Ash Bolt
A successful debut has capped off Cats’ forward Ollie Dempsey’s fast rise up the ranks.
The 19-year-old rookie listed forward made his AFL debut for Geelong against North Melbourne on Sunday, after impressing in the VFL to start the season.
He collected 16 disposals and kicked a goal in the Cats’ 60-point win.
Dempsey said he loved the experience of playing at the highest level.
“It was awesome. I couldn’t have asked for it to go any [better],” he said.
“It was a good win with the boys so I’ll cherish it forever.
“I was pretty nervous … pre-game but I got out there and into it, it was all fine.
“As I got into the match [and] laid that first tackle, it’s just footy – another game of footy.”
Dempsey looked lively in the forward line all day, and finally snapped a goal in the third term after missing two shots earlier.
“I definitely thought about the first [set shot] way too much and should have banana-ed it, but [to kick a goal] in general play was good [because] I could back my instincts,” he said.
“Thanks to Max [Holmes] for handballing me that one and thankfully he didn’t touch it as well.”
Dempsey’s path to an AFL list was different from most, with the lightly-built forward spending much of his teenage years focussing on his basketball career.
Having played football at a young age, he picked up again in his late teenage years so he could play with his mates.
He impressed playing school football for Carey Grammar, leading the Cats to select him with pick 15 in the 2021 rookie draft.
“It’s pretty crazy, this time last year I was playing my first practice game in four years,” he said.
“So it’s crazy to think about where I am today but it’s just a credit to all the coaches and the hard work.
“I was never planning for it go this way, but I’m glad that it turned out like it has.”
