Christ Church Old Boy chases premiership glory in historic AFL Grand Final
Published on: 16 September 2021
Old Boy Tim English (’15) is preparing to play in the historic first AFL Grand Final in Perth. English played a crucial role when the Western Bulldogs beat Port Adelaide last Saturday to advance to the Grand Final against the Melbourne Demons. The 24-year old ruckman now has a chance to become a premiership player in game which will be played at Optus Stadium, four years after his AFL debut.
English started at Christ Church in Year 6 and the Pingelly boy grew up in the School’s boarding houses, becoming Captain of Boarding in his final year. He also represented the School’s First XVIII and his coach in his final year, WAFL legend John Dimmer, says “Tim had exceptional skills for such a tall boy, I always thought he had the attributes to make it at the top level”.
“He was really keen on improving himself, but he had quite a relaxed attitude, he wasn’t involved in state teams or anything at that stage so he was able to really enjoy his school football” he said.
Mr Dimmer also says English is an example for current students hoping to make it to the top level, “Tim was very level-headed and enjoyed playing other sport and wasn’t getting much attention from recruiters but he committed to football in his final year and made the most of his opportunities to stand out in PSA Football”.