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NATHAN Djerrkura senses an opportunity to finally establish himself as an AFL player in what he regards as his "make or break" season with the Western Bulldogs.
The small forward was among the Bulldogs' best players in their ice-breaking win over Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.
In the kind of wet conditions he relishes, Djerrkura earned 15 disposals (at 100 per cent efficiency), snapped a crucial goal late in the third quarter and dished off another.
He was also a constant threat to the Demons with his defensive pressure, applying four tackles and implying plenty of others.
It was a decisive step towards ensuring his future at Whitten Oval, which will be the subject of discussion behind closed doors in coming months.
He will be out of contract at the end of the season, and is under no illusions about the difficulty of the challenge before him to remain on the Bulldogs list for 2013 and beyond.
Now in his sixth AFL season, the 23-year-old has played a total of 15 AFL games at two clubs.
In a rare interview, the quietly-spoken Djerrkura conceded he was under pressure to perform, but was positive about his prospects.
Asked if it was accurate to suggest he was facing a make-or-break season, Djerrkura was emphatic.
"That's exactly what it is," he told AFL.com.au.
"I've just got to put my head down and keep trying to improve every aspect of my game.
"I have to do what I can to cement my spot in the side, and do what I can to make the team better.
"And I think I can do that."
Djerrkura also believes he can make a real impact at AFL level, if one of his comments about his childhood hero - former Essendon wingman Michael Long - is to be taken literally.
"I just hope that one day I can come close to what he was," he said.
A Bombers fan in his childhood, Djerrkura has known Long, a fellow Northern Territorian, since his teenage years. He and Hawthorn star Cyril Rioli, a nephew of Long, attended Melbourne's Scotch College together on football scholarships and spent "a few weekends" at Long's house.
"We didn't talk about footy much; it was more about life," he said.
"Longy was close to my dad."
Djerrkura's late father Gatjil was a respected indigenous leader who served as the chairman of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) from 1996-2000.
Almost eight years ago, Djerrkura senior suffered a fatal heart attack at 54.
"I enjoy talking about him," Djerrkura said. "I looked up to him so much, and learnt so much from him about life."
Djerrkura senior's example provided the inspiration for his son and former Geelong teammate Travis Varcoe to establish the Leaders of Tomorrow foundation, which aims to create leaders in remote communities.
"If not for my dad, I don't think I would have done that," he said.
"He was very passionate about helping indigenous people all around Australia, and we want to help people build their dream."
At the time of his father's death, Djerrkura was just 15. The family slowly picked up the pieces and he pursued an AFL career, being drafted by Geelong at pick 25 in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft.
Djerrkura feels he wasn't consistent enough in his four seasons with the Cats. However, he doesn't use the most obvious excuse: that it was a frightfully hard side to break into.
He sought greater opportunities elsewhere and was traded to the Bulldogs at the end of 2010 in exchange for pick 58.
After playing nine games for the Dogs last year and showing glimpses of his capabilities, Djerrkura knows more will be expected of him this season.
With this in mind, he took his commitment to the game and his fitness to a new level in the off-season. Back home in Gove, Arnhem Land, he ran harder and longer in the sand dunes than ever before.
"It's pretty easy to shred skin-folds in 34-degree heat," he said.
He also ate very well - "plenty of fresh seafood".
This dedication propelled Djerrkura to a personal-best pre-season. He finished top-four at the club in endurance, and also broke the bench press record ("110-112 kilos", he thinks) for the Bulldogs' under-80kg class. His effort has since been equalled by Andrew Hooper and Jason Tutt.
After suffering a broken hand in an intra-club practice match and being sidelined for four weeks, Djerrkura was promoted for the Bulldogs' clash with Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.
That night he produced a split-second of genius, which added further credence to his nickname "Djitti" - an Aboriginal word that means "black magic". ("I don't turn around any more when people call me Nathan," he says.)
Late in the first term after the Dogs had conceded the first four goals, Djerrkura gathered the ball under pressure and let fly, off one step, with a spiral punt from outside 50 and the ball bounced truly.
It appeared to be an instinctive act of skill. Some suggested it was a "hit-and-hope" fluke. So what's the truth?
"I'd like to say I did exactly what I tried to do, but that wasn't the case," Djerrkura admitted.
"I just tried to do the team thing by getting the ball forward. I just chucked the ball on the boot and was lucky that it turned out to be a 'torp' and it went through."
Assistant coach Brett Montgomery rated Djerrkura the Dogs' best "pressure player" against the Crows. He was equally good in this area against Melbourne.
"As a small forward, I try to base my game around defensive pressure," Djerrkura said.
"If you look after defence first, everything else comes from that."
Djerrkura was perhaps unlucky to be relegated to substitute in
the heavy loss to St Kilda in round three. However, he has only praise for coach Brendan McCartney, who he worked with at Geelong.
"He's straight-up with everyone, and that's one of the things I like about him," he said.
"He's brought a spark to this club, and I'm sure good things will start happening for us soon."
NATHAN Djerrkura senses an opportunity to finally establish himself as an AFL player in what he regards as his "make or break" season with the Western Bulldogs.
The small forward was among the Bulldogs' best players in their ice-breaking win over Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.
In the kind of wet conditions he relishes, Djerrkura earned 15 disposals (at 100 per cent efficiency), snapped a crucial goal late in the third quarter and dished off another.
He was also a constant threat to the Demons with his defensive pressure, applying four tackles and implying plenty of others.
It was a decisive step towards ensuring his future at Whitten Oval, which will be the subject of discussion behind closed doors in coming months.
He will be out of contract at the end of the season, and is under no illusions about the difficulty of the challenge before him to remain on the Bulldogs list for 2013 and beyond.
Now in his sixth AFL season, the 23-year-old has played a total of 15 AFL games at two clubs.
In a rare interview, the quietly-spoken Djerrkura conceded he was under pressure to perform, but was positive about his prospects.
Asked if it was accurate to suggest he was facing a make-or-break season, Djerrkura was emphatic.
"That's exactly what it is," he told AFL.com.au.
"I've just got to put my head down and keep trying to improve every aspect of my game.
"I have to do what I can to cement my spot in the side, and do what I can to make the team better.
"And I think I can do that."
Djerrkura also believes he can make a real impact at AFL level, if one of his comments about his childhood hero - former Essendon wingman Michael Long - is to be taken literally.
"I just hope that one day I can come close to what he was," he said.
A Bombers fan in his childhood, Djerrkura has known Long, a fellow Northern Territorian, since his teenage years. He and Hawthorn star Cyril Rioli, a nephew of Long, attended Melbourne's Scotch College together on football scholarships and spent "a few weekends" at Long's house.
"We didn't talk about footy much; it was more about life," he said.
"Longy was close to my dad."
Djerrkura's late father Gatjil was a respected indigenous leader who served as the chairman of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) from 1996-2000.
Almost eight years ago, Djerrkura senior suffered a fatal heart attack at 54.
"I enjoy talking about him," Djerrkura said. "I looked up to him so much, and learnt so much from him about life."
Djerrkura senior's example provided the inspiration for his son and former Geelong teammate Travis Varcoe to establish the Leaders of Tomorrow foundation, which aims to create leaders in remote communities.
"If not for my dad, I don't think I would have done that," he said.
"He was very passionate about helping indigenous people all around Australia, and we want to help people build their dream."
At the time of his father's death, Djerrkura was just 15. The family slowly picked up the pieces and he pursued an AFL career, being drafted by Geelong at pick 25 in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft.
Djerrkura feels he wasn't consistent enough in his four seasons with the Cats. However, he doesn't use the most obvious excuse: that it was a frightfully hard side to break into.
He sought greater opportunities elsewhere and was traded to the Bulldogs at the end of 2010 in exchange for pick 58.
After playing nine games for the Dogs last year and showing glimpses of his capabilities, Djerrkura knows more will be expected of him this season.
With this in mind, he took his commitment to the game and his fitness to a new level in the off-season. Back home in Gove, Arnhem Land, he ran harder and longer in the sand dunes than ever before.
"It's pretty easy to shred skin-folds in 34-degree heat," he said.
He also ate very well - "plenty of fresh seafood".
This dedication propelled Djerrkura to a personal-best pre-season. He finished top-four at the club in endurance, and also broke the bench press record ("110-112 kilos", he thinks) for the Bulldogs' under-80kg class. His effort has since been equalled by Andrew Hooper and Jason Tutt.
After suffering a broken hand in an intra-club practice match and being sidelined for four weeks, Djerrkura was promoted for the Bulldogs' clash with Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.
That night he produced a split-second of genius, which added further credence to his nickname "Djitti" - an Aboriginal word that means "black magic". ("I don't turn around any more when people call me Nathan," he says.)
Late in the first term after the Dogs had conceded the first four goals, Djerrkura gathered the ball under pressure and let fly, off one step, with a spiral punt from outside 50 and the ball bounced truly.
It appeared to be an instinctive act of skill. Some suggested it was a "hit-and-hope" fluke. So what's the truth?
"I'd like to say I did exactly what I tried to do, but that wasn't the case," Djerrkura admitted.
"I just tried to do the team thing by getting the ball forward. I just chucked the ball on the boot and was lucky that it turned out to be a 'torp' and it went through."
Assistant coach Brett Montgomery rated Djerrkura the Dogs' best "pressure player" against the Crows. He was equally good in this area against Melbourne.
"As a small forward, I try to base my game around defensive pressure," Djerrkura said.
"If you look after defence first, everything else comes from that."
Djerrkura was perhaps unlucky to be relegated to substitute in
the heavy loss to St Kilda in round three. However, he has only praise for coach Brendan McCartney, who he worked with at Geelong.
"He's straight-up with everyone, and that's one of the things I like about him," he said.
"He's brought a spark to this club, and I'm sure good things will start happening for us soon."
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