Heading into the 2014 VFL season, Brad Mangan had a tough decision to make.
After playing the previous year for SANFL club West Adelaide, the 23-year-old was coming back to Melbourne to continue his career.
The only thing left for the elite defender was to select a club.
In the one corner he had Werribee, a team Mangan had played for as a VFL-listed player before being drafted by AFL side North Melbourne in 2011.
In the other corner was Williamstown, the same club his West Adelaide coach Andrew Collins had also moved to in the off-season.
In what he described as one of the toughest decisions of his career, Mangan decided on the Seagulls.
“I was always coming home. I enjoyed my year over in Adelaide, but I missed Melbourne,” Mangan said.
“It was out of Williamstown and Werribee.
I had a great year under Collo [Andrew Collins] at West Adelaide. I liked the way he coached and the way he helped me develop my footy.
“He had done great things for me after one year so I thought I would stick with him and see what he could do with me in two years.”
Mangan has wasted no time fitting in at Williamstown, picking up where he left off last time he was playing in the VFL.
He has been named among his club’s best players twice, including in the Seagulls’ first win as a stand-alone club against Footscray in round three.
After a lot of change at Williamstown in the off-season, Mangan said he could feel the side getting stronger each time it ran out.
The timing couldn’t be better, with a match against his old side Werribee just a few rounds away. “We played them [Werribee] in a practice match before the season,” Mangan said.
“I’m sure it will be a bit more heated in the real stuff. Each week I think we are playing better. We’ve gone from playing a good game for a half, to three quarters. Slowly we’re building up and will start playing four good quarters week in week out.”
Since his last stint in the VFL, Mangan has taken his defensive capabilities to another level.
Known for being a great shutdown defender, he’s now a playmaker from the backline. After getting a taste of the AFL two years ago, he is hoping another chance isn’t far away.
