Charlie Constable will have a new lease on footy after being picked up by the Gold Coast Suns in Friday’s rookie draft.
The former Cat was drafted in the second round of the 2017 National Draft and spent three years on the club’s list.
Despite consistent ball-winning abilities in the VFL, he struggled to break into the Cats’ best 22 with their wealth of midfield talent.
The 22-year-old enjoyed his time at the Cattery, but believes the move north was the best step forward for his career.
“I absolutely loved my time at Geelong, it’s an unbelievable football club and everyone there are great people, but obviously I found it a bit hard to break in and keep my spot, I think they’ve got a pretty strong midfield down there,” he told SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“But I think I developed as a player and as a person, so I’m very thankful for that.
“But obviously at times it’s a little bit frustrating, I couldn’t get on the park as much as I would have liked, but that’s sometimes the way it goes.
“‘Scotty’ (Chris Scott) was really good to me, nice and open, I think probably the thing that hurt me a lot was probably the other players they had playing in there, the coaching staff probably didn’t think I could fit into that system every week.
“And when that’s the feedback, it’s a little bit hard to know what to work on and how to break in.
“But yet again, it was a pretty tough midfield to push people out of.”
The move made sense for both parties, given Gold Coast’s developing midfield and Constable’s desire for more senior game time.
The young midfielder has been impressed with coach Stuary Dew so far, however, Hugh Greenwood’s shock departure to North Melbourne earlier this month opened up an additional spot in the Suns’ engine room, and Constable believes it certainly helped his cause.
“I’ve met with him (Dew) over zoom and had a few phone calls with him and he seems really excited to have me up there,” he continued.
“From my dealings so far, he’s been a ripping bloke to me and it’s pretty clear that if I train well and play well there could be opportunities for me.
“I think the departure (of Greenwood) definitely helped me and hopefully it also leaves a little hole that I’ll perhaps be able to fill.
“But in saying that, I think the Suns still have a really strong midfield, so I’ve got to train and play well and force my way into the footy side.”
Despite limited matches, Constable starred in this year’s VFL, averaging 32 disposals and five marks a game.