Folau kicks six goals, happy with pressure
Code hopper Israel Folau has produced his best Australian rules football game to date, booting six goals in Greater Western Sydney's 66-point win over Belconnen in Wagga Wagga on Saturday.
Folau's career-best haul against the cellar dwellers of the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) with just the one win for the season, is unlikely to silence the doubters.
However, the former NRL star's increased forward-line pressure and a newly found sense of aggression might plant a few second thoughts.
"Today was probably my best day, in terms of the pressure I put on, since I started (with GWS)," Folau told AAP.
"There were a couple of chase and tackles, which I'm pretty happy with, but the thing for me is now I've got to be consistent with that, because next year's certainly going to be big for that.
"I've sort of made an emphasis on my chase and tackle and putting pressure on, over the last couple of weeks.
"It hasn't been as good as I wanted and I guess today I sort of tried to put it out there and do all I can to improve it a lot.
"Certainly I'm feeling a lot more aggressive, especially in the forward line, trying to cause turnovers and put pressure on."
Folau said senior assistant coach Mark Williams had helped improve his attack on the ball, and that he's been keeping a sharp eye on the defensive skills of Hawthorn star Lance Franklin and Collingwood's Travis Cloke.
The 22-year-old remains confident he will be ready for his maiden AFL season in 2012 and revealed the extent of just how much he'd developed as a footballer.
"I certainly feel a lot more comfortable. I'm talking more on the field, trying to direct players around me and that sort of thing," he said.
"I guess I've come a long way since I started, but there's certainly still a long way to go."
Folau nominated marking as his biggest area of improvement since switching codes.
"For the first half of the year I was probably marking it on my chest, now I'm marking it out in front.
"That's something I'm very pleased with. I still need to work on it, but that's probably one of the skills that's stood out from when I first came over."
Folau and Josh Bruce (five goals) were crucial figures in the Giants' 20.13 (133) to 9.13 (67) victory, the club's fifth win on the trot.
The are two more NEAFL rounds remaining before the finals start, with the Giants already assured of a place.
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