Aged 19, the young Bomber embarked on his first senior interleague berth with Goulburn Valley League two years ago in a meeting with Ovens and Murray at Mooroopna.
What followed was not a collection of happy memories.
This time around, however, everything corrected course as the competition’s most in-form forward produced a game-high three majors — even in a side that erred time and again in front of goal.
Speaking after GVL’s memorable 15-point win over O&M, its first in that fixture for more than a decade, Depasquale reflected on an elite past month leading into the big stage of interleague.
“It’s good knowing you’re going well, but you always want to test yourself and this came at a good time,” Depasquale said.
“We were up against some of the best today in the O&M; I was more just happy with the win and when the boys are playing well up the field, it’s easier as a forward.
“We got thumped last time I played, so to get the win was special. There’d been a lot of talk that we might get rolled over, so this was one of the best wins I’ve played in.”
Amidst the murmurs over exactly what form interleague football will take going forward, Depasquale believes the time may come to shift to a more youth-oriented format soon.
“It seems that the next stage moving forward might be that it becomes for the younger fellas to showcase their skills, maybe for VFL clubs or other teams in the region,” Depasquale said.
“I did this when I was 19 a couple of years ago and, mainly, you’re more excited that you get to play with a different bunch of guys.”
The Kyabram sharpshooter will return to his familiar track as the club competition resumes this weekend — but he keenly awaits what’s to come.
“I think we’ve got a couple of challenges in the next few weeks,” Depasquale said.
“We got our first home win last week and I just want to keep playing well and doing my bit for the team.”
