ESSENDON Football Club’s biggest young fish, Kepler Bradley, was plucked from the AFL national draft recruiting pool because of his maturity. However, the 18-year-old West Australian has a playful side in keeping with his years, in contrast to what Bombers coaching staff see on a daily basis at Windy Hill. Lance Jenkinson from the Moonee Valley Community News reports.

At his Oak Park residence, where he bunks with the family of former Essendon player Barry Day, Bradley shows he is no different to any other teenager. A lover of Play Station 2, Bradley erupts with frustration when he cannot pass important stages in his favourite game.

""I throw a few controllers when I can’t get past stages,"" he admitted with a chuckle.

""I’ve bought about five controllers this year."" Boys will be boys.

When it comes to football, Bradley is level headed, quietly spoken and more reserved than most. He is happy to patiently bide his time in the Bendigo Bombers VFL squad where he is being groomed for a key position role. ""I’ll just play my best and hopefully get one or two games this year,"" he said.

As the club’s number one selection in the 2003 AFL national draft, Bradley is looked upon as the future of the powerhouse club. The gangly 198-centimetre player is still in awe of the big names around him. ""The first thing that I saw when I walked in was ‘Hirdy’ [James Hird] and ‘Lloydy’ [Matthew Lloyd] on the exercise bikes.

""That’s when I knew I was at Essendon, just seeing them two blokes and thinking ‘jee whiz, I’m training with these boys now’.""

The bombers are expected to develop Bradley and his body frame into a centre half-forward, centre half-back, or ruck. Such is his versatility, don’t be surprised if you see him in all three positions. ""I’m mobile and move around the ground and I can play in any position I suppose,"" he said. ""I love the ruck and if that comers along it would be great, but I’ll in any position as long as I’m on the ground.""

Bradley grew up in the Perth suburb of Woodville supporting the Sydney Swans, as did his dad. In 2003 Bradley stamped himself as potential football star. At 17, the sheet-metal apprentice played a starring role in the West Perth premiership team before being headhunted by the Bombers. The glory of taking out the WAFL’s grandest prize has accelerated his development.

""It was great just playing with men,"" Bradley said of his biggest on-field career highlight. Once you play a few games with men you get your confidence up, and once I got drafted here, I now know I can play against men.

""When you are playing colts and reserves, it’s a lot slower- once you go up to league, it gets faster. You kind of get adjusted to the fastness of the game. I know it’s not quite as fast as the AFL, but it prepares you a little bit for it I think.""

Bradley boasted that he is a more-than-handy golfer and is regularly seen carting the golf buggy around the fairways with team-mates at Riverside Golf club in Essendon.

Living so far away from his native WA, you would expect some homesickness, but that has not been the case. ""It is pretty bad to say but I’m missing my mates more than I’m missing my family at the moment. I’m glad to be here. I’m not really homesick yet, but once the season comes along I won’t be able to think about home, I’ll just be thinking footy.""

Sun, sand and surf is closely linked with Perth and the WA U18 representative confessed to being a beach lover, although he added: ""I like my WA beaches, but I’m hopeless at surfing.""

How did Bradley’s first meeting with coach Kevin Sheedy go?

""He was very quiet and just scary really,"" Bradley hesitantly admitted. ""You’re talking to Kevin Sheedy, I was just scared and answering all his questions in shock. Everything that he’s done, you can’t believe that you’re talking to him.""