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THE CAPTAIN

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THE CAPTAIN by the Professor

A great career is over and a new era is about to begin. David Neitz said when he retired last week that he wasn't the club's best player and he's probably right there - Ronald Dale Barassi and Robbie Flower would have superior claims but there are very few in the next bunch of club greats who you could put on a pedestal above him. There are none who could claim to have achieved more on an individual level barring those who can claim premiership honours which, like Flower, eluded the wearer of the famous number 9 guernsey.

Neitz came to the Melbourne Football Club through his junior club Parkmoor and was already in its sights when he was a mere 15 year old. By round 1 of 1993, Neita, was a Demon playing in an assortment of key positions and excelling at all of them. In one of his early games he booted six goals against Richmond but he soon settled down as a key defender and was selected in the Victorian State of Origin team as early as 1994 when he was playing at centre half back. His duels with Wayne Carey were fascinating and the Kangaroo legend regarded him as one of his toughest opponents. By 1995 Neitz was in the All Australian team.

The following year, Melbourne was beset by injuries to several key players including Garry Lyon, David Schwarz and Alan Jakovitch and Neitz was moved forward where he was an instant goal kicking success (except when he was injured himself). Eventually, he was moved to full forward where he began a long run as one of the competition’s top goal scorers. He led the club's goal kicking seven times -1996, 1997 (equal), 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006 and in 2002 won the Coleman Medal for leading the league in goals, making him not only the first Melbourne player to do so, but also the first Demon to head the league's goal kicking since the 1940's. He won Melbourne Best and Fairest Award, the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal and was named full forward in the All Australian team of the same year.

When he finished up last week he held the club’s goal kicking record with 631 goals from 999 scoring shots – an accuracy rating of over 63%. He was the first and only Melbourne player to play 300 VFL/AFL games finishing on 306 – well ahead of the previous games record holder, Robbie Flower (272).

Neitz was appointed captain of Melbourne in 2000 and was into his ninth season in the role when he was forced to retire with an injured disc in the back of his neck. It was as a skipper that he excelled with his leadership qualities, his strength, his determination, his hard tackling and above all, his sheer determination.

We'll miss Neita and although this Kasey Chambers song wasn't written for him or about him, it sums up the strength and courage he displayed as a loyal servant for so many years at the Melbourne Football Club.

THE CAPTAIN

Well I don't have as many friends because
I'm not as pretty as I was
I've kicked myself at times because I've lied
So I will have to learn to stand my ground
I'll tell 'em I won't be around
I'll move on over to your town and hide

And you be the Captain
And I'll be no one
And you can carry me away if you want to
And you can lay low
Just like your father
And if I tread upon your feet you just say so
'Cause you're the Captain, I am no one
I tend to feel as though I owe one to you
To you

Well I have handed all my efforts in
I searched here for my second wind
Is there somewhere here to let me in I asked
So I slammed the doors they slammed at me
I found the place I'm meant to be
I figured out my destiny at last

And you be the Captain
And I'll be no one
And you can carry me away if you want to
And you can lay low
Just like your father
And if I tread upon your feet you just say so
'Cause you're the Captain, I am no one
I tend to feel as though I owe one to you
To you

Did I forget to thank you for the ride
I hadn't tried I tend to run away and hide

And you be the Captain
And I'll be no one
And you can carry me away if you want to
And you can lay low
Just like your father
And if I tread upon your feet you just say so
'Cause you're the Captain, I am no one
I tend to feel as though I owe one to you
'Cause you're the Captain, I am no one
I tend to feel as though I owe one to you
'Cause you're the Captain, and I am no one
And I owe one to you . . .

[Words by Kasey Chambers]
 

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