Footy a jump up for tyro Blicavs

The development of the 198cm Mark Blicavs has stunned everyone at Simonds Stadium given he's played only a handful of games since under-14s Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

ANDREW Guthrie had played and watched enough footy to know a player when he saw one and the extremely athletic 10-year-old was a serious one.

It was more than a decade ago, when Guthrie coached the Taylors Lakes under-10s, and Mark Blicavs was one of the best juniors he had seen.

Guthrie, who played a handful of games in the 1980s with Essendon and Fitzroy and whose son Cameron now plays with Geelong, recalls Blicavs as a "kid with a fantastic skill set".

"Of course he was a sensational athlete with a big leap, but he could also seriously play football," Guthrie said.

"Mark had played basketball with Cam and football with my eldest son Ben, plus we were friends with his parents, Andy and Karen, and while I knew he wanted to pursue his athletic passion, I always kept the football side in mind."

Guthrie dredged up that memory in February 2011, when the Cats organised a lunch for the parents of new boys who were selected in the NAB Cup side to play North Melbourne at Geelong.

Guthrie told Cats' recruiting manager Stephen Wells that Blicavs may be a player worth watching. Wells liked what he saw, offering Blicavs a rookie contract in November 2011, and presenting Blicavs with a dilemma: drop a promising athletics career as a 1500m and steeplechase runner or give AFL footy a crack.

With the London Olympics last year, Blicavs chose to continue his athletics dream. That he ultimately didn't make the Olympic team was more a reflection of his age, 21, than his ability, according to his running coach Gregor Gorjrzewski.

"The London Olympics were always too early for Mark ... runners do not peak until 25 to 27. I remember him coming to me and saying, 'Gregor, I have the sad news for you', and he told me about Geelong and Aussie Rules.

"I say, 'You do what your passion tells you. Follow your dream, Mark'.

"As coach I was sad to lose such good prospect because he is very talented.

"It sad that the athletics, there is not good financial support. All of sudden Mark gets an offer to be paid to play sport. So good on him. I will be watching more Aussie rules than I used to."

So will Blicavs' parents, who have excelled in basketball. His father Andy was a 1976 Montreal Olympian and his mother Karen was part of the Opals' 1983 world championship team in Brazil.

They have three children, with eldest son Chris, 24, playing basketball with the Ballarat Miners in the SEABL and daughter Sara, 20, playing for the Geelong Supercats in the SEABL.

Karen Blicavs said the dynamics had changed with a budding AFL footballer in a "house of hoops".

"We didn't expect it but neither did Mark. It is very exciting although you have to be realistic, and Mark knows if he gets a game it's because of injuries to other players," she said.

"I actually think he needs a year of developing in the VFL. He might make it, he might not, but I can tell you he has the right mindset for it and will give the AFL everything he has got.

"Because he hasn't played a lot you could argue he hasn't picked up bad habits, and he is very appreciative of what he is getting after coming from a sport with such little financial help in athletics."

Karen remembers her son playing football in his early teens, maybe under-14s, when he declared one day the game wasn't for him.

He had been caught in that twilight zone when some teenagers develop muscles overnight and others remain boys.

But then he started to grow. Listed at 78kg on Geelong's 2012 list, he has jumped to 96kg. Couple that with his 198cm frame and a prodigious leap and you can see what all the excitement is about.

As Guthrie noted, it may not be in the ruck that Blicavs makes his name.

"He would be a fairly difficult match-up on a wing," Guthrie said. "But before that I just want to see how a 202cm ruckman keeps up with him."

AFL PLAYERS FROM HIGH LEVELS IN OTHER SPORTS

Tom Williams (rugby union for Queensland in U18s)

Karmichael Hunt (11 rugby league Tests for Australia)

Mike Pyke (rugby union World Cup for Canada)

George Horlin-Smith (Australian U16 cricket captain)

Zac Smith (Queensland in outdoor and indoor soccer)

Scott Pendlebury (AIS basketball scholarship)

Dustin Fletcher (three Victorian junior tennis doubles titles)

George Burbury (Gold in the 2010 national U19 rowing championships

Shannon Hurn (South Australia Cricket rookie contract)

Simon Black (WA State junior athletic champion over 800m)

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