“I want to play every game but a benchmark for me should be about half a season next year I reckon. I’m coming into my fourth year now and second full pre-season. I really want to be a regular senior player,” Black told kangaroos.com.au after training on Monday.
North’s latest round of player trades and delistings included many forwards and some competition for the 21-year old but he’s not taking anything for granted.
Aaron Edwards, Ben McKinley, Ben Warren and Hamish McIntosh have all moved on, leaving Black to fight for forward selection with Robbie Tarrant, Lachlan Hansen and Tom Curran.
“Spots have opened up and I guess there’s more opportunity for me to push into the senior side. I need to continue to work on my fitness, add some kilos and get through injury free.
“With us delisting a few forwards it means they’re probably going to get some younger ones in so there’s always going to be pressure whether the coaches keep going with three talls or some other line-up. You can’t really think about it too much, you just have to do the best you can and beat the blokes in your position.
"It’s just about doing everything I possibly can and putting my hand up and hopefully getting in.”
Black says he thrived on the challenge.
“It’s always at the forefront of your mind…you’re always fighting for spots and you want to be in front of the other forwards.
“Trying to get on the back of them or just beat them by that little margin in the running, have an extra couple of shots on goal at training after they go in…it’s about all the little things to try and improve I guess.”
And he’s more than comfortable with some friendly banter.
“Lachy (Hansen) and I have a bit. I think earlier this year we had a laugh when I got into the side, and he got suspended in the VFL. He told me I was only in because he couldn’t play. He kept counting down the weeks to me saying, ‘not long now and I’m back in’. It actually happened though which wasn’t great…I got dropped and he did come back in for me and stayed for the rest of the year.
“I know he was only mucking around and we’re good mates but it’s good to have that friendly competition and it gives you something to strive for. If there was only three key forwards at the club, you might get comfortable and have a mentality that, ‘they can’t drop me’, but I reckon it’s the more the merrier. The more forwards that come in to the side, the more it means I have to keep improving as a player and as a person.”
Black believes his improvement will be aided by just his second full pre-season.
“Last year was the first full pre-season I’ve ever had counting junior and professional level so if I can get through this one, I’ll be twice as good as last year I guess.
“Back where I’m from in Bunbury, a couple of hours south of Perth, we’d start up two weeks before the season begun. When I was with Peel Thunder I was injured and never got fully fit.
“It does a lot for your confidence. I remember back to my first AFL game and it got to half time and I was knackered and couldn’t go anymore. That was without a pre-season at all. Last year I was still getting a bit fatigued at the end of matches, more than I would have liked, but I was able to adjust so much better.”
A recently signed contract has also given him a much needed boost.
“I like having the goal to get fitter and stronger. I’ve got a couple more years and I hope I can get a few more at North because I love it here.”
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