AS sportsmen, Simon Greetham and Ben Merrett consider themselves rugby union players first and foremost. But, while Novocastrians take on Barnard Castle without their fly-half and one of the back row at the weekend, the pair will be representing England Dragonslayers at Australian Rules football’s European Championships in Hamburg. It is all the more remarkable when one considers both only started playing this summer to keep fit for the rugby season. The pair play for recently-formed Newcastle Centurions but both insist there is no question of their new sport usurping rugby as their main focus. “I’ve been playing rugby for about 20 years and I have to say I do prefer it but in one season I’ve progressed further with Aussie Rules than in my entire rugby career!” says 26-year-old Merrett. “I really enjoy Aussie Rules, though, it’s a nice change – a little bit more relaxed and less intense.” Merrett, a civil servant, and Greetham, an admin officer, will take today off to travel to Germany and meet most of their international team-mates for the first time. “About a month ago I got sent an email saying I’d been picked for the European Championships,” recalls Greetham, 23. “I didn’t even know England had a team until then! “Apart from Ben I don’t know any other members of the squad but I’m guessing because the southern teams are more established their players will be of a higher standard.” The two forwards, whose Newcastle coach, Rick Shrowder, is England’s assistant coach, are in the dark about a tournament also featuring The Saints (Belgium), The Mighty Elks (Sweden), The Flying Dutchmen (Holland), The Finland Icebreakers, The Red Dragons (Wales), Austria, Catalonia, France, the Czech Republic and the Spanish Bulls. “I haven’t got a clue what to expect,” Merrett admits. “From all accounts we’re expected to have a good side but it could go one of two ways. “We don’t know what other countries are like because the sport’s fairly new in some of them.” England will play a minimum of six, 12-minutes each-way, nine-a-side games over two days. Centurians play at Novocastrians’ home and the rugby club was keen to encourage its members to sign up, as eight or nine did. Like Greetham, Merrett is already feeling the benefits. “It’s definitely improved my rugby,” he says. “The way you catch balls goes totally against what you are taught in rugby and my kicking’s got better. “It gives you something to focus on in the off-season, hones your skills and helps you develop new ones, not something that often happens at my age. “There’s less contact and you kick the ball a lot more, something my coach never lets me do in rugby. You get a lot more one-on-one challenges, whereas in rugby there’s more people around and less space. There’s more places to hide.” | 
