Six months after being drafted the pure emotion is starting to sink in for key defender Michael Talia as he walks the halls of Whitten Oval wearing the number 32 on his back.

Despite growing up a Western Bulldogs supporter, Talia is only beginning to truly understand and appreciate the passion his grandfather, 1954 premiership player Harvey Stevens, has for the Bulldogs Football Club.

“I think it meant a whole lot more to ‘Pa’ than I realised when I first got drafted,” Talia said.

“Just the stories he has told me and the amount of passion he speaks with when he talks about playing at Footscray.

“We do Club history in the AFL development academy and just to hear some of the stories from his era is incredible.

“It definitely makes me appreciate being here and getting his [guernsey] number.”

The personable 19-year-old was welcomed to Whitten Oval last November through the AFL National Draft by being offered the number 32 guernsey, the same number that Stevens had donned during his playing career.

The symbolic gesture has not lost impact on Talia who is now midway through his first year at the Club.

“I count my lucky stars that I ended up here at the Bulldogs,” he said.

“Pa tells me to go along with my business and attack training every day like it is my last and to play with spirit - he just prods along old Pa and offers up little bits of advice like that.

“Following his footsteps is something that I would love to do - I would love to be a Premiership player for the Bulldogs.”

Growing up supporting the Red, White and Blue, Talia idolised Club greats Brad Johnson and current Skills Development Coach Rohan Smith but as his football aspirations grew in his later teenage years he began to aspire to the likes of Matthew Boyd, Ryan Griffen and Adam Cooney.

“When I was 15 to 18 I did start to look up to blokes like Matty Boyd, Ryan Griffen and Adam Cooney - because I supported the Bulldogs I always used to watch them closely and admired the way they went about it,” he said.

“Coming into the Club now and seeing them first-hand training and the way they go about their business, they are ultimate professionals.

“They are the type of blokes that I want to idolise with my footy going through the Club.

Admitting that he was almost too scared to speak to a number of senior players in his first week at the Club, Talia insists that that both the players and coaches have made him feel very comfortable in his transition to AFL.

Talia’s first intra-club match is one he will never forget - lining up against players he had idolised growing up.

“My first intraclub game playing against Cooney and Brian Lake - I think I played against Griffen as well,” he said.

“Playing that first game I didn’t really know what was happening getting tackled by Robert Murphy - it was so surreal.”

The initiation into the Club continued when Will Minson was appointed his mentor, introducing him to the ‘Big Man’s Eating Club’ with a number of key position players trawling Melbourne’s best buffets.

Talia was thrown into the deep end early with a call up to play on multiple occasions during the Bulldogs NAB Cup campaign.

Despite the early confidence from coaches he has never been disillusioned into thinking his rise to footy would come quickly or without hard work - Talia has seen his brother Daniel rise through the AFL ranks as a key position player at Adelaide Crows.

“Obviously it takes time and just looking back at my brother it took him a year and a half nearly to get a game, so I do realise it does take time being a key position player - I still have to put on a bit of weight,” he said.

When the Bulldogs faced the Crows in Round 2 Michael was lining up for VFL affiliate Williamstown but his brother Daniel tested his loyalties early, asking for tips on how to beat his Bulldogs opponent Liam Jones.

“My brother was like ‘Oh I am playing on Liam Jones have you got any tips for me’ obviously I wasn’t going to tell him anything but it was weird,” he said.

 “I have become friends with Liam Jones and my brother was asking me for tips… and they were asking me about Daniel too, it was a weird feeling.”

 On field Talia has been working relentlessly and while the adjustment to VFL level has taken time he is beginning to produce some solid performances - impressing enough to be named as an emergency in the senior side.

“Just seeing blokes like Mark Austin come in and do his job thoroughly and Clay Smith coming through I definitely think I would be able to hold my own… and if form warrants I am sure the coaches will pick me,” he said.
 
“At VFL level I need to stamp my authority and have a presence on the field as a strong key position player - if I can do that and stick to the basics, keep ‘cracking in’ as Macca [Coach Brendan McCartney] would say, just come back to the ball and be a ruthless competitor I am sure it will go a long way.”
 
Whitten Oval has changed since Harvey Stevens put on the red, white and blue hoops as has the life of a professional AFL footballer but Stevens and Talia’s passion for the Club will forever be linked by the number 32 guernsey.