DALLAS Willsmore’s favourite guernsey number used to be 18 because it had been his father’s, but the Ouyen United star says he’s proud to wear number 15 as it connects him to another Walpeup-Underbool great.
Willsmore’s father Andrew wore the number 18 during his 348-game career at Walpeup-Underbool, but when Dallas returned to Ouyen United in 2021 after stints at Hawthorn and in the SANFL, former Kanga Luke Stanbrook was wearing his old guernsey number.
The 27-year-old said it was “humbling”, however, when his aunty offered him a chance to wear his uncle Scott Munro’s number 15, which had been retired in 2013 after his death in an accident.
“I didn’t watch a lot of AFL when I was younger, I was just a mad Walpeup-Underbool supporter where I just go down to trainings on Tuesday, and Thursdays,” Dallas said.
“Scotty Munro wore the number 15, and he was one of my idols growing up. He was a tough, skilful midfielder who would go forward and kick goals.”
Dallas has been a star for football for Ouyen United in 2022 and the former Hawk has scored eight votes to sit second in SFNL Footballer of the Year rankings.
The three-game win streak for the Kangas has come at an average margin of 66 points, and Dallas has kicked 11 goals, including three in the Kangas 42-point win over South Mildura on Saturday.
The 2018 VFL premiership winner with Box Hill said after a strong preseason it was important for him to provide reliable output for Kangas coaches Scott Grigg and Brad Vallance.
“I just want to be consistent footballer,” Dallas said, who lives in Adelaide where he works as a carpenter with teammate Kaine Stevens.
“When I was younger, I’d play a good game and then I had a couple of bad ones.
“I want to be a player that can play across all three lines and (someone) who my teammates can trust.
“Scotty (Grigg) really backs Kaine (Stevens) and I to just play on instincts and trusts us to do our job for the team.”
He said he had relied too much on his footy skills and footy smarts last season, but he said his preseason was “paying off” as the SFNL approached the half-way mark.
“I’ve still got a lot of work to do with contested marking and certain skills and I’ll continue to work on that and hopefully go to another level in the second half of the season,” he said.
Dallas said there was a “good feeling” at the club as the coaching staff developed confidence in the Kangas younger players to know and play role.
But he said they would learn more after this Saturday’s clash with fellow top-four side Robinvale Euston at Underbool Oval.
“We’re just thinking about this week and looking forward to tackling them,” Dallas said. “If we can get this win, it will set us up for the back end of the year.”
As the Holcroft Lawyers Footballer of the Week, Willsmore receives $125 from Holcroft Lawyers, 143 Langtree Avenue, Mildura, and is in the running to be the Holcroft Lawyers Footballer Of The Year.
