Player Watch Aliir Aliir

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ClintEastwood said:
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The design team who do the player title cards for the screens at the game need to adjust their design template for Aliir as the all black background looked comical when his screen came up. From our angle to the screen, all you could see was his eyes and teeth.
 

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Matt Turner: I heard you went to see family in Perth during your bye round break and it was the first time your son, Mayom, had been. How was it?
Aliir Aliir: It was great. I hadn’t been back since Australia Day and it was great for Mum to see the little one. Kids grow so fast. It was great to switch off from footy and have family time, see nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters. I was able to pass the baby onto them and have some nap time here and there.

MT: Was that the first time Mayom had been on a plane?
AA: He’s actually a seasoned veteran – his first flight was when he was six-and-a-half weeks to the Gold Coast. This time he was a bit unsettled on the way back.

MT: How’s he going in general?
AA: He’s 10 months old next week, he’s a big boy and he’s close to walking now so you’ve got to keep an eye on him because as soon as you put him down he’s quick to crawl. If you put him down here, he’ll grab the bench and try to stand up by himself. As we got back from Perth, he’s kind of found his voice. He’s sitting in the car, singing and talking to himself.

MT: How is the sleeping going?
AA: It’s not too bad. Shout out to my partner, Sabina, she does the work the nights before training and before a game, but I try to chip in other nights. The first month and a bit was the toughest – it was a shock to both of us, particularly not having family over here. But we’ve got a routine now, which is going pretty well.

MT: What’s the best thing about being a dad?
AA: He’s changed my perspective on life. It’s the best feeling. He’s the reason why I do what I do, why I wake up to come to training. Everyone has moments and bad days where you don’t want to go to work or do anything, but I’m essentially doing everything for him. I thought I had a good perspective on life, coming from where I’ve come from and the people I was doing it for, but he jumps that list. You come home and whether you have a sh*t game or not, he’s smiling. You’ll be tired or have a two-hour sleep, go to training, come back and everything’s sort of forgotten. When you find out you’re having a kid, you don’t know what to expect. I’ve got nieces and nephews – there’s probably seven of them – so I thought I knew what I was in for until you have your own. My Mum didn’t tell me how to raise him. She was like ‘that’s your child, I’m here to help but you have to do it your own way … do whatever you and your partner think is right’.

MT: How many dads are there in the Power squad?
AA: Five: myself, Sam (Powell-Pepper), TJ (captain Tom Jonas), Jez (Jeremy Finlayson) and Junior (Rioli). And Quinton (Narkle) is about to be a father.

MT: Mayom is your middle name and it is also the name of your father, who died in a car accident in Kenya when you were seven. How special is it that your dad’s name lives on not only through you but your boy?
AA: It’s extremely special. Staring at him, you’re almost looking at your father in a way. My mum was very proud. When she found out I was going to name him Mayom, she was in tears.

MT: You’ve got another young boy in your household. How’s your 17-month-old rottweiler, Rico going?
AA: He didn’t come to Perth, but he’s going all right. Sam and (his partner) Brya looked after him for a couple of days and (ex-Port teammate) Marty Frederick looks after him every now and then. He gets along very well with Mayom because they’ve essentially grown up together – I got him about a month before Mayom was born. Now Mayom’s about to walk, he’s always pulling Rico’s ear, grabbing his tail.

MT: Just onto some footy questions. What’s been the biggest difference this year compared to last? You’re 12-2 right now, which is two more wins than you had in the whole of 2022.
AA: It’s hard to pinpoint. Our pressure has been a key factor of why we’re winning. After the Crows game (a loss in round 3), we had our meeting and our pressure was well off. Everyone’s now got pressure front of mind and it’s been through the roof.

MT: Looking back, do you think there was any lingering effect from the 2021 preliminary final thrashing at the start of last year, when you began 0-5?
AA: I don’t think so. Once the season finishes, you look at ways to improve your game plan. I wouldn’t think anything was lingering because we had a great pre-season.

MT: What’s it like not having Jonas with you down back these past few weeks?
AA: He’s a great captain, our leader. He knew he wasn’t playing at the level he needed to and he’s now gone in the SANFL and had three great games. But the (AFL) team has played well so he’s got to wait for his opportunity to come in.

MT: How has his absence changed things for you?
AA: Not having him there has allowed guys like myself, Dan Houston and Trent McKenzie to step up into that leadership role. We have three 21-year-olds down there (Miles Bergman, Dylan Williams, the injured Lachie Jones) so we’re trying to keep them calm and focused because there’s moments in games where the opposition might get on a run, so you have to stay in the moment and trust the process. But I’ve always been vocal out on the field. If I see something, I’m going to say it.

MT: Do you feel like your form is getting close to your 2021 All-Australian level?
AA: I have been building. There was probably a patch from rounds 6 to 8 where I dropped off a little bit, but I think I’ve picked it up. There’s a lot of games to go and I feel like my best is yet to come. The coaches and players think so too.

MT: What makes you think the club might be able to go a couple of steps further this season compared to 2020-21 when it reached consecutive preliminary finals? You were in great positions those seasons and fell short when it counted.
AA: We’re not really thinking too far ahead. We’ve obviously won 11 (in a row) and the noise is on that … but we know what the process was to get us where we are. There’s pressure and players knowing their role – someone like Quinton Narkle coming in (and kicking two goals against Geelong). I don’t think anybody’s trying to be special or kick three goals and have 40 touches – maybe Buttsy (Zak Butters) haha. Everyone just knows their role.

MT: What was it like as an ex-Swan watching Sydney last year go on a great run to the grand final?
AA: It was a weird one because I’ve obviously still got some good mates there, but that was the team that didn’t really want me so it’s sort of half and half. The way they were able to play their back half of the year with their younger players was good to watch. Obviously when you leave a club you wish them all the best and there’s a handful of guys you’re still very close with and watch from afar.

MT: Which Sydney players are you closest with?
AA: I lived with Tom Papley. Harry Cunningham, Jake Lloyd, Callum Mills, just to name a few. Even big Bud (Lance Franklin). I still message him every now and then and he sends a few memes here and there.

MT: How would you describe your relationship with your coach, Ken Hinkley?
AA: Ever since I’ve been here he’s been great, sort of like that father figure. He just wants you to play your best footy within the team structure and gives me a lot of confidence to go out there and play. He’s been really good for my career. I owe a lot to him.

MT: Lots of players call him a father figure. Why is that?
AA: We’re in a win-loss industry but he’s beyond that, he knows you’re a person first, an athlete second. He’s always checking in on how your family’s going and with me having a young family, always asking how Sabina’s doing, how Mayom’s doing. If you have a bad game, he’s not coming to cook you. That’s why a lot of players are really comfortable with him because it’s not just a player-coach relationship.

 

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Don't want to say back to his best yesterday but it's clear that having Ratugolea and BZT in the team allowed AA to play with more freedom and confidence. Hope it can continue because when he's firing there are few better in the league in his role.
 
Chewy316 said:
Don't want to say back to his best yesterday but it's clear that having Ratugolea and BZT in the team allowed AA to play with more freedom and confidence. Hope it can continue because when he's firing there are few better in the league in his role.
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He and Esava seem to have a good connection.
 
Chewy316 said:
Don't want to say back to his best yesterday but it's clear that having Ratugolea and BZT in the team allowed AA to play with more freedom and confidence. Hope it can continue because when he's firing there are few better in the league in his role.
Click to expand...
He doesn't have to mop up every spill in every aisle.
 
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