Dittmar has mid strength like Eagle

East Perth draft hopeful Kade Dittmar models his game on Elliot Yeo. And it shows. The Margaret River product was reminiscent of the West Coast midfield bull the way he busted through congestion with brute strength and used his overhead marking prowess and ability to hit the scoreboard in Saturday’s WA 19s v 17s trial match. Dittmar is the son of Port Adelaide SANFL premiership player Mark. “I definitely like to model my game on Elliot Yeo, and a bit of (St Kilda’s) Jack Steele the way he tackles,” Dittmar said. Dittmar has his sights set on the AFL draft and a colts flag before that, but admits just getting back on the park this year was a bonus. Stress fractures in his back sidelined the 18-year-old for the entire 2020 season, with Good Friday marking his first WAFL colts appearance in 574 days. “Just to get back on the field this year has been so good,” Dittmar said. Dittmar hit the ground running, booting 3.4 from 19 possessions in his first game back against Subiaco before a four-goal performance the following week and 20-plus disposals the next two. Then came a form slump, but like all good players, he worked his way out of it on the way to a reserves promotion, State 19s berth and a career-best disposal tally of 29 against West Perth twos in round 14. He is averaging about 20 possessions and six tackles to go with nine goals in 10 appearances for the Royals this year. “It was probably just a mindset change,” Dittmar said. “I was looking at the off-field stuff a bit too much like the media and that sort of thing, worrying about what people were going to say. “Then I just got the mindset back of being the country footballer that I’ve always been.”