Gault Thriving In New Swan Districts Role In 2018

COREY Gault has enjoyed being released from holding down the ruck at Swan Districts so far in 2018 but now an ankle injury to Nathan Blakely means he will be asked to do that against Subiaco and he's looking forward to Swans taking it right up to the Lions.

Gault returned to Swan Districts in 2017 after spending five years in Collingwood where he played six AFL matches and he had a superb WAFL season winning the Swan Medal in a Swans team that made the finals, and beat West Perth in the elimination final.

Gault went on to be named the ruckman in the WAFL Team of the Year as well highlighting just how well he did in the ruck for Swans, but the return of Nathan Blakely and departure of Ricky Cary combined to see him asked to fill more of a role in attack.

The result has been Gault delivering another standout season for the black-and-whites, albeit in a different role with him spending the majority of his time as a marking option in the forward-line while then pinch-hitting to help Blakely in the ruck.

That has seen him kick 17 goals, including two hauls of four, while still averaging 15.2 disposals, 5.8 marks and 16.8 hit outs a game.

He also played in the successful WAFL State Team against South Australia in Adelaide so it's been a memorable 2018 already heading into Saturday's clash with the undefeated Subiaco at Steel Blue Oval.

He has enjoyed the role he has been asked to play and the form he's been able to deliver to date.

"It's probably more of a team thing where our ball movement is a lot more fluid and free-flowing so that allows me to get a bit more space and time up front. In that regard, it has freed me up a little bit with that quicker ball movement coming in," Gault said on The WAFL Show.

"I'm playing a bit of a different role this year. By this time last year, I was playing pretty much 100 per cent of the ruck whereas this year with Nathan Blakely back, I'm probably playing 40 per cent ruck and 60 per cent up forward.

"It's a bit of a different role for me and I'm probably not having the amount disposals or impact around the ground, but with my leadership up forward and being able to get on the scoreboard a bit I might be having a bit more impact on games."

Gault is also happy with the Swans have started the 2018 season currently sitting in fourth position on the ladder with a 5-4 record heading into Saturday's clash with the Lions coming off the Round 11 bye and a 20-point defeat at the hands of Claremont.

Coming off last year's finals appearance in Greg Harding's last season in charge as coach, Gault wasn’t quite sure how quickly things would click under Adam Pickering, but he's been pleasantly surprised with the first half of the season they have delivered.

"I think our game plan does stack up and when we're all firing and all playing our roles, it can stack up with the best of them. We showed against Subi last time in that first quarter that it stacks up, it's just a matter of keeping that going for the full four quarters," he said.

"I think it's a few things. We are playing with pretty good continuity as a team and we've obviously got the new coach in who has brought some new structures and put in a few new things in place, which has been really helpful.

"We might be a little surprised with our start, I guess always with a new coach you're not sure how you will go with the new structures and game plan he puts in place. We still have that core group of senior players, 10 or so of us, who have helped implement that game plan and making sure we all stick to our roles."

Gault obviously thrived under the coaching of Harding last year and in the colts prior to getting drafted to Collingwood, but he's enjoyed the fresh and professional approach immensely of Pickering so far in 2018.

"It is pretty different. Greg was more about just letting the boys play without too much structure, playing to your strengths and seeing where you go from there," Gault said.

"Whereas Adam has brought in almost an AFL structure where this is where you are supposed to be on the field at this particular time and when the ball is in this area what you are meant to do.

"That's been really helpful for our young guys because it has simplified their role and at any given time they know where they need to be."

While Gault isn’t focusing on getting another AFL opportunity and all his attention is geared towards playing the best football he can in the WAFL with Swan Districts, he is confident he could thrive if another club was willing to give him another opportunity in 2019.

"I think it's a bit of everything really. I've had some really good coaches down at Collingwood and even at Swans before I got drafted," Gault said.

"I did a bit of an apprenticeship at Collingwood even though I did have my injury concerns when I battled with OP for about three years and had my concussions in my last year.

"I had a lot of injury worries and probably training at an AFL level was something I was a bit below, and I needed to get my body to an AFL level which took time. All that hard work I did at Collingwood has allowed to come back here and play some good footy with a bit of freedom and continuity.

"I think I definitely would be better a second time around. I remember when I first went over east, everything was so intense.

"I was moving to the other side of Australia and the training loads, scrutiny and all the reviews was full on. I probably wasn’t ready for that but coming out and enjoying my footy again, and playing some good footy, I think I'll be better off."