By Benjamin Millar
Mitch Wallis is enjoying a dream week.
The Western Bulldogs midfielder will graduate from Victoria University today with a Bachelor of Business (Accounting), 28 years after his father – former Bulldogs star Steve Wallis – emerged from VU with the same degree.
The graduation comes just days after Wallis and team-mate Jackson Trengove were elevated to the Western Bulldogs’ six-man leadership group for the 2019 season.
Easton Wood will again captain the Bulldogs, while Marcus Bontempelli as vice-captain and Lachie Hunter and Jason Johannisen will stay in their leadership roles.
Wallis, 26, said he was feeling “very privileged” to be rewarded with a role in the group.
“Leadership has always been part of my goal with the club,” he said.
Juggling a professional sporting career and study has not been easy, but Wallis has applied the same grit and determination he shows on the field to his off-field endeavours.
“When I started with the club I made a pact with myself to keep embracing my outside life,” he said.
“It was challenging, there were times when I would have classes right after training and I was exhausted, but it’s been worth it.”
Wallis said Victoria University has been highly supportive throughout his degree, keeping things flexible and helping him balance his study and footy.
Far from detracting from his on-field performance, Wallis credits his study with assisting his game, as well as vice-versa.
“VU have a great emphasis on working with other people, which is a useful skill on the field,” he said.
“And whenever I was injured I would throw myself into my study, it was a great distraction during rehabilitation.”
The idea of studying business accounting came from his father Steve, a 261-game Bulldogs veteran who captained the side in 1989 and graduated from VU with a business degree the following year.
Wallis said he is already putting his skills to good use, joining with his family in starting up a new investment company.
“This is one of the main reasons I chose to go to uni, to fill my life after footy.”
