Swan Medallist Enjoying Fresh Role In 2018

REIGNING Swan Medal winner Corey Gault had a standout 2017 season carrying the ruck for Swan Districts but he's more than happy to be sharing the duties with Nathan Blakely in 2018 just like they did at colts level back in 2011.

Following standout colts performances with Swan Districts going back to 2010 and 2011, Gault found himself drafted to Collingwood in the AFL and went on to spend the next five years with the Magpies.

While there, he managed to play six AFL games over 2014, 2015 and 2016 but by the end of 2016, he was ready to take a break from the full-time environment in Melbourne and return home to Perth and to get back to playing in the WAFL with Swan Districts.

His return season couldn’t have possibly turned out better as he stepped into the role as No. 1 ruckman at Swan Districts and went on to win the fairest and best award while also being named the ruckman in the WAFL Team of the Year.

He did that in a Swans outfit that improved from winning just two matches and claiming the wooden spoon the year before to end up making the finals and even beating West Perth in a memorable elimination final at Steel Blue Oval.

On the back of that season, the ruck might not have been an area that new coach Adam Pickering had to worry about stepping into the new job replacing Greg Harding. But with the departure of Ricky Cary and then the return of Nathan Blakely, some juggling was needed.

What that has ended up seeing happen is that Blakely has stepped into the No. 1 ruck position while Gault has spent most of the season forward so far as the main tall target while then backing up Blakely in the ruck.

He's even swapped at centre half-back with Tony Notte on occasion as well.

The 25-year-old has enjoyed reteaming with Blakely again, this time at league level, and feels their combination is working well over the opening four rounds of the 2018 season.

"It's great having Nathan back. I played a fair bit of footy with him before I got drafted actually and this is pretty much the same role we've had this year but he probably played a bit more forward back in 2011 and I spent more time in the ruck," Gault told 91.3 SportFM.

"But since he's come back those roles have reversed a bit and he is playing predominately ruck and I'm slotting up forward.

"Compared to last year obviously I had lot more ruck time but this year with the way the team has shaped up with Ricky Cary going off to play country footy, they thought it was best for the team for me to slot in up forward. It's going pretty well so far."

Looking back on his 2017 season where Gault averaged 18.6 possessions and 25 hit outs a game while kicking 11 goals in a team that was exciting to follow on return to the finals, he couldn’t have enjoyed his return home any more.

"It was a really enjoyable year as well coming back from the AFL system," he said.

"When you are there you have all that pressure and scrutiny that isn’t so much from the media or anything, but more so in game reviews and making sure that you are performing week in and week out in a professional environment. Sometimes when you're not doing that it can weigh on you.

"So just getting back to Swan Districts and really enjoying my footy again and playing with a few mates and making some more mates made it really enjoyable. Getting back to playing in the ruck was great too because I enjoyed that position and it's what I did prior to getting drafted."

Gault was grateful for his opportunities to spend five years in Melbourne in his time with Collingwood even if everything didn’t quite go to plan.

But now at 25 years of age, he would feel more prepared to fully grab his AFL opportunities if another chance was to present.

"I guess a few indifferent things happened to myself over my time at Collingwood with a bit of form, injury and I struggled a little bit with concussion in my last year as well," Gault said.

"I just thought it was best that I came back home and got back to enjoying footy again. I've actually gone back to uni as well and I'm in my last year of completing my phys ed degree at Notre Dame.

"I've absolutely got ambitions to get back into the AFL system but whether my form and whether clubs are interested, that's another story. But if things go my way this year, I'd definitely be keen to put my name back in the ring and see what happens."