Josh Porter is not playing with the usual inhibitions of a player on the comeback trail after a spate of injuries.
Self-preservation is not part of the Werribee Tigers’ key forward’s play list – he remains as ferocious as ever at the contest, despite two ankle injuries and a concussion providing speed bumps to his VFL season.
“It’s just good to get back out there after a few setbacks and have a run around,” Porter told Star Weekly.
Porter knows he cannot take a backward step for two reasons.
Firstly, he is seen as one of the enforcers of the forward line. Crashing the packs and defensive pressure is part of his game.
Secondly, with Werribee’s alignment with North Melbourne creating a logjam for spots in the forward line, a quiet game or two could land Porter back in the development league side.
“It’s more competitive … it creates a healthy competitive environment at training and that’s really good,” Porter said.
“You’ve got more blokes pushing for less spots and it sort of encourages people to want to get better and improve their game.
“There’s probably only two or three key position roles in the forward line and the ruck, so you feel a little bit of pressure … you just want to play your role for the team … if you can do that well, the rest will take care of itself.”
Porter established himself in Werribee’s forward line last season. The boy from Wangaratta arrived to Melbourne in 2014 after impressing for his local side in the Ovens and Murray Football League.
It took a while for Porter to settle into city life but he has grown accustomed to living in Brunswick and playing at Werribee.
“I’m pretty settled now,” he said. “The first year, straight from Wang to the city, it was a big step, especially moving out of home for the first time and living by yourself, but everyone goes through it and it wasn’t anything major.
“It’s good to get back every now and then and see your mates, your hometown and your family, but other than that, I quite like living in Melbourne.”
Porter has been on a constant learning curve since arriving in Melbourne.
The 22-year-old is undertaking a teaching degree at Victoria University in Footscray while continuing to develop his football under Werribee coach John Lamont.
“He’s quite a good teacher,” Porter said. “He understands you on a personal level … not only in footy, but outside life.
“One thing I felt like I’ve improved since I got to Werribee and that high level of VFL is my pressure, the defensive aspect of the game.
“It’s a lot more than just running around and taking marks. Once the ball is turned over, you’re the first line of defence in the forward line, so you’ve really got to hone in on that side of your game.
“That’s one of the things I felt is becoming my strength.”
Porter is enjoying the environment at Werribee.
His preconceived ideas about VFL football were certainly unfounded.
“I was quietly surprised when I first got there, how welcoming they are to the new blokes,” he said.
“I kind of thought, with it being at VFL level, that everyone would be real serious and a bit hostile, but that wasn’t the case at all.”
