Levi Casboult – pictured celebrating a goal for the Dandenong Stingrays in 2010 – had reason to celebrate on Sunday as he made his debut for the Carlton Football Club. 35969 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
By JARROD POTTER
THE south-eastern football breeding ground produced another AFL player this week, with former Beaconsfield and Dandenong Stingrays utility Levi Casboult getting his first chance to don the navy blue guernsey on Saturday night.
Casboult, 22, from Berwick, received his chance after injuries and suspensions mounted in Carlton’s tall man department – leaving Matthew Kreuzer, Shaun Hampson and Robbie Warnock unavailable.
The former Stingray was thrust into the centre for the first bounce of the match and squaring off against his taller opponent, Western Bulldogs ruckman Will Minson, Casboult managed to earn his first stat in the AFL as he won the hit-out.
After only recently coming back from injury himself, and a couple of matches with the Northern Blues later, Casboult was on his way to his AFL debut.
“I knew I was a chance early on in the week, they (Carlton) knew Kreuzer wasn’t a chance,” Casboult said.
“I didn’t find out until Thursday, got the call from the coach and said congratulations.
“Then from there on there were people saying it was a free hit, it’s your first game, playing in the ruck, nobody expects anything major, so just go out and have a crack.”
The match itself blurred by at a fast clip for Casboult, who found the step up to the pace of the AFL standard a good challenge.
“I don’t really remember a whole lot… it was a bit of a blur,” Casboult said.
“Probably starting in the ruck undersized and getting the first hit out was a great bonus from what I remember.
“It was pretty big… I played two games back from injury, one was in the twos, so that was a pretty big step up, but it was more the pace of the game.
“Before you know it the ball had gone from one end to the other… in the last quarter it was like running on the treadmill.”
Casboult impressed in his first outing, securing seven possessions, five marks and nine hit outs, which will see him a chance to retain his spot this week as the Blues face Richmond on Saturday night.
“Warnock is available this weekend and Kreuzer is a chance to get up again, but hopefully I’ve done enough to earn a recall but we’ll find out later on in the week,” Casboult said.
