GRYAN Miers has revealed he turned to Geelong great Gary Ablett for help while battling to find form during the middle of last year.
Low on confidence at VFL level following two JLT Series appearances at the start of the year after being drafted in late 2017, Miers says a chat with the dual Brownlow medallist proved beneficial.
“I was struggling in the VFL to try and get away from my opponent, and I was getting locked down and didn’t know how to contribute as much in the forward line,” Miers said.
“He’d spent a lot of time forward and in the midfield getting tagged, so he’s always had someone on him.
“He just ran me through body positioning and how to get the ball around the ground, and it definitely helped, and I took that on board.
“He’s an awesome person to copy and watch around the ground.”
Fast forward less than 12 months, and Miers has become a key component in the Cats’ line-up, with his forward pressure and smarts around goal contributing to their 7-1 win-loss record after eight rounds.
That has been recognised with the Rising Star nomination for Round 8 after tallying 22 possessions (seven contested) eight marks and one goal in Geelong’s 24-point win over North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.
“It’s a good little reward for effort,” Miers said. “But it’s definitely not something I was really striving towards.”
“I’m definitely happy to be named the Rising Star, and the way we’ve been going this year’s been very exciting and I’m enjoying it a lot.”
With his dreadlocks prominent, it’s no surprise the Grovedale product has garnered plenty of media attention.
But, the 20-year-old is happy to keep his head down and continue to work hard.
“Your mates will always send you a few little quotes and articles, and what people are saying about my name being unusual,” Miers said.
“I’ve definitely got to block that out, but it’s exciting, really.”
Twitter: @tom_king79
Click the link to hear Gryan Miers media conference in-full
