The term ‘project player’ doesn’t sit well with Tristan Cartledge. The young ruckman is often referred to as a long term prospect and although this is flattering for the 18-year-old, he would rather things happened sooner rather than later. ""I have had a year at the club now, I still want to keep developing over the next few years, but I would definitely like to break into the senior team this year. I don’t just want to fill up numbers on the list,"" Cartledge said.

Cartledge got a taste of playing with the big boys last weekend when he lined up on reigning Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes in the Sydney exhibition match. ""He came into the centre for the bounce and I thought, gee I am going to have to give it my all. It wasn’t too bad though, but I think he was just warming up for the season. It was definitely good experience to play on him,"" Cartledge said.

Cartledge showed promising form in the exhibition match and also the previous week in the intra club match. He rucked against David Hille and clearly held his own. The four kilogram weight gain over the pre-season proving to be beneficial in one on one contests. ""It was good to get out there and have a proper hit out against all the senior boys. It is a good chance to see where you are at and also good for match fitness because that is completely different to normal fitness.""

Cartledge caught the eye of the match committee in those two hit-outs and was rewarded with a spot in the Wizard Cup team. ""When I came back after Christmas, the Wizard Cup has been my big focus. I have my chance now, so I want to make the most of it,"" he said.