PERSEVERENCE has paid off for East Fremantle's Kym Monteath as he's come through a long apprenticeship to now be one of the best midfielders in the WAFL.
Monteath would have been excused for moving on from East Fremantle and the WAFL having just played 27 matches in his first three senior seasons with the Sharks after an outstanding colts career and strong reserves form, but he never seriously considered leaving Shark Park.
That has proved the right choice as he cemented his spot in the midfield in the second half of last season and so far in 2010 has been superb averaging over 26 possessions a game and kicking 12 goals over the club's first 16 matches.
"Last year I had a foot injury at the start when the team was winning so it was hard to break in, but I knew once I got in that I could play consistent footy and stay there. I made sure that once I was in the side I would stay there," Monteath said.
"It was tough for a while coming out of the colts and going through ressies but not breaking through. It came to that point where I was wondering what to do. I just stuck at it, though, and knew that the time would come and made sure that when it did I grabbed it with both hands.
"I wouldn’t say I was really close to leaving, but it was something that was in my mind. When you are borderline for so long it's tough. Back in 2008 it especially went through my mind and there's always that money option of playing country footy, but at the end of the day you have to play at the highest level as you can for as long as possible."
Monteath puts down his eventual cementing of a spot in the league side with East Fremantle to hard work. He also hopes he answers whatever critics he's had over the years to now be a key part of an on-ball brigade that is the Sharks' strength along with Mark McGough and Jamie McNamara.
"Getting the chance is definitely a lot to do with it, but so is the hard work behind it. I've never been one to drop my head and not getting picked makes me want to try harder and I love to prove a point to people, and prove them wrong," he said.
"I have noticed that I've picked up a few tags, which in a way is a compliment, but it's also another side of my game that I have to work on. Last year I didn’t pick up anything like that, so I guess when your career grows you come across things like that.
"Jamie McNamara gets tagged a lot, so does Tim Houlihan and with the midfield that we've got we have a good range of midfielders there. Especially with Mark McGough coming in this year too so every week someone is getting tagged and we always get together to try and help each other out with some blocks and shepherds."
Monteath splits his time between playing on the ball and the wing, but being able to use his ability to find space, run all day and use the ball well means the wing is a strong suit. However, he is also good at stoppages and winning some ball in close.
"The wing is somewhere that I've really set myself to make my own over the last couple of years. I used to always play in the midfield in colts and ressies with spurts on a wing, but now that I've worked on my fitness levels I can use my reading of the play to my advantage to find space," he said.
"I'm pretty happy on the wing, but I like to get in the midfield as well and I don’t like to always be seen as an outside player. I like to win the hard ball as well."
East Fremantle's forward-line has been decimated of late with Ryley Dunn, Ben Bucovaz and Mitch Brown out. Ruckman Selby Lee-Steere and the versatile Rob Young have also been missing and now in-form big man Michael Warren will miss the rest of the season due to thumb surgery.
That means Monteath and fellow midfielders have to work hard to find some targets up forward, but he is hoping the likes of Dunn, Bucovaz and Young can come back soon. Hopefully as early as this Saturday at home to South Fremantle in a crucial game.
"We've got James Murray down at full-forward at the moment and he's come from country footy into the big league and has worked really hard. In a couple of years he'll be great for us down there. A real tall key forward is what we need, the likes of a Chad Jones," Monteath said.
"If we can get that as well as our ruckmen getting fit we could be a danger side to the competition. It is something we've been lacking the last few years and what's held the forward-line together is Ryley Dunn until he got injured and we still have crumbers, forward pockets and good half-forwards.
"It seems to happen every year with the injuries, but the bye is definitely going to help. A couple of the ruckmen and Robert Young should come back and hopefully Ryley Dunn can as well, which will help us. We've lost four in a row now, including against the top three sides, and if we can get some guys back and come back after the bye to hit South hard we could be alright."
East Fremantle has turned around a bad run against South Fremantle the last couple of years and recorded two convincing derby wins so far this season. A win this Saturday would see the Sharks back in the top-four, but conversely the same would result for South Fremantle.
Monteath knows it will be tough, but is confident of helping East Fremantle to a first win over Subiaco in eight years in the run home as well and hopefully a first finals appearance since 2002 for the WAFL's most successful club.
"We talk about those wins a lot throughout the year and all the boys have got up really well against South. It's great to get over Souths twice this year and we definitely hope we do it again in the third one, but we just need to be more consistent with our footy and fire up for any team that comes up against us," Monteath said.
"South and Subi are the big ones now in the next four games. We really do owe Subiaco a win because we haven’t beaten them for a long time. Subi are on our list and if we can get over South, then make sure we do against Perth then Subi will be a massive game."
The 22-year-old never wanted to follow his dad Bruce's footsteps at South Fremantle having grown up in East Fremantle's zone and he's now already overtaken older brother Rhys' four games with the Sharks and is chasing down grandfather Don's 69 matches between 1952-56.
"I never went for a chat with them down there. My grandad played a few games here at Easts and my dad went to Souths and played a few games there. My older brother Rhys was asked to go and play with South but having grown up in East Fremantle he stayed there and I was similar," he said.
"I played my combined sides with East Fremantle and we were undefeated in the 15s and 16s with my old man helping coach with Mark Murphy. I went to school with a lot of guys here and was mates with them so it was too hard to go over to Souths.
"I could always think about it, but with the team we had and the young blokes coming through I just thought I'd be silly to move and our colts years were really good."
