Hard work, staying ready pays off for Sharks ruckmanFriday, August 2, 2024 - 5:07 PM - by Chris Pike

THERE'S something that can be said for sticking to your guns, honing your craft and waiting for an opportunity, and there's no better example than Lachlan Blakiston who is now leading the ruck for reigning premiers East Fremantle this WAFL season.

Blakiston is now 25 years of age but as the old saying goes, big men sometimes take a bit longer to develop. The timing could well have worked out perfectly for him to have been in the right place at the right time, and well placed to grab his opportunities at the Sharks in 2024.

Blakiston originally joined East Fremantle in 2023 but breaking into a league team going on to win a premiership was anything but an easy feat for someone yet to play league football.

However, he did get to make his debut and played some impressive reserves football in his first season at the Sharks after spending time with South Fremantle in 2022, and then stuck at it in 2024.

Again, there was no guarantees of anything and Brynn Teakle returning to East Fremantle to take on that No. 1 ruck role meant that Blakiston might again have to continue to do his best to stay ready in the reserves.

That's what he did in the first part of the season, but once Teakle was picked up in the AFL mid-season draft by North Melbourne, suddenly he was the only ruckman on East Fremantle's list and he was thrown right in the deep end on the biggest stage of all.

He did play a second league game back in Round 1, but then his next appearance was after Teakle had been drafted and it just happened to be a WA Day Derby against South Fremantle in front of a massive crowd of 7468 people at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

Blakiston more than held his own that day and has continued to flourish in every game since. Now as he prepares for another derby this Saturday, he's glad he stuck at it waiting for a WAFL opportunity after a fascinating journey to this point.

Not only playing, but playing well

Blakiston has continued to look more and more at home at WAFL level in each game he's played since that derby on WA Day.

Not only has the 204cm big man been racking up the hit outs including 61 against West Perth and 57 against Subiaco, but he's finding plenty of the ball around the ground including 21 possessions against the Lions while he also took a high of five marks against the Falcons.

Blakiston is just happy to have been given the opportunity and to be giving it his best shot.

"It’s been a bit of surprise, I always wondered if I had what is takes to break into the side," Blakiston said.

"But now, after being consistently selected it has boosted my confidence and allowed me to play comfortably. The belief from both the coaches and the playing group has played a big role in helping me develop.

"There is still plenty of room for improvement. If I can continue to play the way I have and contribute to the team, I’ll be happy."

Well placed to grasp opportunity

Blakiston had played the majority of his football at the Cockburn Cobras going right back to the juniors and then through amateurs in the Perth Football League aside from a stint in Sydney at the Manly Warringah Wolves in the COVID impacted season of 2020.

However, he bit the bullet to give WAFL a try at South Fremantle in 2022, then joined East Fremantle in 2023. Now aged 25, he feels like his game and body is ready to play at this level, and his form over the past two months more than backs that up.

"I’m currently 25 and feel like I’m in a strong position, I also believe there’s more to come," Blakiston said.

"I do think it has taken some time to get where I am now, playing some of my better footy within the last 12 months. I feel like I’m just getting started and I am excited about the potential for further growth and development in years to come."

Embracing the chance coming his way

While Blakiston was hoping a chance might develop for him to play WAFL football initially when he joined South Fremantle in 2022 and then crossing to the Sharks in 2023, he knew there were no guarantees at the same time.

He had always enjoyed playing the game and just wanted to challenge himself to reach the highest level he could, and now his thankful to everyone at East Fremantle for the position he now finds himself in.

"I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to play for such a great team. It has been an exciting challenge and I’ve loved it," Blakiston said.

"I never considered giving up footy, it's a huge part of my life. Being with the Sharks has been an incredible journey and a rewarding experience. I've enjoyed the challenge of earning my spot, and I couldn't be happier to be part of this team."

Deciding to give WAFL a try

Having played all his football with the Cockburn Cobras aside from that year in Sydney, it was the urging of his coach Chris Harris that saw Blakiston want to give WAFL a try back in 2022 and not to live the rest of his life wondering if it could have worked or not.

While things didn’t quite work out at South Fremantle, he did find his footing there with 10 reserves games and now has never looked back since joining East Fremantle ahead of the 2023 season.

"I had a passionate coach from amateur footy who had great belief in me. He always told me I could take footy to the next level and after having a good year in 2021, he passed my details on to his contacts at South and I was given a chance at the level," Blakiston said.

"Things didn’t quite pan out at South, but a good friend of mine heard about my situation and reached out to his contact at the Sharks. I went down for a trial and thankfully they decided to take me on. I’m glad it worked out the way it did."

Putting in the hard work

Whether or not Blakiston got the opportunity to play league football in the WAFL, one thing he was always going to be comforted by was that he gave it the best crack and that he worked as hard as he possibly could.

That's why he knew all he could do was keep putting in the work and whether a chance opened or not was out of his control, but he just made sure he stayed ready.

"Of course, playing league footy is the goal but I never treated it as the be all end all," he said.

"I definitely did what I could to give myself the best chance, but I just enjoyed playing every week and being part of the WAFL environment.

"It is the highlight of my week and now that I get to represent the club at league level, I have the chance to show just how much this opportunity means to me."

Already playing in second derby

Blakiston's third league game and first once he was given the chance to lead East Fremantle's ruck this year was the WA Day Derby this year. While the result didn’t go the Sharks way, to play in front of such a big crowd on a huge occasion was a dream come true.

Now he can't wait to get out there again for the Sharks against the Bulldogs with the Ciccotosto-Uittenbroek Cup on the line with both teams needing a win to consolidate a top five position.

"Since coming across to the Sharks, I was eager to play in a derby. I had my first taste earlier in the year and while we didn’t get the win, it was a great experience," Blakiston said.

"It’s only fuelled my desire to win a derby. It’s a big game this weekend and I think we owe it to not only Bill (Monaghan), but each other. We know we are more than capable, and I’d love to get my first win against them."

Away from football

Blakiston is also a thinking man away from football and he finds that how contrasting it is to football makes it the perfect combination.

"I’m studying mathematics and statistics at university, which I’m really enjoying. I also do some tutoring on the side," Blakiston said.

"It’s a pretty flexible lifestyle being a student and I tend to prioritise footy and work my schedule around it. I’m very fortunate to be in a position where I can balance my passion for footy and my studies."