Club mates praise 'Polly'
But for an untimely shoulder injury - and his passion for surfing - Sean Pollard would have probably played in one of two football grand finals in his hometown of Bunbury on Sunday.
Mr Pollard was in typically high spirits at South Bunbury Football Club last Sunday, watching his reserves teammates win a preliminary final to join the league team in this weekend's South West league deciders.
Affectionately known as Polly by friends at Australia's most successful football club, the 23-year-old's love for the game and for surfing was well understood by all those close to him.
Sandover medallist Mick Grasso, who was South Bunbury coach in 2011 when Mr Pollard was in its league grand final team, said he had fond memories of giving Mr Pollard lifts home when he drank too much to drive.
"I love him. He's a great kid," Mr Grasso said.
"He was always a bit of a nomad and he loved his surfing.
"Every now and then he'd just take off. I remember him going missing for a couple of weeks when he went surfing in Bali.
"But I gave him a little bit of leeway because whenever he was there, he'd give you 110 per cent on the footy field.
"He was a good player, too, for his size and he played some good footy for us that year.
"He'd play against a tall and fight out of his weight division and he'd rarely get beaten because he was such a competitor.
"He was quiet most of the time and would walk in with bare feet and his boots in his hands.
"But he was good to coach and he was very well liked."
Close friend and teammate Kurt Cadman, who will play in South Bunbury's reserves grand final on Sunday, said the pair had been mates since teenagers through football and school.
He said Mr Pollard's shoulder injury stopped him trying to push for a premiership.
"His shoulder wasn't getting better and he wasn't going to risk it again with losing work and surfing, I guess," Mr Cadman said.
"But he does love his footy and he's a real good bloke.
"There aren't many people who don't like him."
South Bunbury teammates and friends poured out support on Mr Pollard's Facebook page as news of his plight filtered through the club.
A post on the club's Facebook page reflected most of those thoughts. "Today a young man was attacked by a shark in Esperance," it read.
"Unfortunately the young man is one of our own in Sean Pollard.
"Our thoughts are with Polly and his family from everyone at South Bunbury Football Club. We are with you all the way, mate."
South Bunbury director Jeff Hayres said last night the club was devastated.
In 2012, Mr Pollard's mother Kylie used a picture of her son surfing near Gracetown as her Facebook cover, telling friends he was in Morocco and Europe on a three-month surfing trip.
Ominously, earlier she posted that another son, Jake, was "out to sea catching sharks for 5 days" and planning a 10-day trip into the Great Australian Bight.
"OMG yes I am churning but he loves it and wants to be there . . . what do ya do," she wrote.
