The imposing figure of Anthony Trigg, playing for Maribyrnong Park and soon to be playing for the Great Britain Bulldogs. 68579 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By Liam Twomey
STANDING at 205 centimetres and 95 kilos, Anthony Trigg is an imposing sight for opponents in the Essendon District Football League.
The Maribyrnong Park ruckman will no longer just cause headaches in the EDFL though. He is about to showcase his talents to the world.
Trigg has been selected to play in the AFL International Cup where he will be representing his home county, the Great Britain Bulldogs.
“It’s a big honour to represent your country and I can’t wait to play,” Trigg said.
“It will be a great opportunity.”
Trigg has been in Australia for just over a year. He first stayed in Bacchus Marsh were he played one game for the local football team.
After moving to Maribyrnong the English local emailed the Lions expressing an interest to play. He has been an integral part of the 2011 team ever since.
Word then got out to the British coaches for the International Cup that one of their own was playing high calibre football in Melbourne and Trigg was given the call up to join the Bulldogs.
Maribyrnong reserves coach Shane Keogh said the selection was a credit to all the hard work the 22 year old had put in to his football.
“He is a great one for learning, he is a great listener and he will endeavour to carry out everything you suggest to him. He is a real student of the game,” Keogh said.
“I’ve given him DVDs to watch and we had a local ruck identity come down to the club and give him some tuition in fast tracking his knowledge of the game.”
“He has come to our club and hardly missed a training session at all.”
The 2011 AFL International Cup kicks off on 12 August and involves representative teams from around the world including Japan, South Africa and Ireland.
This will not be the first time Trigg has represented his country at the highest level. In 2010 he played in the European Basketball world championships for Wales.
“Obviously with his height he has a great advantage there and opposition sides look to combat that around the stoppages with a third man up,” Keogh said.
“That’s the stuff he has had to work on at training and we’ve discussed in games how to combat that.”
“His kicking is quite good. He is just like most footballers. He is working on certain areas of his game all the time.”
Trigg has impressed everyone at Maribyrnong with his ability to make quick improvements.
“He has really gone beyond where we thought he would be this year. We thought it would be a year of reserve play, listening, learning and just getting better at everything,” Keogh said.
“We have required him up in the seniors and he has more than held his own there.”
‘He is still learning the game as far as positioning and reading of the play goes but he is learning all the time. He does take everything on board.”
“For someone who is virtually in their first year of footy, to have played seniors in the Essendon District Football League… is a fantastic achievement.”
In the short term, Trigg is hopeful of performing well at the International Cup and then holding down a permanent spot in the Lions first side.
“Coming to Maribyrnong and the work that Craig Clinnick and Shane Keogh have done with me has been fantastic.”
“They have really been a great support.”
