Exciting utility Samo Petrevski-Seton will wear his first-ever Eagles’ Indigenous guernsey this weekend in a moment he said will be significant to his AFL career.
The former Blue will play in his inaugural Sir Douglas Nicholls Round with West Coast on Sunday afternoon, in the Darryl Bellotti-designed ‘Waugul guernsey’.
"It’s my first time in this one so it’s going to be pretty special to represent my family, my past family, represent my footy club, my non-Indigenous teammates, my Indigenous teammates,” Petrevski-Seton said during a media conference to help launch the round on Monday.
“I think to be all in and one, to represent this great football club is something that I hold (in high regard).
“I think it’s a huge round to be a part of, for myself to reflect on past years I’ve played at Carlton, but also a new journey for myself to throw this guernsey on, and it means a lot.
“The Waugul, which means snake in Nyoongar language, comes in from the east, follows inland, then the pattern that he comes through designed in the hills and the rivers and the creeks.
“The white represents the footy club’s journey. Really resilient.
“The yellow represents the connection within our footy club, our supporters, our fans and members, so we’re really thankful for you to be on that journey with us as well.”
Growing up playing football on a singular field surrounded by red dirt, Petrevski-Seton is proud to represent his community of Halls Creek on the big stage.
Doing so alongside cousins Shane McAdam (Adelaide), Jy Farrar (Gold Coast), Eric ‘Roy’ Benning (Fremantle) and Ash Johnson (Collingwood) and Toby Bedford (Melbourne) has also been monumental for the versatile forward.
“Grew up there playing footy there, story of where I came from and where my cultural language group surrounding that part of the region,” Petrevski-Seton said.
“There’s five, six of us who’ve got the same grandmother and we’re a really proud family, I guess we’re doing them really well and doing the whole community very proud.
“It means the world, I think growing up it’s the only sport we’ve played, is footy and basketball up there.
“Sharing one oval at Halls Creek and don’t have a double-header, there’s four games in one day there, so they could be starting at 12 and finishing at 10 at night.
“I’m pretty proud to be, I think, the first one to get drafted and hopefully show the way that people from this region or in that lifestyle or upbringing I had really there’s a way to get to the AFL if you work hard and put your head down.”
After celebrating his 100th AFL match on the weekend – in a 74-point loss to reigning premiers Melbourne – Petrevski-Seton is now looking forward to digging deep and improving ahead of the weekend’s clash with Greater Western Sydney.
“I think there’s a lot of positives but a lot of improvement to try and get better on the training track with the boys,” he said.
“Behind closed doors just trying working together as a group, trying to build some really good chemistry and playing as a team and really building that team connection.
“Mum and dad came down and the rest of the family up there, so for them to come down… closer to family, grateful there’s people in the grandstand watching me instead of being over in the east and watching me on TV.
“Bit more grateful for having them in the stand and watching me.”