Player Watch #19: Griffin 'Gus the Goose-stepper’ Logue - recovering well from ACL injury

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Masked Avenger said:
Great news. Penny's dropped. We're finally rebuilding from defence. McKay/Logue/Corr will be as solid as any KPD stock in the league I would have thought.

We just need to put some serious speed and footskills around them.

It would be a Sinn to do otherwise.
Click to expand...
The Rock Reaction GIF by MOODMAN
 
Masked Avenger said:
Great news. Penny's dropped. We're finally rebuilding from defence. McKay/Logue/Corr will be as solid as any KPD stock in the league I would have thought.

We just need to put some serious speed and footskills around them.

It would be a Sinn to do otherwise.
Click to expand...
Not to be a party pooper but I reckon Melbourne's trio has us covered. But I do think both Logue and McKay can be a serious KPD combination. At least one of the better duos in the competition.
 
TheBigHorne said:
Not to be a party pooper but I reckon Melbourne's trio has us covered. But I do think both Logue and McKay can be a serious KPD combination. At least one of the better duos in the competition.
Click to expand...

Hang on, you're saying a premiership backline trumps ours?
 

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Just a question is The Log a Big Fish or just a Big Log ? Thanks in advance.
 
 




The Fremantle X-factor Griffin Logue and his Mr Nice Guy on-field persona​

The Dockers‘ path towards this year’s finals can be traced back to the 2016 draft and the pick of modern-day utility Griffin Logue, writes WILL SCHOFIELD.

Will Schofield


@willschofield

4 min read
August 26, 2022 - 12:00PM
Logue has played an important role for the Dockers as they return to the AFL finals. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Logue has played an important role for the Dockers as they return to the AFL finals. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Fremantle’s powerful 2022 season didn’t happen overnight.

A clear rebuild, with uncompromising decisions made across the entire club put the Dockers back on the finals stage for the first time since 2015.

As the saying goes, no pain, no gain.

High draft picks litter the Dockers’ playing squad, remnants of more than half a decade of no finals appearances. In 2016, Fremantle landed a core group of players they hoped would develop into leaders of the club.

They didn’t miss.

Sean Darcy at pick 38, the heir apparent to Aaron Sandilands, Fremantle’s best and fairest winner last year. Luke Ryan at pick 66, an All-Australian backman in 2020 and Brennan Cox at pick 44, 2022 All-Australian squad member and key backline cog.

All great players, with accolades to match. But Fremantle’s first pick of that draft was a young West Australian at pick eight.


He’s battled injury and selection challenges throughout his career. Struggled to lock down a regular spot on the team. You could even argue he still hasn’t found one, given his flexibility this year at either end of the ground.
His biggest strength can also be his biggest weakness. A jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. Forward, back, pinch-hitting in the ruck. In season 2022, this man has done it all.

Griffin Logue. The modern-day utility.

Some words from the Fremantle website and Logue’s profile in his first season as an AFL player …

Team supported as a kid: St Kilda
All-time favourite AFL player: Nick Riewoldt
Favourite player from another club that you love to watch: Nick Riewoldt
All-time favourite athlete: Nick Riewoldt


A talented athlete growing up, football was always a love of Logue’s, but life as a backman didn’t start as he would have hoped.

His first encounter with Nick Riewoldt, his childhood hero, was a learning curve.

In fact, the saying you should never meet your heroes sits quite well with Logue. With a grin he says “you probably shouldn’t even have heroes”.

“It was a close game, my fifth or sixth AFL game, we’re at Subi Oval. Someone has given away a free kick, it wasn’t me. I picked up the ball, Nick Riewoldt put out his hands and called, ‘Right here, right here young fella, chuck it right here’.

“My eyes lit up. Saint Nick … take it, it’s yours.

“I’ve gone to throw it to him, he moved his hands out of the way, looked at the ball as it passed him and watched it fly down to the ground.”
It was in slow motion.

Logue’s fears were confirmed as Riewoldt’s pleas with the umpire for a 50-metre penalty were rewarded. Handing the Saints a guaranteed goal and certain victory.

“I thought, ‘You are kidding me, it’s put them in front with three minutes to go. It literally lost the game for the team’.”

His coach at the time, Ross Lyon, was notorious for his honest and direct approach. It was commonplace for him to go through each player one by one in front of the group after a game.

He didn’t miss Logue on this one.

Lyon moved through the group coming last to Logue, the young defender whose mistake had cost a goal late in the game. Out-foxed by the wily old veteran in Riewoldt.

With a smirk Logue recalls the moment with his best Ross Lyon impersonation: “Griff … you got outplayed tonight, son.”

Logue has had some big match-ups as a backman this year.

Jeremy Cameron and Charlie Curnow were the most notable; he was able to keep to well below their usual output. A rare mix of speed and strength allows an undersized Logue to match it with these greats of the modern game.

So what’s it like in the cage, one-on-one playing on the best in the competition? Is it physical? What’s said between players, if anything?
Logue likes to take the nice guy approach as a first resort.

“I like to talk to them, rather than get stuck into them and sit there and bash away.”
It takes the edge off a little for him, Logue says.
Logue enjoyed the challenge of playing on some of the AFL’s best forwards, like Carlton’s [PLAYERCARD]Charlie Curnow[/PLAYERCARD]. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Logue enjoyed the challenge of playing on some of the AFL’s best forwards, like Carlton’s Charlie Curnow. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“I‘d always find it harder to run and put a knee through somebody if they’d been talking to me asking me how my day had been.

“It’s just small stuff, like if they’ve recently come to a new club, I’ll ask, ‘How you liking it up there, are you enjoying your time?’ Nothing too bad like being in their ear all night, I just kind of try and get along with them.

“But there‘s blokes that give you nothing. That’s fine, I can just put an elbow in your back for every minute for the rest of the quarter and see how we go.
“If they stonewall me then I’m happy to have a crack. If you’re going to be a dickhead, if you think you’re too good for me, then let’s go.”

One particular game, walking down to an opponent, Logue thought he’d try the nice guy approach. It doesn’t always work.

As he entered the goalsquare, he led with a pretty standard greeting: “What’s going on mate? How are you?”

The response was absolute crickets. Dead silence.

Logue laughs while he recalls the incident.

“I next looked down at his boots and asked him if they were comfy. Are the Tempos any good?”

Logue has played on some greats of the game. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Logue has played on some greats of the game. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The player looked at Logue, down at his boots and back at Logue. He wasn’t in the mood.

“Look mate I’m not doing this,” the player said. “If you want to come and stand next to me I’ll get you on the big screen, but don’t talk to me while we do it.”
The player in question was Lance Franklin.

Logue learned a lesson that day. Not everyone wants a chat on the field.

“He kicked six on me that day.”

Forward or back, Logue will have an important part to play in Fremantle’s finals push this year.
Only time will tell if he plays Mr Nice Guy or not.


 
Welcome aboard the NMFC bus Griff, unsurprisingly, looks great in Royal Blue and White.
 
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