Goody Advice Kept Brent a Crow

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Goody Advice Kept Brent a Crow
JESPER FJELDSTAD
December 29, 2007 10:30pm

IT WAS two years into his AFL career, one that had coughed and spluttered more than shone, and Brent Reilly was considering pulling the plug on Adelaide.

The Victorian from the northern outskirts of Melbourne had spoken to teammates and coaching staff, mum Carolyn was keen to have him back home again and he had battled years of setbacks and homesickness.

Not only had he struggled in his new surrounds - a teenager coming to grips with the SANFL competition, the huge expectations of being a first-round draft pick and having his collarbone broken - he also was struggling to see where he could break into the side.

This was 2003, he had all of seven games to his name and the Fab Four of West Lakes - Mark Ricciuto, Andrew McLeod, Simon Goodwin and Tyson Edwards were at the height of their powers, making up one of the league's most feared midfields.

Reilly was at a critical juncture. Ironically, it was two players who would later become the most important men within the club that helped turn the promise of his talent into a successful career - Goodwin and then-assistant coach Neil Craig.

Goodwin, who would become a mentor, was straight to the point.

"It's your call but do you really want to go back to a different club and start all over again?" he asked Reilly. "You've laid the foundation here from your first two years. Even though you haven't played a lot of games, you've made an impression.

"You've got to stick at it. If you've got to work harder at it, work harder at it - at your strengths and your deficiencies."

Watch Reilly now, of course, and you see an important part of the Crows' future.

He is an eye-catching talent who can play a range of positions but seems destined to be a midfielder of note as he enters the peak of his career.

Nobody was more chuffed than mum Carolyn and father Terry to see him accept his rising star nomination in 2004 and watch his game come together.

But at the end of the previous season, he was a bundle of self-doubt.

"I considered going home after two years," Reilly recalled. "I sat down with a few of the boys, had a good chat to them. But I decided to stick it out for a couple of more years and started playing some good footy.

"I'm so glad I made that decision to stay here in Adelaide. I spoke to Goody a fair bit about it. He took me under his wing when I was a young fella, helped me through the tough times. He's been great for me in my footy career so far.

"Also Craigy, when he was an assistant coach. We used to sit down and talk about football and life. We had a few discussions. But Goody was probably my main influence."

With time, Reilly has come to appreciate his struggles early in his career, with form and homesickness.

If there was ever an advertisement for the national draft and for players being able to forge a career outside their home states, it is Reilly.

"That's life," he said of the early days in Adelaide. "You've got your tough times and you've got your good times and I've learnt a lot from the tough times.

"I've had a lot of them over the past six years, even last year was a bit frustrating for me. But you look back at it and what you learnt in that time is going to be invaluable for the rest of your career.

"I'm so looking forward to this season coming up because I've had all those hard knocks and I'm ready to take them on. I've learnt so much over the past six years."

THE rising star nomination was one turning point for Reilly. Others include learning more about the SANFL through Sturt, from where he has forged friendships that will last for life, and the realisation he can be an important player for the Crows as the Fab Four take on different roles.

During his formative years at West Lakes, Reilly became close with Michael Doughty and Nathan Bock, players in similar situations.

Bock had been drafted from Western Australia the same year as Reilly and they spoke about how they could break into the team and get more game time.

They also spoke about a new life away from their home states. "It's how you adapt to Adelaide culture," Reilly said. "You do miss your family and friends but it's just one of those things you have to adapt to.

"But that happened early and I look back at it now as a great experience. I want to play for one club and that's the Adelaide footy club; that's the way I look at it.

"The longer you stay here the longer you want to stay here."

HIS girlfriend, Jamie, has made a difference to Reilly and helped him feel more settled in South Australia.

"Her parents act as my parents, a bit, he said. "You can get a home-cooked meal and feel at home a bit.

"The thing I struggled the most with was missing family and friends."

Now, a different challenge awaits Reilly, who alongside Scott Thompson, Chris Knights and Nathan van Berlo has been touted as a future leader of the club.

"It's up to us now, to help out those guys and let them play their own games," he said.

"It could also prolong their careers for a couple of years. But it's up to us now. We've gone from one of the oldest clubs to one of the youngest and it's a time for us to go forward."

Thought it was worth a read Brent Reilly stepped up his game a level this year, although a persistent ankle injury interupted his season. If he's injury free next year I believe he will be one of our best players.

EDIT: Just realised there is already a similar topic on this...merge threads?

 

[winky14]

I'm surprised Bock was from WA

 

[macca23]

Great article except the Bock from WA bit. Surely he's a local boy unless he came here at a very young age.

Good for Brent that he fought his way through the hard times and is so comitted to the club that gave him the opportunity to play AFL.

 

[Junior55]

Excellent article actually.

I find these sort of articles really interesting, I would say a lot of kids that get drafted would go through these feelings after their second year if they have not cemented their spot.

 

[AAMI]

Not a bad article, even if it was written from the worst journo going around.

Shocking photo of Brent next to the article though!

 

[pinkcrows]

I'm sure Bock is an adelaide boy , went to henley high

 

[Stiffy_18]

I'm surprised Bock was from WA

You've got to love journalists who write stuff without checking the facts

If Bock was drafted from WA I am a flying dutchman

 

[MickyCrow]

You've got to love journalists who write stuff without checking the facts

If Bock was drafted from WA I am a flying dutchman

I reckon Reilly was takin the piss and Jespar fell hook line and sinker



.... waits for the Bock returns to WA threads

 

[swanfan]

Doughty and Bock from interstate .....Good to see we pay the best for the accurate articles they deliver.

 

[NikkiNoo]

Bock is a WWT boy through and through.

The only player that arrived from WA to the crows that year was Daniel Schell, who was traded by Fremantle to us.

Bock was on the rookie list that year I am pretty sure.

Quality SA journalism at it's best. When my dad showed me the article, I was lost for words at the bit about Bock. Considering I can talk under water that is a fair effort by Jesper to leave me speechless at his lack of ability to research.

 

[swanfan]

Bock is a WWT boy through and through.

The only player that arrived from WA to the crows that year was Daniel Schell, who was traded by Fremantle to us.

Bock was on the rookie list that year I am pretty sure.

Quality SA journalism at it's best. When my dad showed me the article, I was lost for words at the bit about Bock. Considering I can talk under water that is a fair effort by Jesper to leave me speechless at his lack of ability to research.

Schell is an Adelaide lad too. I chuckled to myself Nikki when I read Jesper's column. Looks like he gained his degree at the University of Rucci.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

You've got to love journalists who write stuff without checking the facts

If Bock was drafted from WA I am a flying dutchman

Makes you half wonder if Reilly just slipped it in there on purpose as a joke to see whether it would actually be checked or not.

 

[Freddy Bassett]

Jesper Fjelstead is a terrible jouron'. I remember his article after we played Melbourne in a trial game this year going on about how damn good Jamar was and how there is no doubt he will be a superstar of the comp by years end.. I remember reading that and having a sense of disbelief in how little I knew about footy, the same disbelief I felt on Sunday reading Doughty and Bocky were drafted from interstate...

 

[SA_Stazza]

Terrible Jesper, just terrible!

Bock is an SA lad through and through.. my best mate went all through High School with him at Henley High and I knew his family through working at the club - great people, great South Australian people

 

[Port_GW]

Terrible Jesper, just terrible!

Bock is an SA lad through and through.. my best mate went all through High School with him at Henley High and I knew his family through working at the club - great people, great South Australian people

I think his dad used to be a newsreader here on a couple of Adelaide stations too.

 

[birdmanptr]

Terrible Jesper, just terrible!

Bock is an SA lad through and through.. my best mate went all through High School with him at Henley High and I knew his family through working at the club - great people, great South Australian people

Different paper different reporter same result its only a Crows article dont worry about the facts

 

[SA_Stazza]

I think his dad used to be a newsreader here on a couple of Adelaide stations too.

Ralph is one of the nicest blokes I've ever met, good basketballer and a great family man

 

[Southerntakeover]

Ralph is one of the nicest blokes I've ever met, good basketballer and a great family man

Stop knowing everyone damn you.

 

[Johnny Utah #9]

Terrible Jesper, just terrible!

Bock is an SA lad through and through.. my best mate went all through High School with him at Henley High and I knew his family through working at the club - great people, great South Australian people

Jesper is a Victorian, so probably knew very little of Bock's background. A couple of years ago he was the scribe for the A-section VAFA matches in the Amateur Footy Record....he wasn't very good at that and clearly hasn't progressed too much further as a journo!

As for Reilly, i'd stay in Adelaide as well if i had a missus like his....she is a GUN!

 

[Jars458]

Jesper was teh one who gave our players rankings in a trial game when they didn't even play in the game. He fits in beautifully at the Advo and the Sunday Mail.