North Melbourne draftee Eddie Ford has flown under the radar so far this season as he hones his craft at VFL level.
Featuring in all three practice games so far, Ford has been a shining light for the reserve side as his forward craft and ability to impact games improves week by week.
The young forward says while he is happy to develop his game at VFL level, he has his eyes firmly set on a long and storied senior career at North.
“It’s the lifestyle I want to be in and I’ve been wanting to do it since I was a young kid … to be able to live the dream and do what I love, I’m really fortunate,” Ford told North Media.
“[I’m] honoured to be part of North’s list and be able to play footy for a living.”
After going down to Casey by eight points on Saturday, the VFL side is much improved from its opening pre-season loss to Geelong just three weeks ago.
With such rapid development in a short space of time, Ford credits improved match fitness and team chemistry for the turnaround.
“Our fitness is probably at the level it needs to be, we still have a few practice matches to go but it’s not too bad,” he said.
“I think our team at the moment is still a bit jumbled … [but] we’re starting to come through really well and we’re building.
“We only missed out by a kick and a half [against Casey], so we’re looking pretty good and hopefully we can get a good win next week.”
While Ford is progressing well in his first year in the AFL system, he is under no illusions that consistent and continued development is key to his future.
With overhead marking and athleticism hallmarks of his playing style, Ford says it’s the finer points of the game he needs to work on the most.
“My body still needs a bit of development, I need to have a bit better running capacity and a bit more strength … but I feel like I’m going alright,” he said.
“My presence and my ball use around the contest is good at the moment … I just need to improve on the little things like structures and knowing when to impact the contest.
“I need to kick goals and apply pressure in the forward 50. That’s all you can ask for from a forward, so just doing the little things really well is my aim.”
