Collingwood draftee Harry DeMattia faced a huge call leading up to his draft year in 2023.
While he was clearly a gun footballer with Edithvale-Aspendale and eventually the Dandenong Stingrays, DeMattia perhaps stood out even more as a cricketer having represented Australia as a junior – he even ran the drinks for the Aussie side in the 2022 Boxing Day Test against South Africa.
A future in either sport at the professional level beckoned for the talented youngster, and DeMattia says that the choice to follow footy was simply due to his love of the game.
He explained how he came to that decision despite having chats with both Cricket South Australia and Cricket Tasmania about pursuing a career with the willow.
“I reckon I’ve always loved my footy just that little bit more than cricket,” DeMattia told SEN’s Future Stars.
“Going into my draft year it was a really good opportunity to get obviously picked up as an 18-year-old.
“I was appointed captain as well at the Dandenong Stingrays, (so) I wanted to give that my full undivided attention as well.
“I wanted to best represent that region, but then also all the other players and staff in that area.
“So that kind of naturally took over from my cricket. All those things combined it together, which ultimately made the decision a bit easier.”
While the batsman turned his back on cricket, he says that there wasn’t any added pressure from Cricket Victoria to pursue that sport with the decision simply resting on his shoulders to chase the dream of what he enjoyed most.
Even though it was tough to walk away from the beloved summer sport, DeMattia is happy he opted to go where his heart lies.
“It was a pretty tough decision,” DeMattia said.
“I wouldn’t be where I am right now without cricket. I think it’s really helped with the mental side of the game and being able to problem-solve and adapt to different scenarios while you’re out there.
“Cricket is such an individual sport within a team sport, so that set me up really well with football.
“It was really tough because it’s something I’ve loved doing my whole life and you grow up with when it’s summer, it’s cricket and then in winter, it’s footy.
“It was just, ‘Follow your heart’, I got well supported from both AFL Vic and Cricket Victoria to do what I enjoyed more and where my heart lay. In the end, that was football.
“There wasn’t any added pressure.”
Since being drafted by Collingwood with pick No.25 in the 2023 Draft, DeMattia has played six games in the VFL program having missed the start of the season recovering from a finger injury he suffered over the summer.
His best VFL game yet came last weekend against Casey where he had 23 disposals and kicked a goal and DeMattia says he’s enjoying the different roles he’s playing at the state-league level.
“Throughout the pre-season and first couple of games I was in a kind of half-back role,” DeMattia explained.
“Then over the last couple of weeks, they’ve moved me up to a wing and I played there on the weekend and really enjoyed that.
“I think that was one of my strengths coming into the draft – my versatility.
“I’m now lucky enough to be trusted to play a couple of key roles within the side, which I’m really enjoying.”
While he’s just getting his feet wet at VFL level, DeMattia has his eyes set on hopefully earning an AFL debut this season as well as working to get better every day.
“Just to continue to trust the process, continue to get to work and get better every day at what I’m doing and homing in on my craft,” DeMattia said.
“Hopefully that holds me in good stead to hopefully get a ones game by the end of the year.
“That’s the aim. To play my first senior game. That’d be a true dream come true.”