A promising career ahead for Zane

ZANE Duursma made his debut for North Melbourne Kangaroos on the weekend playing against GWS Giants at ENGIE Stadium in Sydney and it didn’t take him long before kicking his team’s first goal for the match in the first term.

Zane received a handball from a team mate and ran into an open goal to kick start what is shaping as a very promising career.

He ended up booting two goals with 10 disposals and three marks for the match.

Unfortunately the Giants proved too strong for the Kangaroos to run out 39 point winners but that didn’t detract from Zane’s first game in the big league.

Zane told The Mirror on Monday afternoon that the biggest highlight of the day was his first goal, closely followed by when he ran out onto the field for the first time on Saturday in an official AFL match for the Kangaroos.

His coach Alastair Clarkson and his assistants told Zane that they were pleased with the way he contributed in his first game and said it was a good start to a very promising journey.

It was straight back to work on Monday though, with a very long day at the club starting to prepare for their clash against Fremantle at Marvel Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Zane’s parents Dean and Susie, and aunty Barb Lumby were present to watch while a number of his mates from Foster had also made the journey to the Harbour City to watch the game.

Dean told The Mirror, “they were very happy with his game and that he had worked really hard to improve his fitness and he was able to show his talents.

“He said bring on next week, he will only get better with experience”!

No doubt there will be a few more locals in the crowd watching him this week.

Zane started playing football with the Corner Inlet Stingrays and then the Foster Football Club, before joining Gippsland Power. He was drafted to North Melbourne last year at pick 4 in the National Draft.

A reliable goalkicker and strong mark inside 50, he booted more than 30 majors in each of his past two seasons with the Gippsland Power and rounded out his top-age year by claiming their best and fairest, as well as All-Australian and Coates Talent League Team of the Year honours.

He is the third Duursma sibling to play at the highest level following in the footsteps of his brother Xavier (Port Adelaide/Essendon) and sister Yasmin (Port Adelaide/Carlton). Xavier has played 74 games and Yasmin 11 games so far.

Younger brother Willem will apply his trade at Gippsland Power and Foster this year before being eligible for the 2025 National Draft.

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