Tiller interview

Tiller fit and firing

Scott Walsh From: Sunday Mail (SA) March 06, 2011 12:26PM

STEPHEN Tiller has one clear message: ``The groin is fine, thanks''.

The Eyre Peninsula boy and former Western Bulldog has returned to South Australia with Woodville-West Torrens, fully fit after his latest round of surgery to repair persistent groin trouble that torpedoed his AFL stint at Whitten Oval.

And while the former West Adelaide junior is hellbent on returning the Eagles to SANFL glory, he makes no secret that his AFL record - 21 games in six injury-riddled years - has many more highlights to come.

``In 2008 I played the (AFL) semi and prelim (finals) and I thought `here we go', but the body let me down and two years later you're off the list,'' Tiller said.

``You don't know how quickly it can go - and that sucks - but sometimes it just happens and you have to live with it.


``That's why I'm hoping to get my body through this year and prove to other clubs that I can still play and my body is still right for it. I was close to going to some other teams but they backed off as soon as they heard I had to have surgery again. As soon as clubs hear `surgery' they don't want to pick you up.

``If I can just get through another year, you never know - I'll just give it my best shot.

``I'm 23 but that is still quite young, and my best footy is still ahead.''

Tiller - a Marble Range product from Wanilla, near Port Lincoln - was overlooked at trade week in October, and was eventually released by the Bulldogs.

But with his osteitis pubis troubles behind him, rather than stay in Melbourne with a VFL club Tiller had no doubt his best option was to return to SA.

The 191cm key defender said off-field opportunities to grow his fledgling personal training business as well as the chance to play in a side with proven finals intensity was pivotal in his decision to choose Woodville Oval over his junior club West Adelaide.

``I still really appreciate what Westies did for me. I wouldn't have been drafted without them,'' said Tiller, picked by the Doggies at No. 54 in the 2004 draft.

``I watched a few Eagles games before I made my decision and what I noticed was how they played, how the boys gelled together in the finals. They were fifth going in and beat Sturt and Glenelg. They'd lost to Sturt by 10 goals in the last round and then came out and beat them by 10 goals in the elimination final.

``To me, that shows they know what it's all about in finals footy when the intensity goes up.''

Tiller was uncertain where coach Michael Godden would use him but suspected a role in the back half.

``I'm not quite sure, I might be the third tall in defence or centre half-back - whatever the coaches want, really,'' he said.

``I'm hoping centre half-back. The trouble in the AFL was that I was too short to play there but I was big enough in the VFL. It's only a couple of centimetres, but when you have to take on a Jonathan Brown it does make a difference.''