A change in his mental approach to the game is behind the recent upswing of form for young Crows midfielder James Battersby.
The mature-bodied teenager, who is the Club’s youngest player at just 18-years-old, has improved dramatically playing with the SANFL Crows as the year has gone on.
The impressive rookie fought gallantly in last weekend’s SANFL Showdown and collected a season-high 27 disposals, 10 marks and six inside-50s against quality midfield opposition at Alberton.
The performance came a week after Battersby was again amongst Adelaide’s best with 20 touches in the Club’s 45-point triumph over the Panthers at Noarlunga.
Battersby said he was beginning to understand the standard of professionalism required to become a consistent contributor at the level.
“You have to really be switched on mentally and be thinking all the time rather than just chasing kicks,” Battersby told afc.com.au.
“It’s been something that I’ve had to get used to, with all the different structures and standards the Club expects of its players.”
Battersby is no stranger to senior football.
The boy known as ‘Batters’ played in 10 league games for Sturt as a 17-year-old during the Double Blues’ 2013 campaign. The skilful youngster was also selected for South Australia’s Under-18s side at last year’s National Championships, and finished with the best disposal efficiency of any player to play in all five games in the competition.
Battersby said the experience of playing at such a high level, plus the advice of those behind closed doors at West Lakes, had helped him adjust to life as a professional footballer.
“It’s been tough at times, and it can be a bit intimidating when you first walk into the Club,” he said.
“But it’s been a pretty good transition for me this year. And you can’t complain playing footy for a job - It’s what I love doing.
“The development coaches have been great, and then there are guys like Jason Porplyzia and Scott Thompson who have been really good with their time. They’re probably the two guys who I look up to the most and I’ve tried to model my game on.”
Battersby also said having the opportunity to play alongside the likes of Porplyzia, Ben Rutten, Taylor Walker, Brent Reilly, and SANFL skipper Ian Callinan had made a significant impact on his own development.
“I have a huge amount of respect for those guys who have achieved a lot in their careers,” Battersby said.
“They make a point of getting around the young boys when they play with us and they try to teach the younger boys as much as possible.
“But in reality, you can ask any senior player here for advice and they’re happy to help you out.”
The SANFL Crows face another big test on Sunday afternoon when they confront the finals-bound Eagles at Woodville Oval.
Adelaide produced a stunning upset the last time the two sides met in Round Nine, and Battersby expects the Eagles to come out firing this weekend.
“I think they’ll be coming out raring to go,” he said.
“I reckon we gave them a bit of a shock last time, so they will go all out on Sunday.
“But we will too. We just came off a disappointing loss to Port last week and we weren’t happy with how we played.
“Hopefully we get a big crowd down there and we put on a great show for the fans.”
