http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/blog.php?b=1612
Sports history is littered with underrated veterans who finally receive their just due well past the time that they’ve truly earned it – at a point where they’re not so worthy of the credit they’re receiving than they had been earlier on in their careers. While they are all heart warming moments they ultimately feel a little empty as other, more worthy players miss the cut to make way for the underappreciated veteran. While it’s about time that Carlton’s Heath Scotland was finally recognised for his outstanding career he is just as worthy as every other player on the All Australian squad for 2011.
Scotland, originally recruited from Darley via the Western Jets was Collingwood’s third round selection in the 1998 AFL Draft. He joined a Collingwood team that simply wasn’t any good much less the team that we see on the park today. In Scotland’s first season he impressed the selectors by managing to play twelve senior games although the team won only four games in the entire season. The following season he played ten games but didn’t appear to be developing the way that Collingwood had hoped. With Collingwood improving and finishing just outside the finals with eleven wins in 2001 Scotland was on the outer having only played two games. However, Mick Malthouse saw the light turn on in Scotland’s head making public an observation that Scotland’s football ability had matured and that the once promising future was revitalized. The following season Scotland played in 19 games and all of Collingwood’s finals campaign including the grand final loss to the Brisbane Lions. Although he made it two grand final appearances in a row the other season it had been clear that he had fallen out of favour with the Magpies and his career had hit the crossroads with other players battling for the same position in the Collingwood team.
With Scotland believing that the ability to stick in the Collingwood side on a permanent basis was unlikely he sought out a trade to Carlton. He and then Carlton Coach, Dennis Pagan, had come to an agreement that if a trade could be arranged that Scotland would find himself an important piece of the Carlton team moving forward. After requesting the trade from Collingwood to Carlton the teams arranged a swap with the Blues sending the Magpies pick #35 (their third round selection with whom Collingwood selected Brent Hall who would play all of one AFL game) to Collingwood in exchange for Scotland. The trade would prove to be an absolute bargain.
Sadly for Scotland and for his new club, Carlton was nowhere near the side that he had left. The Blues were in the midst of the worst era in the club’s history. Still suffering greatly from the impact of rorting the salary cap the club’s playing list was the worst in the AFL. Scotland would endure five of the seven seasons that the Blues would miss the finals winning just 21 games from 2004 through 2007 (with 10 of them coming in 2004 alone). However, in his time at the club Scotland would be one of the most dependable and important players at the club playing as a midfielder or rebounding back flanker. His play would be characterized as gutsy and skilful possessing the capabilities that the young developing side required and consequently becoming an important member of the team’s leadership group.
Scotland’s form and fitness deteriorated for a period of time in 2009 where he and fellow teammate Nick Stevens were dumped out of the side for a period of time and left to play in the Northern Bullants. However, both men bounced back to play important roles in Carlton’s first final campaign since 2001. Scotland continued to work on his form and fitness between the 2009 and 2010 seasons to put in a stellar year for the club but despite Carlton’s team success as well as his own he failed to garner any accolades.
At the age of 30 entering the 2011 AFL season Scotland had reached a point in his career where a majority of players have already retired or are at the downside of a long career. Scotland would not only continue to play great football but would find the form of his life to win his battle against father time. Over the season Scotland has been in career best form averaging 26 disposals, almost 7 marks and 3 tackles per game. His use of the football puts him among the elite of the competition spearheading a number of Carlton attacks resulting in scoreboard pressure. Scotland has been one of the premier rebounding players in the league over the course of the season with form that definitely warrants his selection to the 2011 AFL All-Australian squad.
Scotland’s selection to the squad is so much more than his being recognized for an often underappreciated career spanning well over a decade and two of the most successful clubs in the history of the AFL. While Scotland has long played his part in rejuvenating success at the Carlton Football Club he is now in career best form and one of the primary reasons why the club enters Sunday’s final against heated rivals Essendon full of confidence. A more worthy selection to the All-Australian squad you cannot find.