Mitch McGovern says he’s beginning to regain confidence after an injury-interrupted start to his career as a Crow.
McGovern has endured more than his fair share of injury worries in recent seasons. A stress reaction discovered in his foot wrecked his 2013 season and also limited the 20-year-old to just 11 league games with WAFL club Claremont last year.
The strong-marking forward showed enough to be snapped up by Adelaide with pick No.43 in the 2014 National Draft. But injury once again hampered his progress in his first summer at West Lakes.
A troublesome Achilles issue kept the promising tall on the sidelines until May, with further soreness leaving him stranded in the grandstands for Adelaide’s Round Seven clash with Port Adelaide in Balaklava.
Playing his third consecutive game for the SANFL Crows in Saturday’s clash with the Eagles, McGovern produced his best performance for his new Club. He booted three first-half goals, gathered 13 disposals and took a season-best five marks playing a ‘swingman’ role at both ends of the ground.
The 191cm, 84kg Crow said he was eager to get continuity back into his game and put his injury troubles behind him.
“I had a bit of an interrupted pre-season with the Achilles, which made things a bit tough for me early,” he said.
“Hopefully I’m through all that now. I’m starting to feel back to normal out there, but I know I’ve still a long way to go. But I’ve come a long way since my first game.
“The more games I get under my belt the better I’ll get.”
McGovern, the younger brother of West Coast defender Jeremy, took a leaf out of his sibling’s book on Saturday afternoon.
Adelaide trailed Woodville-West Torrens by 42 points at the main break, with McGovern having kicked three of the Crows’ four majors to half-time. Coach Heath Younie boldly switched the mobile tall into defence, where McGovern used his ability to read the play up the ground to great effect.
He claimed multiple marks from opposition kicks and provided strong support to his fellow backs in containing the Eagles’ dangerous forward line of Michael Wundke, Andrew Ainger and Lachlan McGregor.
McGovern said growing up alongside his older brother helped add such versatility to his game.
“When we were younger, Jeremy helped me out a fair bit,” he said.
“Just with things likes where to position your body, how to read the ball and mark it at its highest point. Little things like that can help you as a defender or a forward.
“He hasn’t given me much lately though now that we’re at opposition clubs.”
While Jeremy has cemented his spot as one of the most improved backmen in the game, McGovern said he’s still unsure where he will ply his trade in the future.
“I don’t really know where my favourite position is, to be honest,” he said.
“I’m happy to play wherever the team needs me to play, whether that’s up forward or down back.
“But kicking goals is always good fun.”
Consistency remains the focus for the State League Crows, who sit in eighth position on the SANFL ladder after 10 rounds with one win and a draw.
McGovern said Adelaide’s effort after half-time against the flag-fancied Eagles showed the team is heading in the right direction in the second half of the season.
“Consistency is the biggest thing for us,” he said.
“We flicked the switch and played a good brand of footy in the second half, but you can’t get away with that at his level. It’s too costly. We need that effort over four quarters.
“We’ll keep working at it and ensure we try avoid these ‘lackadaisy’ starts that are really hurting us at the moment.”
