Joel Albrecht has always pushed himself to the limit.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Mudgee Gulgong Wolves striker, known as "Joel the German", has brought an intense ferocity to the team in their Western Premier League debut.
"If I can't motivate myself, I don't do it. If I play sports or anything, it has to be 100% competitive and if it's too easy, I look for a harder challenge," he said.
"And if there is not much of a challenge, then you challenge yourself, you set yourself goals and go for it."
Albrecht moved from his hometown, Schaafheim (near Frankfurt) in search of "better weather" in 2015. A baker by trade, Albrecht eventually found himself working at the Mudgee Bakery.
He enjoys the peace and serenity of a small town lifestyle, not too dissimilar from where he grew up in Germany.
Albrecht is one of the many Wolves who works night shifts, which creates an extra challenge when factoring in long drives to games and constant training.
"I think for competitive sport there needs to be this kind of hunger, you have to have to reach for something. You have to exceed your own expectations," he said.
"That's the most important thing at the moment, while we're not on top of the table. If you start dropping mentally and physically, even if it's just by five per cent, then we keep losing."
Mudgee Gulgong Wolves President, Christopher Clegg described Albrecht as a "full-throttle" player that has brought an added level of professionalism to the club.
"His work ethic is second to none, he's a great person to have in the club because of the commitment he brings... he's first in and last out," he said.
"He's also just an infectious character because he's so funny and can laugh at himself."
Albrecht has a loud, booming voice that overpowers everyone else on the pitch. His strong German accent commands attention and his energy appears to be limitless.
"I try to set an example, it's about training to 100 per cent and not putting our heads down. Just train harder and harder every session and you need people to show that by example. I think that's your responsibility as one of the older players, when you've got younger kids looking up to you," he said.
"But we need to keep it real, things do go wrong, like my recent suspension is probably not the best example. You've got to learn from situations like that as well, actions have consequences."
Not long after Albrecht scored the first goal of the round six match against Lithgow Workmen's, he was given a direct red card on highly controversial grounds, which even the Workies later contested.
"Fulfil the commitment, stay motivated and don't put your head down. The season is not over yet, if we turn it around it can be a different story in just a few weeks."
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.