Curtis Good was given two options as a young kid; play Football or Aussie Rules. It’s pretty obvious which option he took.
By David Manuca
Curtis Good was given two options as a young kid; play Football or Aussie Rules. It-s pretty obvious which option he took.
The 18-year-old, who plays as a central defender, was signed by Melbourne Heart FC earlier this year on a multi-year contract.
But he revealed it could have been an entirely different story when he was forced to choose between the two sports he loved to play.
“My dad was an AFL supporter and I was meant to play AFL but initially I was too young to play, so I ended up playing soccer instead.” said Good.
“Later on, when I was old enough, I was playing both AFL and Soccer and was forced to choose between the two, so I chose what I loved to play most; soccer.”
Good started his youth career at Knox City where he played for eight years before moving onto Box Hill.
He impressed and was given the opportunity to join the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra, where he has spent the past two years.
During his time at the AIS where he was captain, Good was training with the Heart squad and was rewarded for his endeavours by earning a senior-contract.
Good praised the great treatment by his new Heart teammates and staff and has enjoyed his time so far here at the club.
“It-s a great environment here at Heart. Both the young boys and the senior boys have been very welcoming. They have treated me with open arms and it-s a good experience for me to be able to learn off them.” said Good.
“I-ve loved spending time with the more experienced boys. You grow up with some of these guys as heroes and it-s unreal to be playing against them. The first training session was a little bit intimidating, but after a while you get to know them and they-re all great people.”
The young defender has enormous potential and will certainly be able to provide cover in the centre of defence when needed in Heart-s 2011/12 campaign.
His ability to read the game, alongside his technical ability and great leadership skills will help him in making the big jump from the AIS to consistent performer at Hyundai A-League level.
