DAN Mendes doesn't fit the profile of many Ararat Rats players.
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He's not from the area, he didn't start his football career with the club, and to this day he doesn't live or work in the region.
Rather than take away from his contribution to the club, this only strengthens it because instead of choosing to play with a Melbourne club, he has chosen to commute and play for the Rats.
During football season he commutes from Melbourne every weekend to face the opposition head on with the rest of the boys.
Mendes has played with the club since 2014 when his work brought him up to the region.
"I got involved with the footy club and I loved it so much I decided to stay," he said.
"Work went back to Melbourne but I decided to keep making the commute back to do the footy."
Mendes isn't the only Rats player to make the commute. There is a small group of players representing Ararat in Melbourne.
They all get together and train during the week.
"I've got two brothers as well, and there's Ben Free who lives here too," Mendes said.
So why do they do it?
"It's a very good community club, it's family orientated but also quite professional, and they take their football quite seriously," Mendes said.
"There are a lot of good people around the club; players, coaches and supporters. They've been very welcoming and inviting. They've made us feel really welcome and that's why we decided to stay."
Mendes said his spouse was very supportive, which was even more vital when you throw the recent arrival of their first child into the mix.
"We just had a little boy as well so it's been a little bit challenging, the arrival of him and the home life, but she's (Mendes' wife) been really supportive and the club makes her feel very welcome when she comes up as well."
The side will face the Warrack Eagles in round 10 of the Wimmera League this weekend, and Mendes said they are expecting a challenge.
"They are definitely a much better team than the ladder reflects at the moment," Mendes said.
The Eagles currently hold seventh position.
"They've got some really good players and we definitely have to bring our best game up to Warracknabeal at the weekend and put our best foot forward," Mendes said.
"For us our pressure and intensity has probably been the biggest improvement for us this year so we need to bring that this weekend.
"They're a fairly physical team. They have some tall players through the midfield and up forward that could do some damage if we let them."
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