As published in the 3 September 2014 edition of the Star Weekly, below is an installment of a regular player guest column, this week penned by Ayce Cordy.

It’s funny how quickly life goes. The six years since I got to the Western Bulldogs have whizzed by at the speed of light.

I still remember my little brother as a 12-year-old kid, a little smart arse who was just a child.

I haven’t lived with him for six years but every day I see him now he reminds me of myself.

He has the same mannerisms and everyone comments on how similar we look. Mum and dad have obviously produced two very similar children.

He’s 17 now and he’s a young man. It’s funny when you suddenly realise he is no longer the little kid you remember.

What impresses me most is that he has become a man in his own right but at the same time is very much another Cordy and is very similar to the rest of the family.

He’s dealing with a lot of pressure right now, year 12 exams and the pressure of potentially being drafted, and it brings back a lot of memories.

He’s handling it really well, he’s still enjoying life and still smiling and I’m very proud of him.

Whatever the next step of his journey, if he gets drafted or not, I would love to take him under my wing and look after him. 

He’s his own person though and he’ll find his way on his own path. The last thing he wants is to be seen as my little brother or my dad’s son, I think that’s the best part about him.

He’s very family-oriented and unselfish and whether he ends up in the AFL or not, he will still make our family very proud.