Google says it takes 48 hours to drive from Point Samson to Geelong.
Point Samson, a small town near Wickham in the Pilbara region of WA with a population of just a few hundred, is nothing like Pivot City.
And until this season, St Albans’ recruit Tom Higgins has played all his footy at Wickham Wolves in the North Pilbara League, the same club as Geelong Cats emerging star Lawson Humphries.
The two are good mates and it was Humphries who suggested that Higgins make the move to Geelong to play footy.
“It’s about a 16-hour drive from Perth, so I’ve spent all my life there pretty much,” the 21-year-old forward said.
“Then moved over here. One of my good mates, Lawson, who plays at the Cats at the moment, said there were some good opportunities to move over and it all sort of just worked out.”
The fourth-year electrical apprentice had reservations about such a big move, but Wickham’s loss has been the Supersaints’ gain with the big forward booting 38 goals from 11 appearances this season, including a haul of seven against Lara on Saturday.
“The GFL has been a step above what I’ve played,” Higgins said.
“I’m playing with some pretty talented players – Fletcher Keck and Jed Warrin and the likes. It’s quick, it’s fast moving and being at the Supersaints and being a part of something that’s growing has been pretty good.”
Higgins was copping it from some sections of the Lara crowd on Saturday, but ever the showman, he gave it straight back with some entertaining goal celebrations.
“It’s a bit of fun,” he said.
“Copping a bit from one end in the first quarter and then I thought I’ll go down the other end and get a break, but then a few of the boys at that end gave me a bit of lip.
“I just tried to let my footy do the talking and a few celebrations here and there. Kicking seven helps to keep them quiet.”
Higgins said he didn’t know too much about St Albans’ lack of success in recent years, but could definitely see progress this season. The Supersaints have already doubled last season’s tally of two wins.
“I didn’t know too much about how much they struggled, but the green shoots are definitely springing out of the ground,” he said.
“We’ve had a few rough games here and there, but we’ve put those behind us. It’s been the off-field stuff, off-field culture, onfield culture, the coaching staff. It’s been pretty good to be a part of. I love it.”
The Supersaints’ program is working with Sam Donegan not only playing VFL footy with Northern Bullants, but progressing to actually earning votes and being in the best players. Donegan started at Ocean Grove and has spent several years building in the St Albans system, which is a good advertisement for the club.
“He’s a talent,” Higgins said.
“He’s had a few good games in the VFL the last couple of weeks, which has been good to see him get his confidence back out there. We all follow it pretty hard when he’s out there playing so it’s good to see him going well.”
Higgins has had two knee surgeries in the past 18 months and is just happy to be out on the field and learning.
“We’ve worked on a lot the last five or six weeks on our mid-forward connection,” he said.
“In the last four weeks we’ve got a bit of continuity in the same midfield and the same forward line playing together. (It’s) slowly starting to come together and understanding each other’s games because a lot of us have only played eleven games of footy together.
“It’s been a very awesome learning experience and we’ve got some pretty talented players in the midfield like Bailey Brogden and Jed Warrin and Fletcher (Keck), and Nathan Cole does some pretty outstanding work in the ruck being undersized.”
