A lot has changed for Manly Sea Eagles recruit Ethan Bullemor recently. Whether it's in football, finance or his personal life, his ability to adapt is what he believes makes him successful.
Being someone that is always striving for greatness, the 21-year-old is always trying to prepare himself for success and acknowledges that flexibility and adaptability are key.
Bullemor's time as a Bronco was difficult for him, not seeing the onfield success he was hoping for. Having spent the last two seasons with Brisbane, the forward is excited about a change of scenery after signing with the Sea Eagles during the offseason.
“For myself, I got to a point where I felt like I wanted to be succeeding more than I was,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“I wanted to break out and try to better myself. I felt like sometimes a change is a good way to do that. I had a lot of success in previous examples where I have moved towns or schools or implemented a change in my life.
“It really makes you work a bit harder and can open up a new range of possibilities, expose you to new ways of doing things.
“I was lucky that Manly came about. It looked like a perfect fit to me. It is obviously a team that most people would love to be part of – they are flying pretty high and they seem to have lots of aspirations to go better than they did last year."
“That was a good sign in my mind.”
While excited about his move to a new club, it wasn't always something that Bullemor thought he would have to go through. Growing up a Bronco fan it appeared to be his ideal landing place and for a long time, he had the belief that the Broncos would be his home for the foreseeable future.
All of that changed, however, when the Sea Eagles enquired about his services. The opportunity to learn from Des Hasler and be a part of what Manly was doing was too good of an opportunity for Bullemor to not take up.
“In all honesty, there was a fair bit of thought and consideration leading up to it but once I looked at it and really understood how I felt and what I thought was the right move, I have been really steadfast in it since then,” Bullemor said.
“I haven't looked back. It (Brisbane) is a club I grew up supporting and wanting to be part of. I was lucky enough to have been part of it.”
“(Manly) had a good season last year and they’re all really keen to improve on that.”
“The impression I have got from talking to some of the guys at the club is that they are not resting on their laurels. They are not happy or satisfied with a top-four finish. They are really talking about going that extra mile, winning the comp and playing in a grand final."
“As a football player, that is the stuff you dream of and that is what I want to do.”
Change is something that Bullemor thrives on. This is a mentality that he has had to take with his other passion, economics.
Studying finance and economics, Bullemor is all too familiar with the rapid changes that are currently unfolding in the finance industry. While initially being interested in banking and stocks, the evolution of cryptocurrency is something that has recently piqued his interest.
Just like his optimism around a change in football, he has had to adopt a similar philosophy into the world of finance. Similar to when the opportunity presented itself with the Sea Eagles, Bullemor had to take up the opportunity presented by the current crypto boom. Both of these options were something that he wouldn't have considered a few years prior.
“I was a big advocate against it [cryptocurrency] for about two years,” he said.
“I think I am finally converted. The whole crypto thing I find challenging. It is hard to wrap your head around what is going on, which is why I was sceptical to begin with."
“At the moment it is pretty hard to deny it isn’t going to at least be part of the future.”
While most people are trying to get back to normal in 2022, Bullemor will be doing the opposite.
His philosophy and environment are drastically different from what they were two years ago. As he heads into new ventures and new locker rooms, he remains incredibly focused and driven.
Now searching for success on the field, as well as in the stock market, Bullemor is expecting great things in the next stage of his two careers.
Bishy is she reading this? She might have to ask Ethan for some tips.