“Fair play to Simon Whitlock, but it’s about time some fresh blood came in" - Damon Heta ready to lead Australia at World Cup of Darts with new teammate

To outsiders, Damon Heta often looks like the laid-back Australian who steps on stage with a smile. But behind that relaxed exterior hides, according to the Australian himself, a player who constantly analyses, doubts, and puts himself under pressure. Speaking to Online Darts, Heta looked back candidly on a difficult year, discussed his form, his move to the United Kingdom, and his new role within Team Australia at the World Cup of Darts.

The past few months have been anything but easy for Heta. Results often disappointed, while he felt his level was better than the scorelines suggested. “looked back on some stats and stuff and I’ve played half-decent,” he says. “I’m just not getting the wins, which is a bit of a bummer because it’s all about the wins no matter how you play, to be honest.”

That lack of results started to take a mental toll. Especially toward the end of last season, Heta saw himself change. “I think towards the back end you could see I just wasn’t getting results, and it takes a toll, doesn’t it?” he says frankly. “You expect so much of yourself — especially myself because I put so much in — and I wasn’t getting the rewards I thought I deserved. So I put that expectation and pressure on myself."

It didn’t stop there. Plenty was going on away from the oche as well. “There’s always stuff behind the scenes as well that takes its toll," Heta explains. "But like I said, I just keep working hard and believe it’s always going to turn.”

One of the biggest pitfalls for elite athletes is overanalysing, and Heta readily admits he’s guilty of it. “Yeah, absolutely. I overthink almost everything,” he laughs. “I’m hypercritical of myself. I’m my own worst critic — I don’t need people telling me when I’m bad.”

In recent months, Heta was also seen regularly experimenting with his equipment. Yet he now seems to have returned to his trusted setup. “I’ve gone back to my normal setup to get that winning feeling back,” he says. "Good dart players can throw pretty much anything, but it comes down to percentages — what’s reliable at your worst."

According to Heta, confidence comes down to details. “There might still be little things I tinker with here and there, but when your darts are flying right, you feel comfortable and confident.” That doesn’t mean he’ll never tweak anything again. “It would be naïve to never try anything new,” he says. “There will always be little bits you keep experimenting with.”

Heta has been living permanently in the United Kingdom for some time. For the Australian, it now feels like a logical step in his career. “It is what it is, isn’t it? Life moves on,” he says matter-of-factly. “At the start I thought maybe I’d stay ten years and then head back home, but it doesn’t work like that.”

Heta says it’s not only his own life that changes, but also that of the people back home. “Everyone back home moves on too. It’d probably be silly to turn darts down at the moment because it’s crazy right now.”

The Australian is therefore seriously considering a permanent future in England. “We’ve made a life here and it makes sense that we’ll be here for the foreseeable future. We’re probably looking at buying a house and settling pretty permanently."

With Simon Whitlock stepping back as a mainstay of Team Australia, a new chapter is beginning for Heta. At the upcoming World Cup of Darts, he will take on the role of leader for the first time. “Fair play to Simon Whitlock for everything he’s done over the years, but it’s about time some fresh blood came in.”

That fresh blood comes in the form of Tim Pusey, who has made his mark on the international stage recently. “He is keen as anything and ready to rock and roll,” Heta says enthusiastically. “He wants to come up for practice and get that team chemistry going.”

While Heta never wanted to see himself as captain while Whitlock was active, he now realises he must take that responsibility. “It makes me think, 'Right, if I’m the captain, I’ll step up and do what I need to do.'”

At the same time, he stresses that playing for Australia always brings extra pressure. “It’s always great wearing your home colours. It brings another level of pressure because you’re representing your country, but it’s brilliant.”

According to Heta, Australian darts is currently experiencing a huge growth spurt. The successful Premier League in Australia and the rise of new talents make him optimistic. “Brilliant," he says. "The Premier League over there was brilliant, and now with the ADA and the numbers they’re getting, the standard is getting really good."

Whereas he previously thought New Zealand was statistically stronger, he now sees a clear shift. “Now Australia is doing some crazy good things.” Heta cites Brodie Klinge and again Pusey as examples of players who are developing strongly.

As a result, he also expects the World Series of Darts in Australia to be much more dangerous for the established PDC names this year. “f the Aussie players bring their game, which they can do, and now they’re getting exposure through the Premier League and streamed events, they’ll get used to that stage feeling," he states. "Hopefully we get a few upsets."