Debut to savour for Chase Loftus

The conditions for his WAFL Men’s league debut turned out eerily similar to back home for Chase Loftus as he enjoyed helping Swan Districts to a win for the occasion with his mother able to be there too.

Loftus is in his first season in the WAFL and at Swan Districts having made the move west with his partner, and in a lot of ways it’s been a steep learning curve living in a new state and also taking the leap up in terms of the football.

However, the 21-year-old has loved everything about the experience and had put together a strong batch of reserves form to book in his league debut last Saturday against Subiaco at Steel Blue Oval.

He ended up having a significant impact in the win too in the tough conditions on the day with 15 possessions and eight marks. He loved the experience and especially with his mother able to fly over and his girlfriend there to enjoy the occasion.

“It was good fun out there and it was good to get the win in my first game. Mum came up from Victoria too and she loved it,” Loftus said.

“She loved the club and everyone made a big deal about her coming up which was awesome, and my girlfriend was up there too and they had a bit of a cocktail lunch so it was good for them and experience the club.

“Game wise, it was good fun but it was hardly even footy almost with the conditions. It was like a bit of a wrestle the whole game but I do enjoy that type of game and it was obviously good to get the win.

“Hopefully the weather dries up in the next couple of weeks, though, and we can play some less Melbourne like footy.”

Loftus joined Swan Districts in 2025 fresh off winning back-to-back premierships and being a best and fairest winner with local club Torquay in the Bellarine Football Netball League.

Prior to that he had spent some time as a teenager at the Geelong Falcons and also played over summer with the Darwin Buffaloes, but it was always going to be a significant step up to playing WAFL in 2025.

He did have a blistering start with 26 possessions in the reserves in Round 1 against West Perth but after that he did take some time to find his feet in the new environment.

Over the month leading into his league debut he had averaged 22.5 possessions in the reserves to bang down the door for his first game. He has found himself feeling more and more comfortable as the season has gone on.

“I feel like every game I’ve played I was getting more and more comfortable just with the boys and the new team, and the new grounds,” Loftus said.

“Everything was a bit new when I first got here and it was a bit different, and obviously I wasn’t that used to it.

“Even playing with a new bunch of guys was different, but just over the last few weeks I’ve got to know the boys a lot more and have been hanging out with them a bit more.

“That’s made it a bit easier to then go out there and play on game day, and have some fun and playing with a bit less pressure I guess by feeling more comfortable.”

One of the most major adjustments for Loftus was the lift in commitment it takes to play in the WAFL. It’s not just the training nights and game days, but the recovery sessions, weight sessions and everything else that goes into it.

While it’s a big step up to make that commitment, it’s something he has enjoyed too and has embraced the longer the season has gone on.

“It did take a little while because I was just playing local footy back home so it’s a bit of a step up in training and the commitment side of things with the time you have to put in here,” Loftus said.

“You get used to that as you go along and I’ve really enjoyed that side of it, and how much we train. It did take some time to get used to at first, but once you get into the flow of things and get into the season, it gets much easier. I’m loving it now.”

Playing reserves for most of this season has already been a leap up in standard for Loftus to become accustomed to, and he’s sure league level will be a similar jump but he might get a better idea of that in some better conditions than he experienced on Saturday.

“It is a bit tough to tell on a day like that but I feel like just the bodies you come up against in league footy are a lot bigger, and the guys you are matching up on have a lot more developed bodies and are a bit older and more mature,” Loftus said.

“Even if you’re going up for a mark you can feel the much bigger guys flying through packs and stuff. So you notice the bigger bodies, but I’m looking forward to playing a dry game and then I’ll get a real sense of the speed and everything that it’s played with at league level.”

Away from football and Loftus couldn’t be happier with the lifestyle he’s found himself enjoying in Perth and around Bassendean as he continues to work as a commercial electrician, and on his apprenticeship.

His partner has enjoyed living out west too and even if she spends more time back in Victoria in 2026, the couple have every plan to call Perth their home for some time yet.

“We’ve loved everything about living up here. My girlfriend is actually going to be moving back for a little over Christmas and going into next year to finish her law degree, but I’m looking to stay here,” Loftus said.

“We’ve both loved it but she does have to back for that schooling and we’ll have to do a bit of the long distance thing, but she’s going to try to fly back up when she can.

“We have loved living up here and the Town of Bassendean is full of lovely people, and we couldn’t have been made feel more welcome.

“We’ve loved going in and around Perth as well and it feels really different back home so we’re loving it and would love to stay for a lot longer.”