Wearden wasn’t selected to play in the 2011 National U18 Championships - a regular breeding ground for future AFL talent - yet still caught the eye of the Club’s recruiting staff while playing with the Murray Bushrangers.
At the time he was drafted, National Talent Manager Rob Kerr explained that while Wearden’s development probably wasn’t as advanced as his fellow draftees, he had untapped potential.
"Living where he was, his pre-season was one night a week, and during the season was two nights a week,” Kerr said.
“The country boys have got a good margin for improvement, simply because they don't get the intensity of work the city boys do."
Fast forward eight months and the 18 year-old has made some serious inroads in terms of his strength and conditioning.
Wearden expectantly took a little time adapting to play against bigger-bodied senior opponents in the local NEAFL competition, but Reserves Coach Nathan Clarke says the “penny dropped” for him halfway through the season.
“He’s been going from strength to strength this season, and probably played his best game for the Club last week,” Clarke said.
“He now has a greater understanding of what is required, and we’ve seen a real improvement in his work rate.”
“Last weekend against the Suns, he was a real standout with his GPS numbers. He covered 15km and was absolutely spent by end of game.”
“In terms of what he’s come from as a junior, you’re talking an extra 4-5 kilometres per game. And it’s not just the about the distance, you also have to consider the increased intensity and the constant hard-running that’s required.”
“We closely measure all our players’ ability to sustain running, and all indicators point towards him working a lot harder.”
The hard work is certainly paying off for Wearden who has been regularly named among the best players for the first-placed Reserves side, playing predominantly in defence.
“Patrick’s settled in nicely across half-back and is playing some big minutes,” Clarke said.
“We’ve been comfortable with him because he’s so versatile. But his defensive principles are much stronger now that we see him developing into a very damaging half-back.”
