freocynic
Team Captain
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2005
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- Fremantle
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- FREMANTLE FC
IT'S become part of football folklore how Fremantle traded away one of the greatest players of the modern era, Andrew McLeod.
The fledgling Dockers, preparing for their first season at AFL level, thought McLeod a little too cocksure. He even wore an earring. And thus the kid from the Northern Territory was given to Adelaide for key-position player Chris Groom.
Knee problems meant Groom played only seven games in one season for Freo. McLeod is in his 14th for Adelaide, with last night's game against Essendon his 293rd appearance. He's won two Norm Smith Medals, three best-and-fairests, and has been an All-Australian five times, last year as captain.
It remains one of football history's most lopsided deals. But the Dockers have maintained a none-too-proud record of giving away players who have gone to much bigger and better things at their subsequent homes. And Paul Medhurst appears just the latest cab off the rank.
There's been Peter Bell. Jeff White. Medhurst's former Collingwood teammate and good friend James Clement, and another Magpie Brodie Holland. North Melbourne premiership player Winston Abraham. Essendon best-and-fairest winner Adam McPhee.
It hasn't always been the Dockers' fault. And at least they got Bell back from the Kangaroos, after having played in two premierships, having let him go initially with only two senior games under his belt.
But the Fremantle culture, even in the Dockers' 14th year in the AFL competition, remains the club's biggest Achilles heel, one that appears to have kicked in again as recently as the past month, and losses to Geelong, Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs and Carlton in which the Dockers let winning positions slip.
There isn't enough gnashing of teeth and heartache when Freo is on the receiving end. No great winning tradition to shame its players into more pride in their performance and fear of failure.
There's a casualness of attitude, say close observers, reflected even on the training track. And ultimately, not the sort of emotional clout to prevent the likes of Medhurst from plying their wares elsewhere, inevitably, it seems, more successfully.
Medhurst, for one, hasn't been surprised by the cultural difference between Fremantle and Collingwood.
"There's just this aura about the place. I know it sounds cliched, but there's just so much history," he says. "I'm not (a) footy history buff, but you just can't help but notice being in there, there's just great footballers everywhere.
"There's always something to come back to even if you're losing and the atmosphere's a bit down. When things are going well, you don't have to notice it as much, but when things start getting shaky . . .
"It's going to be that way (for Fremantle) until they win a premiership, and there's pictures and cups everywhere."
It used to be Footscray that seemed to specialise in giving away players who went on to become stars elsewhere, much to the chagrin of the faithful. Future Brownlow medallists such as Bernie Quinlan and Barry Round. Premiership players such as Richmond's Robbie McGhie.
The Bulldogs back then were a perennial loser. A team whose individual parts never jelled successfully into one imposing machine. And they'd at least had 50-odd years in VFL company.
Fremantle, still struggling for credibility, let alone a culture strong enough to withstand defeat and the defection of would-be backbone players, stands as the modern-day equivalent.
That won't be lost on the Docker faithful who watched McLeod do his stuff for Adelaide last night, and may well see another special from the recently departed Medhurst this afternoon at the MCG.
Rohan Connolly
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/medhurst-analysis/2008/05/30/1211654314519.html
The fledgling Dockers, preparing for their first season at AFL level, thought McLeod a little too cocksure. He even wore an earring. And thus the kid from the Northern Territory was given to Adelaide for key-position player Chris Groom.
Knee problems meant Groom played only seven games in one season for Freo. McLeod is in his 14th for Adelaide, with last night's game against Essendon his 293rd appearance. He's won two Norm Smith Medals, three best-and-fairests, and has been an All-Australian five times, last year as captain.
It remains one of football history's most lopsided deals. But the Dockers have maintained a none-too-proud record of giving away players who have gone to much bigger and better things at their subsequent homes. And Paul Medhurst appears just the latest cab off the rank.
There's been Peter Bell. Jeff White. Medhurst's former Collingwood teammate and good friend James Clement, and another Magpie Brodie Holland. North Melbourne premiership player Winston Abraham. Essendon best-and-fairest winner Adam McPhee.
It hasn't always been the Dockers' fault. And at least they got Bell back from the Kangaroos, after having played in two premierships, having let him go initially with only two senior games under his belt.
But the Fremantle culture, even in the Dockers' 14th year in the AFL competition, remains the club's biggest Achilles heel, one that appears to have kicked in again as recently as the past month, and losses to Geelong, Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs and Carlton in which the Dockers let winning positions slip.
There isn't enough gnashing of teeth and heartache when Freo is on the receiving end. No great winning tradition to shame its players into more pride in their performance and fear of failure.
There's a casualness of attitude, say close observers, reflected even on the training track. And ultimately, not the sort of emotional clout to prevent the likes of Medhurst from plying their wares elsewhere, inevitably, it seems, more successfully.
Medhurst, for one, hasn't been surprised by the cultural difference between Fremantle and Collingwood.
"There's just this aura about the place. I know it sounds cliched, but there's just so much history," he says. "I'm not (a) footy history buff, but you just can't help but notice being in there, there's just great footballers everywhere.
"There's always something to come back to even if you're losing and the atmosphere's a bit down. When things are going well, you don't have to notice it as much, but when things start getting shaky . . .
"It's going to be that way (for Fremantle) until they win a premiership, and there's pictures and cups everywhere."
It used to be Footscray that seemed to specialise in giving away players who went on to become stars elsewhere, much to the chagrin of the faithful. Future Brownlow medallists such as Bernie Quinlan and Barry Round. Premiership players such as Richmond's Robbie McGhie.
The Bulldogs back then were a perennial loser. A team whose individual parts never jelled successfully into one imposing machine. And they'd at least had 50-odd years in VFL company.
Fremantle, still struggling for credibility, let alone a culture strong enough to withstand defeat and the defection of would-be backbone players, stands as the modern-day equivalent.
That won't be lost on the Docker faithful who watched McLeod do his stuff for Adelaide last night, and may well see another special from the recently departed Medhurst this afternoon at the MCG.
Rohan Connolly
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/medhurst-analysis/2008/05/30/1211654314519.html
