DYNASTY by Whispering Jack

[Demonland 64,650]

James Aish doesn't turn 18 until next month but on Sunday he will be looking to win his second successive premiership with highly fancied SANFL Club Norwood in their grand final against North Adelaide. And in the event of that second flag going to the hot favourites, the young draft prospect who comes from a family that's about as close as you can get to royalty at the Redlegs won't be the first in the family to achieve the feat.

I learned of the family tradition back in the early 1980s when I was an occasional visitor to the home of my wife's sister when her family was living in Adelaide. Apart from catching the odd Test Match at the beautiful Adelaide Oval (I once sat next to Graeme Yallop and Ian Callen in the flight up) and the beach at Glenelg in summertime, the thing I enjoyed most about the trip across the border was going to the Parade ground to watch the Redlegs (who else?) going around.

James' father Andrew and his uncle, Michael were stars for Norwood in those days. Michael was a young prodigy who achieved just about everything in South Australian football. At 20 he was a Magerey Medallist beating home a star-studded field, some of who became VFL legends later on in the 1980s. By 23, he was a dual premiership player (1982 and 1984).

Older brother Andrew stood in his shadow but shared in the 1982 flag and had a respectable six year career wearing the number 43 for 89 games (62 goals) from 1981 that included two games for South Australia. A sister, Susan, represented South Australia in both netball and softball.

But the football dynasty began a generation earlier when father Peter Aish started under legendary Norwood coach Jack Oatey in a career that spanned between 1953 and 1962. Wearing the numbers 30 and then 1 in a career of 162 games (9 goals), he captained his side in his last three years and was later coach. Described as an "elegant" footballer, Peter Aish was best and fairest in 1960 and 1961 (mainly in defence), played five games for his state and is a club life member and hall of famer.

Michael Aish commenced his career with Norwood in 1979 and played 15 seasons for 307 games (449 goals). His career highlights included the 1981 Magarey Medal, four club best and fairests (1981, 1983, 1984 and 1992), a Fos Williams Medal in 1983, All-Australian honours in 1983 and 1986, club and state life membership as well Norwood Team of the Century and Norwood and South Australian halls of fame. He played 15 games for his state and was twice captain (1986 and 1989).

With a CV like that, Michael Aish clearly must have has something going for him. If the word "elegant" described his father then all I can say is that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. He was composed, courageous, had great evasive skills, rarely made a mistake and personified presence on the field.

There was a time in the mid 80s when I harboured the hope that the relationship between Norwood and Melbourne, which came not only from the colours and the "Redleg" connection but also from the fact that the clubs had exchanged players in the past (Graham Molloy to Melbourne and Ross Dillon and Stephen Kerley to Norwood), might lead Aish to cross to Melbourne to join our own silky smooth champion Robert Flower and to give the Demons an unbeatable combination on the wide wings of the MCG. However, he continually resisted big-money offers to move to play with various VFL clubs, remaining loyal to Norwood and South Australian football.

During a particularly bleak period for the Melbourne Football Club, it was a minor consolation for Demon fans to follow the ABC coverage of a SANFL Grand Final with a Norwood premiership the outcome.

I remember Aish's second flag in 1984 well. The Redlegs had finished in fifth place but swept all before them in the finals including the Port Adelaide Magpies in the decider. The coach was Neil Balme who later coached the Demons and whose brother Craig was a member of the grand final team. Norwood was also Neil Craig's club back in the 1970s.

There was nothing better back then than to see the red and blue toy with the black and white and humiliate the magpie army in a granny even if it wasn't the real VFL deal.

Aish was well tagged for most of the game in '84 but I recall the slightly built winger who wore a helmet and set the crowd alight with a long run on the wing that resulted in a crucial goal for his team.

The man who wore the number 8 for Norwood has a son Jesse who also plays for the club today but while it's unlikely that he will take part in Sunday's SANFL grand final, nephew James will continue the family tradition in the last big game of the year.

James Aish has twice made the NAB AFL Under-18 All Australian team demonstrating that the genes of the Aish dynasty have been successfully transferred to this generation. Last year, at the age of 16, he became the youngest player in SANFL history to win a senior premiership, kicking the goal of the day and amassing 23 touches on a wing. Dean Terlich, now a Demon, was a teammate.

I suppose we'll never know whether grandfather Peter thought of leaving the comforts of home to move to football's "big smoke" in Victoria. Michael and Andrew also stayed home for the duration of their illustrious careers. I don't even know if one of the clubs that sought Michael was Melbourne (he would surely have been the icing on the cake around 1987-90 when the club challenged for a flag) but by the end of next month we will certainly know whether an Aish will finally cross the border to wear the colours of the red and the blue and continue the dynasty over here.

FOOTNOTE: Melbourne has offered up its second pick in the coming national draft to the trade table in exchange for a suitable exchange of players and/or draft picks. Aish is currently considered as one of the contenders for selection number 2 behind Eastern Ranges' key forward Tom Boyd.