GOLDEN Square full-forward Grant Weeks is enjoying a dream start to his Bendigo Football League career.
Mind you, Weeks’ cause has been helped by what he says is being part of a dream side to play in.
A forward is only as good as the players further up the ground kicking it to him and Weeks has revelled in the crisp delivery of the Bulldogs’ midfielders over the first four rounds of the season.
One of the most sought-after recruits during the off-season, Weeks has already booted 31 goals this year - the most of any player in country Victoria, with the next best the 28 kicked by Michael Santos of Warragul Industrials in the Ellinbank and District Football League.
“It’s a really good team to be playing forward in,” Weeks said yesterday.
“Obviously, with the delivery and the amount of time the ball is coming into the 50, I’ve just got to mark it and kick straight.
“Golden Square said when they recruited me that there were a fair few blokes who wanted to play for them, but they gave me the opportunity, which I’m really thankful for.
“The side has great on-ballers, and even down the backline they all have good skills, so when it’s coming in it’s coming in perfect, and you can’t ask for any more than that.”
Weeks immediately burst on to the BFL scene in the Good Friday season-opener against South Bendigo at Country Vet Oval last month.
He took 12 marks and kicked nine goals in the Bulldogs’ crushing 86-point win, although he also squandered several shots from close range that denied him a double-figure bag on debut.
“The first few games I didn’t kick straight, but hopefully, I can sort that out and make the most of my opportunities for the rest of the year,” Weeks said.
Weeks certainly took his opportunities against Sandhurst at the Queen Elizabeth Oval last Saturday night.
From 10 scoring shots Weeks kicked nine goals, including three in the last term when the game was up for grabs, to steer the Bulldogs to a 30-point win.
Weeks’ nine goals earned him best on ground in The Advertiser-ASM Player of the Year award, in which he is now a joint leader, while he was also named the Player of the Week on WIN TV’s country football program.
As for his improved accuracy last week, Weeks has a simple answer.
“I bought a new pair of boots last Saturday morning. I think that might have had something to do with it,” he said.
“But I changed my routine a little bit and just tweaked a few things during the week with (assistant coach) Shawn McCormick.”
Weeks, 21, joined Golden Square after playing with his home club Colbinabbin in the Heathcote District Football League last year.
Weeks ended the 2009 season with 124 goals, including six in the four-point grand final loss to Heathcote, plus a club record 16 against Huntly in round 10.
While he has 31 goals so far this season, at the same stage last year he had kicked 24 after four rounds.
Before last year returning to Colbinabbin - where he was already a senior premiership player in 2004 at the age of 15 - Weeks spent two seasons with the Bendigo Bombers in the VFL.
His class at VFL level was on display against Collingwood in round 15 of the 2008 season at Visy Park.
The Bombers managed just six goals for the game, of which Weeks kicked five in a 90-point loss.
Today Weeks will be aiming to add to his goal tally when Golden Square hosts Gisborne at Country Vet Oval.
The first crack at opposing Weeks is likely to go to Gisborne’s key defender Josh Di Camillo.
Gisborne has already felt the full force of some of the key forwards in the BFL this year - Kangaroo Flat’s Justin Maddern kicked 10 goals against the Bulldogs in round one, Eaglehawk’s Matt Gretgrix and Brady Herdman combined for nine between them in round two, and South Bendigo’s Dayne Frew booted eight in round three.
Today’s game is a match that pits the top side on the ladder against the ninth-placed team.
Golden Square, which has included Tom Patterson for his first game, has opened the season with four-straight wins by an average of 73 points, and Gisborne has just one victory - a 29-point win over Kyneton last week.
Golden Square has won its past four games against Gisborne by an average of 85 points.
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