Player Profile: Football Fever

In the small, white walled change room of the Loganholme Football Club, the seven-year-old Dustin Steele sat strapping his overly big shin pads on against a tiny leg. Now nineteen, he sits again in the same room pulling his white socks over the very same shin pads that he has used for thirteen years. The small white legs of his childhood now replaced by thick rippling calves and quadriceps from years of exercise, though he is now surrounded by a much more serious crowd of players.

With a raw talent that kids dreamt of having and a heart that exceeds it, Dustin Steele has always set the standard a little bit higher. Though not his harshest critic by any measure, if you sat down and talked about his game and the way he plays it, the calm, confident young man would soon start to become uneasy in his seat and fidgety.

Growing up in the small suburb of Shailer Park in Logan, he was much the same as other kids, always active and willing to give any sport a go. Playing in the streets and backyards with neighbours and his younger brother, his excitement for the round ball game was weaved into a small passion that has grown ever since. But while most kids ran around imitating their favourite players, yelling out “Ronaldo” and “Henry”, Dustin never did such a thing.

“To be honest I didn’t watch many games of soccer growing up and still don’t, I never had a favourite team or player and found watching the game to bore me a little. I’ve always just enjoyed playing, the challenge of the game and the small intricacies. Instead of basing my technique on others I found what worked for me and have always been motivated to improve all the time,” he says.

Speaking respectfully about his parents influence on playing the game, there is no doubt why he has become a prominent player in the eyes of his peers, coaches and teachers. Being a prefect at school and always putting in 110% on and off the pitch in whatever he does.

Always being involved in his football, father Gregg Steele is nothing but proud of his son.

“He has always shown the potential to make it to the next level, always pushing himself to become a better player, putting in the hard yards at training and at home,” he says.

His ambition to constantly improve comes as no surprise, with talented younger brother Jacob seeming to have received the football gene. The need to stay ahead of his brother Dustin says has always been an “inspiration to take it to the next level and become better at my game,” he says.

When talking about his aspirations or hopes for the future, Steele talks remotely about goals of one day playing over seas, but the only thing stopping this modest nineteen year old is an area of self-doubt.

“There has always been apart of me that thinks I’m not good enough to make it to that level and I guess that is what has really stopped me from trying to push further and try and make a career out of it,” he says.

Looking back on his soccer life he has had little in the way of set backs, every team he has tried out for he has been selected, receiving the highest honours each year and being selected in the top teams at club level and school level going on to play representative for Brisbane at a young age then for high school in his later years.

Coaches are astounded that he has never progressed to any higher level, speaking highly of the young man they say to be an ‘untapped source’. Though he hasn’t been without the chances, knocking back an offer to play for Logan representative side Logan United in a higher grade.

Playing Metro One at Loganholme FC this year, senior head coach Joe Borg looks serious though shakes his head and gives a wry smile when speaking about the static number twelve for his team.

“He is a vital asset to any team he plays for, He has the ability to break defences down with shear pace and skill and tear up the park with what looks like little to no effort, its an irreplaceable talent, I’ve got no doubt with some hard work he’d have a chance at a high league,” he says.

It is hard to believe Dustin was thinking of giving up the sport just a couple of years ago, though with a few bad injuries he was plagued with constant niggles, becoming frustrated with the game.

“I tore ligaments in my knee a couple of years ago, as well as hyper extended my other, this led to problems with my ankles and other things, so for about two years I was on and off the field. Football has always been my stress relief, and without that I became bored very quickly and forgot what I loved about it,” he says.

But this year has seen rejuvenation in the heart of the fast paced number twelve, playing in a competitive competition without injuries so far has led to the passionate play that has made him great.

The boy that could play all sports, dipping his hand into tennis and gymnastics before football, Dustin Steele now spends his weeks as a first year apprentice electrician, working early hours on weekdays, training at nights and coaching a women’s team in between a busy social life hitting the pub and clubbing scenes.

With his thirteen year old shin pads on, he now lets his football tell the story, his ambition and passion will be the deciding factor for the story to come.