Playing one of the toughest positions on the ground doesn’t bother Anthony Anastasio.
The Williamstown small forward knows he may only get a few chances to make an impact on any given match.
But after signing with the Seagulls in 2013 and fighting his way through the development league, Anastasio has become one of the most dangerous goal sneaks in the VFL competition.
His 2014 season started with a bang after back-to-back bags of four goals in rounds one and two, against the Northern Blues and Footscray respectively.
Another of his main aims has been applying defensive pressure.
“It’s important that I take all my chances because you never know how many opportunities you’re going to get,” he said.
“On a good day, you might get 10 kicks so you need to make them all count.
“The small forwards always have to chase out, harass and put as much pressure on as we can. That’s what we play for.
“We want to keep the ball in our forward line as much as possible.”
Although he has made his name as a small forward, Anastasio doesn’t plan on spending the rest of his career in the 50-metre arc.
With his blistering pace and a knack of finding the footy, his next goal is to force his way into the Williamstown midfield.
“I want to build my engine so I can play in there as well.
“I play there in the reserves a fair bit but don’t have the size to play at senior level.
“Hopefully, I will be able to put on a bit more size and get into the midfield in the ones. It would be great to pinch-hit in there.”
After a number of list changes in the off-season, the new-look Seagulls are finding their feet as they become more accustomed to playing together.
Anastasio says he expects the constant improvement to continue throughout the season.
“All the boys are getting to know each other now and becoming more used to playing together,” he said.
“You know what your teammates are going to do and what they bring to the table. It’s certainly getting better each week.”
Anastasio and his Williamstown teammates enjoyed a 23-point win over Collingwood on Sunday.
