It was the appointment Dane McFarlane did not want to be late for.
The chance to play at the home of football –the MCG – does not come around every day for a state league footballer.
Thankfully, there was no need for the Werribee Tigers to send out a search party to locate their new recruit, he arrived in the nick of time for the pre-game warm up.
Just as well too, as McFarlane produced an eye-catching performance that would have the Tigers fans excited about what lies ahead for the former Geelong VFL player this season.
“I rocked up an hour late, so that was not a good start,” he told Star Weekly a little sheepishly.
“The preparation wasn’t great but once I got out there it was all good.”
McFarlane was ever-present for Werribee in its 50-point win over the AFL Academy at the MCG on Friday night.
The 22-year-old will cherish the experience of playing on the hallowed turf.
There was no stage fright on his part, just a performance that will have him in contention for round one selection.
“I had a big smile on my face as I walked out there,” McFarlane said.
“It was a bit overwhelming at the start, but once the first ball is bounced, you don’t even notice it [the MCG surroundings].
“It was an awesome experience and even better to get the win.”
McFarlane has made a habit of fashionably late appearances.
You could say he was a late bloomer, only coming on the radar of VFL club Geelong in his late teens and not taking the traditional TAC Cup pathway.
“I never played Geelong Falcons and I never played inter-league,” he said.
“One of my best mates was down at the VFL and at the end of the season they asked if they knew any blokes who wanted to come down and he put my name down and I made the list.”
McFarlane spent three seasons with the Cats, playing mainly as a wing or half-forward.
The Modewarre product would not have made the move to Werribee if he was not serious about establishing himself as a first team player.
He knows the pathway to a senior berth with the Tigers will have all sorts of road blocks after the club’s full alignment with North Melbourne kicked in over the summer, but he is willing to work hard to secure his place.
“It’s definitely not going to be easy, which is good,” McFarlane said.
