Pararoos midfielder Angus MacGregor says perennial runners-up Victoria will arrive at the 2019 National CP Football Championships with an insatiable hunger to take out the gold medal this year.
It鈥檚 24-year-old MacGregor鈥檚 ninth Championships appearance and he鈥檚 determined to make this one better than any he鈥檚 played in before.
鈥淚鈥檓 desperate to win a National Championship,鈥 MacGregor said.
鈥淚鈥檝e got seven second-place medals and one third, so I鈥檓 very desperate to win.
鈥淥ur squad is looking very good, and I鈥檓 looking forward to playing.鈥
The tournament, which has been held since 2004, has kicked off and will run over four days at Football NSW Headquarters in Sydney's west.
Despite being only 24, MacGregor is the second-oldest player in the Victoria squad, and feels the responsibility on his shoulders to become a leader amongst the youthful playing group this year.
鈥淚鈥檓 in an interesting situation where I鈥檓 24 but I鈥檓 one of the oldest players in our team, I definitely feel a responsibility to look after the younger guys and give them advice when I can.
鈥淚t鈥檚 part of the job I suppose, I鈥檓 very happy to do it and I hope some of the young Victoria boys can make it into the Australian side one day.鈥
And in their quest to become Pararoos the young players have a perfect role model in MacGregor to look up to: someone who started his journey with the national side six years ago.
鈥淢y first Pararoos camp was in 2013 and I didn鈥檛 get picked which was a bit sad, but it鈥檚 to be expected,鈥 MacGregor said.
鈥淭hen in 2015 I got invited to another camp and didn鈥檛 make the side again.
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鈥淏ut two days before the team was due to fly out (for the 2015 CP Football World Championships) I got a call from the then-manager asking if I鈥檇 be free for the next three weeks because there鈥檇 been an injury.
鈥淪o I packed my bags, deferred all of my university exams that were happening that week, flew to Sydney and then I was off to England.
鈥淚 got a very last minute call-up, so that was my first experience in the squad.鈥
And so, with a touch of good fortune MacGregor鈥檚 Pararoos career flourished, but that鈥檚 not the only time a bit of luck has directed the attacking midfielder further along his footballing path.
鈥淚 actually fell into (football),鈥 MacGregor said.
鈥淭here was a Youth Paralympics Games held in Melbourne in 2009 and I got a call to see if I wanted to go for athletics.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have any interest in athletics, so my Dad asked if there was any football being played and there was, so I was lucky enough to be picked in that team and I鈥檝e been playing CP football ever since.鈥
That decision proved a good one for MacGregor who has gone on to represent Australia with the Pararoos, but despite his great pride in playing for the national side there鈥檚 one blotch on his resume he鈥檚 eager to amend: winning the National CP Football Championships title.
鈥淭o win a Championship is my main priority when I play Nationals,鈥 MacGregor said.
鈥淭he Pararoos aren鈥檛 my main priority when I鈥檓 at Nationals, I鈥檓 here to win.
鈥淭his is my ninth Nationals and I haven鈥檛 won one.
鈥淲e have a very young squad and it will be a good year for us.鈥
