OLIVER Florent returned to training the day after his father Andrew died from a long battle with bowel cancer in August.
The 18-year-old wanted the company of his teammates at the Sandringham Dragons. He wanted to feel safe. He wanted to feel normal. And he wanted to switch off from his devastating reality.
Florent’s teammates, young boys unaccustomed to showing a great deal of affection, rallied around him.
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And as the club’s talent manager Ryan O’Connor recalls, there was no shortage of love for their much-loved teammate.
“The warmth and compassion the other boys showed him and wanted to express to him and the amount of hugs he got that night just said to me the group not only cares, but weren’t afraid to show it,” O’Connor tells foxfooty.com.au.
“His relationships with the boys are really strong.”
Florent loved his father — his biggest role model — and was determined to keep playing footy in 2016 to make him proud. Throughout 2016, the midfielder had played well, but his form vacillated. Some games were great, others were less memorable.
Yet for a young man navigating the turbulent and heartbreaking world he was enveloped in off the field, the patchy form was more than understandable. How could he play with no cares in the world?
But in the wake of his father’s death, Florent’s best football — his most consistent football — came.
“We’ve been really proud with the way he’s gone about his year,” O'Connor says.
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“There have been some tragic circumstances for him, but he’s found a real resilience and ability to pick himself up. He’s been really positive and I think his dad was able to engender that across to him in the last little bit, about making the most of things.
“I thought he was even able to lift his game to new heights because of that.”
It speaks volumes to Florent’s character. At only 18, he’s not only lost a parent, but continued to play excellent footy at a time when his career demands that he must.
“(Andrew’s death) didn’t detract from him,” O'Connor says.
“Other people might have used it as an excuse. But he used it as a catalyst.”
AFL National and International Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan agrees.
Florent’s form blossomed heading into the TAC Cup finals and he was among the best for the Dragons on their successful grand final day.
One week later, Florent put on a blistering best on ground performance in the inaugural Under 18 All-Stars game, collecting 29 touches, seven clearances and seven inside 50s.
Ordinarily, you’d attribute that kind of spike in form to a successful program of tapering. But for Florent, it reflected a release.
“There’s no doubt he was wearing his heart on his sleeve. You’d see him at times and he’d look up to the heavens at different times late in the year,” Sheehan tells foxfooty.com.au.
“But he played with such inspiration late in the year. He was just brilliant in their finals and capped off his year with that unbelievable game in the All-Stars match.
Father-son draft prospects
1:48“That best on ground performance really put him up as a certain draftee. He’s pretty special.”
Florent’s “special” ability was also on display at the draft combine, where his endurance in particular stood out.
Along with Griffin Logue and Jarrod Berry, he recorded a 15.1 in the beep test to top the class. He also finished equal-first in the clean hands test, along with Ben Jarman and Ryan Garthwaite.
Tapered to perfection.
Like the archetype for modern players, Florent is versatile, dynamic and has a certain X-factor about him. But he also has something few 18-year-olds possess: Proven resilience.
“He’s an excitement machine on the ground and a really engaging person off it,” O'Connor says.
“He’s fairly quietly spoken, but there’s a little bit of cheek there, too. He’s got a really nice balance for a young fella.”
