Keenan Waterbury - My Redan Story
December 2021
Where did you grow up and what are some of your earliest memories playing football?
I grew up in Darwin, NT, and my earliest memories of playing football were at Southern Districts Football Club.
What were some of your highlights as a junior footballer?
A couple of my highlights were playing alongside my brother and cousins, and winning a Under 16s Premiership coached by my dad.
Can you take us through the process of how you came to be boarder at St Patrick’s here in Ballarat?
A friend of my dad’s had recommended the school and I was pretty keen to go to boarding school at the time, so we ended up applying and a eventually got in. I also knew a fair few NT boys going there so that helped me make my decision also.
How much of a role did football play in helping you settle in to your surrounds?
It was pretty big because that’s where we met everyone and it was also a escape if you were missing home. I’ve made lifelong friends from being involved in footy here in Ballarat.
You started your local career at East Point but then decided to make the switch to Redan, who or what were some of the reasons you chose Redan?
I played a few games in the U/18s at East while at school than I ended up working at St Pats for a year and was working under Rooster (Jarrett Giampaolo) where I eventually asked if he could get me to the club.
What were some of your initial impressions of the club?
Everyone was very welcoming and embraced me straight away which made me feel right at home.
What can you recall of your first senior game with Redan?
My first senior game for Redan was against north Ballarat at Mars Stadium and went pretty well because I got best on I think.
What were some of the most memorable wins during your time with the club and which opponent did you see as the biggest rival?
The most memorable win for me was when we played Darley at their home ground in a elimination final and ended up blowing them out of the water when everyone was writing us off.
My biggest rival is probably one of my best mates Mickitja for East Point, we always have a good laugh over who can tackle who.
Who are the best five players you’ve played with at Redan and who was your toughest opponent?
My top 5 players I’ve played with at Redan would be Liam Hoy, Nathan Horbury, Cal Currie, Lachie George and the Big O and my toughest opponent would have been Nick Peters from Lakers, had a tough day that day.
Describe yourself as a footballer.
I believe I’m a very orientated player, skillful and not a afraid to take the game on and back myself.
What are some of your main highlights of your time with Redan?
Some highlights of my time at Redan would be playing finals footy, meeting all the people I’ve met along the way and the friendships I’ve made as well as getting a trade under my belt through the club.
How would you describe the culture of the club and how important a role does the Den play in helping shape that?
Redan has very good culture, very family orientated and always made me feel at home. The Den plays a very big part in that, its where everyone comes together and they very well known for their Den sessions where many great stories come from.
The last two seasons have been severely impacted by Covid, how did the players stay connected and how did you keep motivated to ready for football to come back?
Yes the last two seasons have been hard, the way we all stayed connected was getting together a few nights a week and doing some sort of training whether that was in the gym or going for a kick.
Staying motivated was hard at times, especially when you never knew if you were playing from week to week but once you run out with the boys you forget about all that and just enjoy playing again.
You will be moving on from Redan in 2022, what do you have in store in terms of your career and your football?
I’m relocating with my partner to Karratha, WA where we will be closer to family and job wise. I’ll be on the lookout for any electrical work over there. In terms of football, I’m sure I’ll be playing over there but haven’t sorted anything out yet.