Luke Parker had just got out of bed yesterday when his phone rang. It was coach John Longmire, calling with some good news.
“He said they’d found a spot for me in the senior side this week. I was speechless apart from saying ‘thank-you, thank-you’ over and over,’’ Parker said yesterday.
Parker, whose mentor at the club is Kieren Jack, can’t wait to make his debut on Saturday.
He began playing footy as a six year old, at the Langwarrin Football Club in Victoria - the same club where his team-mate Jarred Moore played his junior football.
Parker has played well in the reserves all season and gets his reward this week.
“I just kept trying to play consistently each week and do the things the coaches wanted me to do, and work on areas where I could improve,’’ Parker said.
“I hoped if I just kept at it, my time would come but I didn’t put any set time on when I wanted to make the senior side. I just tried to do my best each week and knew the opportunity would eventually come.’’
Parker was drafted to the club with pick number 40 in the 2010 draft. “I was that excited on draft day. I had no problem moving to Sydney and I love it here. The lifestyle is great and I love the beaches,’’ said Parker, who is a keen surfer.
He has learnt much from Jude Bolton, Ryan O’Keefe and Josh Kennedy since arriving at the Club and mainly plays as an inside midfielder.
He gets a little embarrassed when his nicknames at the Swans are mentioned. For a start there’s man-child, and then there’s ‘the rig’, and not forgetting ‘terminator’.
While Parker might prefer simply to be called ‘Parks’ his nicknames are a reflection of the fact that at 18-years-old he’s already got the physique to play senior football.
“I’ve worked on a lot of things since I got here. I’ve learnt how hard you have to work all the time, and that you can’t take shortcuts,’’ Parker said.
Parker will be the Swans fourth debutant this year, joining Nathan Gordon and Alex Johnson, who are both also in the team this week, and Byron Sumner, who made his debut in round one.
