North’s elite running group has a surprise new member in the early stages of pre-season and his story is one to motivate any aspiring athlete.
“From (under) 9’s to 15’s, I probably couldn’t run 400 metres,” McGenniss told NMFC.com.au.
Needing to lose some kilos and find his legs quickly if he was ever going to realise his dream of playing AFL, McGenniss faced a reality check at an early age.
“That’s probably how I lost all that weight, I just ran and ran. I didn’t want to be that fat kid doing bicep curls, so I just ran to lose my weight and it’s helped me with my footy.”
PRESS PLAY above to watch the interview | YouTube
The 19-year-old has come a long way. Last week he finished second to Gibson in the club’s two-kilometre time trial, a feat that was out of the realms of possibility only a couple of years ago.
“That was probably the main thing, the ‘you are not fit enough’. Obviously the best way to get fit is just run, so I just kept having a crack at that. If you practice something for long enough you get half decent at it I suppose.
“It’s a struggle just to try and hang on with the pack. Gibbo (Gibson) is just a class above; he’s a beast out on the track. I just try to stick with Basti (Bastinac) - he’s one of the best runners at the club. I’m just trying to work with him and we chat between sets, see how each other is going and try and set targets. He’s been a big help.”
While aerobic capacity is vital, the mental battle is just as critical during a long session.
“If it’s a 300 metre run like we were doing then, you just have to think ‘just hold on, hold on’. If you let go at the end you are not happy with yourself, so you’ve just to go hold on and be happy,” McGenniss added.
“As a rookie you’ve got to prove yourself. You don’t have as much time as other people, so that’s one of the main things, you’ve got to come out in the pre-season and have a crack straight away.”
Despite still being rookie-listed, McGenniss showed encouraging signs in his first season as a senior footballer. He played 20 games for VFL affiliate Werribee and was a key member in its finals campaign.
 |
 |
