Tiwi falling by 64 points to the Darwin Buffaloes in round one.
“It could have gone better,” he laughed.
“But it was a good game to be a part of. It ended up being 158 to 94, so obviously there wasn’t a lot defence played.
“But we know what we have to work on.
“We have a few more players to get into the side and hopefully we can start playing our best football in the next few weeks.”
While Cooper Barber, Ned Lanyon and Will Monahan are all playing with Waratah, Byrne finds himself pulling on Tiwi colours, reuniting with Echuca’s Leigh Crossman, who is the club’s general manager.
But it was more than just the chance to play for the club that motivated Byrne to make the trip.
“I’m currently studying teaching,” he said.
“And teaching remotely has always been something which I have been interested in. Teaching in communities. And there are few better ways to make contacts than through a footy club.
“When you spend time at a footy club, you make a lot of new friends but you also make connections, and I thought this was a great way to do so.
“I spoke with Leigh and everything he said about the club and surrounding community sounded like something I wanted to be a part of, so it was an easy decision.”
And Byrne is taking the opportunity to enjoy a Darwin that feels a world away at the best of times, but especially now during the COVID crisis.
“Every day is a good day to have a beer,” he laughs.
“The pubs are open, and the social culture is so good. There is just that bit of extra freedom.
“Everyone is so laid back and casual, it suits our group to a tee.”
As does living with close mates – even if he’s starting to get on their nerves.
“It’s pretty easy going,” Byrne said.
“We’re great mates and we enjoy each other’s company. Although apparently I don’t do the dishes enough but that’s ok.
“We can still have our alone time, we all have jobs so we can separate a bit as well, but things are great up here.”
But it’s no holiday when they take to the field.
It’s fast, high scoring and highly skilled, pure football for a spectator, but not the easiest to adapt to even for a player of Byrne’s calibre.
“It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced,” Byrne said.
“It’s not high on structure. It’s just about the players having fun and playing their way, and I find that refreshing.
“The quality is so high. It’s something I am slowly adapting to, but I also know I’m going to need to put in the extra work to get to that level sooner to help my team.”
And then there are the conditions of playing in Darwin.
“It’s warm for a lot of the time,” Byrne said.
“We played at 4pm in round one and it was really warm in the first half, and on top of that it's dewy and hard to get your hands on the footy.
“But I’ve found a new grippo. I’ve been lathering it on the hands and all over my jumper because it’s good stuff. I think it will be a part of my game from now on.
“But none of that worries me. I’m just happy to play. Missing out on playing and on the club feeling was a terrible time for a lot of us, but getting to play now, you can’t get the smile off my face.
“We got pumped on the weekend, and in a way it doesn’t matter because I’m still happy just to be playing again.
“We will keep working and improving as a side, but for now, I’m just happy to be out there.”
And on Monday came excellent news for the Echuca group, with restrictions for regional Victorians entering the NT likely to be eased in coming weeks.
It’s an exciting prospect for Byrne.
“It means we can probably all get home for Christmas,” he said.
“It opens the door to seeing our families which is really exciting for us all.
“Hopefully things can continue to improve back home and get us in a good position for next year.”
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