Why Sutherland pencilled in ex-teammate for Pies debut so soon after cricket switch

Victoria cricket captain Will Sutherland knew his former state teammate and close friend Wil Parker would be able to make a quick transition to footy after joining Collingwood in February.

While the 21-year-old has only been at the club for three months - following more than three years playing professional cricket for Victoria and the Hobart Hurricanes - he’s already been called up for his AFL debut which will come against Fremantle on Friday night in Perth.

It’s been a remarkable rise for the former leg-spinner who has played just five VFL games since making the switch to footy, a sport he played as a junior where he was a standout for the Eastern Ranges.

While not many would have predicted such a sharp rise, Sutherland himself isn’t surprised having worked with Parker up close and he even predicted that his friend’s debut would come in 2024 to Victoria coach and former Australian opener Chris Rogers.

“I think I did tell our coach Chris Rogers that (he would make his AFL debut in 2024) at the time,” Sutherland told SEN Whateley.

“It’s just the way he moves, the athlete he is and he’s a hard worker.

“I pencilled him in for a debut this year, so there you go.”

Sutherland was a close follower of Parker’s highs and lows in cricket and added that his former locker buddy is a hard worker at whatever he puts his mind to. 

“I think it's a massive thrill for myself and his close mates through Victoria,” Sutherland said.

“I shared a locker with him and saw a lot of what he went through, obviously the highs - I played in that game that he debuted and did so well in.

“Then probably for a couple of years there that he wasn't going as well as he would have liked, he was getting hit around a little bit as a leg-spinner, which can happen.

“But he's such a hard worker and I think it was inevitable that he was going to find his place and at AFL level.

“Obviously, he was a gun coming through with Norwood in the Eastern Football League and did really well with the Eastern Ranges as well.

“Even as cricketers, we love a bit of footy training at cricket, and he would dominate that as well.”

Sutherland and his Victorian teammates could see Parker’s move coming once Victoria’s coaching staff allowed him to ramp up his fitness and weightlifting which he thinks has allowed his ex-teammate to transition into the AFL world much quicker.

“It probably was always there in the back of his mind (to switch over) and when he started shifting a bit of heavy weights and doing all this running out of nowhere in January and February, a few boys sort of raised their eyebrows and thought he's probably going to footy here,” Sutherland said.

“He was probably on a slightly different program towards the end, which credit to our coaching staff and strength and conditioning for allowing him to go down that path and get a bit of a head start.

“But at the same time, he's an unbelievable athlete and he'd always be right at the top in our two km time trial and all our weight weight testing as well.”

Sutherland himself was a talented junior footballer having represented Vic Metro and Scotch College in his high school years.

Unlike Parker though, Sutherland isn’t keen on giving up on his cricket dreams after making his white-ball debut for Australia last summer.

That’s despite clubs including Collingwood in 2022 and Geelong still holding an interest in signing him as a Category B rookie.

“It’s a little bit tempting when you see 'Parksy' do it just as easily as that,” Sutherland said.

“I'm not sure I'd be able to do it after 104 days since my last career game.

“So, I reckon he's got me covered there. At this time of year, it is always tempting, but I'll leave that to Parksy for now I think.

“Not really (I haven’t been getting calls) of late, hopefully that means the cricket's going a bit better now.

“But the Cats’ staff don't mind the odd cheeky call when I'm down there.

“But it’s good, at the moment. I'm liking my cricket, so I'm happy.”