After a stellar season in the NEAFL, which saw him play on ball, up forward and in shut down roles, Robinson achieved his goal and his hard work will be rewarded on November 27 when he will be selected by the Swans in the 2014 National Draft.
The 20-year-old told SwansTV he was rapt when he learned the news he would be elevated on to the senior list in 2015.
How do you reflect on your season in 2014?
The reserves finished a couple of weeks before the seniors, so we had a little bit of down time where we could look back on what we did and how successful we were. It was disappointing to lose in the Grand Final, but overall I think it was a positive season.
You had a very consistent season, particularly early in the year. How did you feel about how you performed and what kind of feedback did you get from the coaches?
The coaches were really positive and part of playing at the Swans is learning different roles so you can play the team role, and when you come into the seniors you can play any sort of position that the coach tells you to.
The year was really about learning different roles for me, so I wasn’t just used to playing on ball, so I could go forward, or I could tag. I thought I did pretty well with that, and the coaches were definitely positive.
You did play some important shut-down roles during the NEAFL finals. How did you enjoy that and is it a tougher role to play?
It’s different, it’s really different. You’re mindset changes from being focused on a lot of things to being focused solely on stopping someone else from getting the ball. For me, playing those roles was a learning curve and when I first did it I got towelled up pretty comfortably, but as the season went on I started to play a bit more and learn some new tactics and some different ways to stop them, so it was interesting and I did really enjoy it.
You were a rookie this year, which meant there was an obvious roadblock to playing senior football. Next year that’s going to be resolved, with the knowledge you’re going to be elevated to the senior list. How good was it to get that news?
I’m really over the moon. Obviously being a rookie there are different challenges and I think even though you’re always looking to be positive it’s hard sometimes when you know you’re playing a good game but you’re not going to be able to be picked next week. Next year is going to be a massive opportunity for me and I’m really excited and I’m going to take it by the horns and just go for it.
What do you think you’ll be working on heading into 2015?
Obviously running is always a big thing because you want to come back and improve your times and continue to improve in that area. Strength for me, being a young player, is another one so I can hold my own against guys like Joey Kennedy and Luke Parker, who are obviously quite strong.
Speaking of running, how about your performance in the Grand Final sprint?
It was a bit of a joke because I’m not the fastest, but I thought I did alright at the start and then someone got me with a sniper about 20 metres in and everyone ran past me!
Finally, what are your plans for the off-season?
Me and my girlfriend are going to Mexico, so I’m pretty excited about that. We’re going there for two weeks, so that will be a great experience and a lot of fun.
