Shane Strempel (1991)

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Pick 4 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990_AFL_Draft) in the 1990 Pre-Draft Picks

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Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_Strempel)

Brisbane picked Strempel up from WAFL club Swan Districts with pick four in the 1990 Pre-Season Draft. Along with team-mate Peter Worsfold, Strempel made his debut in Brisbane's round five loss to Collingwood at Victoria Park and had 10 disposals. He retained his place in the side the following week when the Bears took on Essendon and although they couldn't get a win for Michael McLean in his 100th appearance, Strempel contributed two goals and had nine disposals. Not selected in round seven, he returned to the team the following round when Brisbane lost to St Kilda at the Gabba, with Strempel having 12 disposals, five hit-outs and kicking two behinds. It would be his last appearance for Brisbane and at the end of the year he was traded to Essendon. The move didn't work out and Strempel returned to Swan Districts, where he played until 1994.

Career statistics (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/S/Shane_Strempel.html)

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Link to article (http://www.footy.com.au/dags/2001/wrapup/wrapup_r04.html)

Strempel played for Brisbane when Walls was coach there and from all reports was a bit of a tearaway off the field, drinking, boozing and generally carousing and not performing on the training track or during games.

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Michael McLean (http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/when-footy-feuds-split-clubs-in-two/story-fn76njus-1225969486399)

After becoming frustrated with Strempel's commitment, Walls - in his first year as coach of the then Brisbane Bears - ordered eight of his players to beat him up.Walls had his players form a ring around Strempel and then take turns in sparring him, leaving the big man bloodied and bruised.
"Absolutely hammered him. His teeth were getting chipped off and he had saliva going everywhere and a little bit of claret," Brisbane champion Michael McLean said years later.
"I can recall Brad Hardie walking over to him. He was the last one to go and he said, 'Rob, you've got to call it off because you'll kill the boy'."

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Link to article (http://www.cpfc.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-3529.html)

Walls took his players to a corner of the Carrara ground after a training session and told them to form a circle. He then produced a bag, which contained boxing gloves. Some of the Bears' biggest players, including Alex Ishchenko, Roger Merrett, Matt Kennedy and Cameron O'Brien -- plus Hardie, Michael McLean and Phillip Walsh -- were handed the gloves. After one player finished fighting the bloodied Strempel, a fresh one replaced him in the circle for a two-minute round.

Former Brisbane chief executive Shane O'Sullivan, who is now Carlton's recruiting manager, said he had vivid memories of the incident. ''I wasn't critical of Robert doing it because we had tried all other measures, so something had to be done. I can remember Brad Hardie after about five or six players had gone into the circle saying to Wallsy, 'I think you'd better stop because we'll kill him'. It was something a bit different, that's for sure.'' O'Sullivan said Strempel had not done the right thing by the club.

Roger Merrett said last night Strempel had copped a lot and struggled to keep his arms up. ''There were mixed thoughts about what happened because there were some who were very disappointed with the way Shane was acting. Others didn't like what happened. Whether it was right or wrong I don't know, but I didn't think it was going to bring him into line.'' Merrett, who also coached Brisbane, said some of the players took their frustration out on Strempel.

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Robert Walls (http://www.afana.com/netpaper/apr21-37693.html)

The report said the punching ended only when Brownlow medallist Brad Hardie refused to carry on for fear of killing Strempel. But Walls, who now writes for The Age and appears regularly on 3AW and Channel Seven, disputed that. He said: “Brad Hardie, who knows a bit about boxing, he came towards me and said ‘I reckon he’s had enough’. I said ‘I do too’ and that was it.”

Walls said the only injury he knew Strempel suffered was a bloodied nose, although it was reported he also had chipped teeth and a bloodied mouth. “At the end of it, he walked in with everyone else and got pats on the back for standing his ground,” Walls said. The sparring session did not change Strempel’s attitude and the West Australian was later traded to Essendon. When asked if he would do it again, Walls said: “In hindsight, probably not.”

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Robert Dixon (http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s280599.htm)

Former Brisbane Bears footballer Robert Dixon produced the video and was at the training session when Rob Walls decided Shane Strempel needed to be taught respect.

ROBERT DIXON: He sent us on a lap and we came back and there was a bunch of boxing gloves on the ground and so we were all thinking, you know well something's going on here and Rob had some really interesting training drills at the best of times, but this was something a bit different. And he picked eight of the biggest blokes that played, fortunately I wasn't very big so I didn't get picked, and sent Shane in the middle and said look, this is maybe the only way we're going to get some respect from you or the players and sent one at a time in for two minute rounds.

So, the first round was obviously an even fight because Shane was up to it and he was a big bloke himself and could box but by the time two and three came around it was tough for him to even hold his arms up so it became a battle from thereon in.

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David Ogg (http://www.footygoss.com/index.php/main/columns/memory/view/where_are_they_now_david_ogg/)

As an illustration of the discipline that he saw in his time in the AFL system, Ogg told us of the occasion he and another former Swan Districts player, Shane Strempel, were late for training.

“I was living with Shane at the time, and we arrived at training five minutes late. Shane was already in the bad books due to several other “indiscretions,” and the coach wanted blood. My punishment was fifteen laps of the ground, but Shane’s was worse. Told to stand in the middle of a twenty metre circle ringed by all the other players on Brisbane’s list, he had to box each of them for a minute.”

“Shane’s a big bloke, and he took care of the first few nicely, but, tiring quickly, he was overcome by sheer fresh numbers, and it got quite ugly. It wasn’t pretty for me either, watching this happen to a mate for the crime of being five minutes late. Eventually it got to Brad Hardie’s turn, and, to his credit, Brad said: “Rob, you’ve got to call it off otherwise you’ll kill the boy.”

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Quotes (http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/stories/s280733.htm)

SHANE STREMPEL: 'You're 21 and your senior coach tells you to do something, so you have to do it. I lost all respect for Robert Walls as a person and as a coach. I thought, "Stuff you, Wallsy." He obviously wasn't going to get the best out of me after that incident.'

ROB KERR, CEO AFL PLAYERS' ASSOC: 'I don't think the players would allow that to happen themselves. The modern player is far more questioning and would be far more reticent to get involved in something like that.'

[ZoBlitz]

While not agreeing with what Walls did, it sounds like Shane wasn't showing much respect for his coach and team mates before that incident.

[Mr Ripper]

Wallsy should have done similar with his recruiting officer for wasting pick 4.

[ZoBlitz]

Wallsy should have done similar with his recruiting officer for wasting pick 4.

Least we got White with pick 5 :thumbsu:

[Tairy Greene]

I take it the beating was the next solution after Wallsy put Strempel in the ruck?

[weevil]

I remember watching Strempel absolutely rip it up in a reserves game. Had talent to burn.

[ZoBlitz]

I remember watching Strempel absolutely rip it up in a reserves game. Had talent to burn.

Cupido-style story?