Early memories of the makings of the premiership team

[Deefensive Language 124]

Reflecting on the Grand Final winning performance I couldn’t help but look back proudly at the early moments in these players’ careers. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing since Roos took over in 2014, but in those eight years I can remember enjoying so many exciting and promising moments related to player development.

Here are my early memories of each player - the moment I had a feeling that something special was brewing (only those who signaled their rise 2018 and earlier).

Max Gawn
R14 2013 v Bulldogs

This is pre Roos, but I remember it as our first win post-Neeld and Neil Craig’s one and only victory. Gawn had been out of the side up until now, and having a soft spot for him I feared his career was just going to fizzle out like the rest of our promising young players at the time. But Craig brought him back in and got the ball rolling.

He didn’t dominate the game, but he competed really hard in the ruck and showed glimpses of his ability to cover the ground and sneak forward for a goal. His breakout game against the Cats was still two years away, but at that point I had a positive feeling that “Treeman” (as my mate and I nicknamed him at the time, because he walked like an Ent) would become our No1 ruck and carve out a decent career (had no idea he’d be 5 time All-Australian and one of the greatest captains!!)

 

Christian Salem
R11 2014 v Port Adelaide

I was really excited when I first saw Salem running around in the #3. He was very raw and mostly played as the sub in the forward line, but in this Darwin game he kicked a couple of goals and was very handy. What I remember liking the most was the way he seemed clean and very team-focused - you could tell he had the footy smarts to become something.

Then two weeks later, remember how he kicked the matchwinner against Essendon following a brilliant chain from defense to attack

Jack Viney
R22 2015 v Fremantle

It was difficult to pick a moment for Viney, but this moment toward the end of a disappointing 2015 season showed to me how strongly his heart bleeds red and blue. We’d just been flogged by Carlton and most fans were checked out at this point. Fremantle were top of the table and we had no hope.

But Viney ran around all day tackling everything he could get his hands on. The final margin was 54 points. It was a performance that gave hope - that we’d be able to build a team around this guy. The following season was his B&F year.

 

Christian Petracca
R9 2016 v Brisbane

I remember watching the warm up from the Punt Road end - Jonesy and Trac were having shots for goal and Trac was dobbing them from the angles. The striking thing about him then was his thighs were like tree trunks. How old was this kid again?

In the game showed what he was capable of - most metres gained for the team and 11 score involvements. Even though he kicked 4 points, one of them was this. No different to the way he plays now, just with more confidence and bulk!

 

Clayton Oliver
R1 2017 v St Kilda

Following a promising debut season I added Clarry to my Supercoach team, predicting big things. The Dees supporting friend I went to the game with disagreed, thinking he wasn’t ready for a breakout season.

But this was Oliver’s first 3 vote game - he dominated in the clearances (9, many of those from the centre) and showed us his aggressive bullocking style that would get better and better over the next 5 seasons.

 

Tom McDonald
R14 2017 v West Coast

There were some brilliant defensive games from TMac in his early career but who could forget this moment when he stamped his authority as a forward with presence. 5 goals to get us across the line in what used to be our most feared roadtrip.

Tom McDonald you genius!

 

Angus Brayshaw
R21 2017 v St Kilda

It seems so long ago now but there was a time when we had all but conceded the failure of another top 10 draft pick. Gus had only just returned from a long layoff following his 4th concussion wearing a helmet. And then he clashed heads with a St Kilda player and looked like that would be curtains.

But then that version of Gus who blew everyone away on GF day showed us what he was made of. He played one of those typically courageous games where he ran hard, backed back into packs and made 10 intercepts to go with it. We all know what happened in 2018 but I think that was the day Goodwin and co conceived of how he could help us eventually win a premiership.

 

James Harmes
R21 2017 v St Kilda

Same game as Brayshaw’s (really shows how promising the back end of 2017 was with all of the above firing). Harmes had been in the team for a while at this point, and though he was handy, always seemed to me like a supporting act that never really shone.

But in his 42nd game he kicked three in the first quarter including one from a spectacular hanger. There was plenty of run and dash on display, and his passion for the club (being a supporter as a kid) really shone through in an infectious way.

 

Bayley Fritsch
R6 2018 v Essendon

This guy seemed to just walk into the team without warning and played like he belonged straight away. His 5th game was a great example of the premiership winning version of Fritsch. Confident straight leads, safe hands and a straight kick. He kicked three and it felt as if we’d found the right combination to kick 100+ scores. So glad that he resolved his yips and that backline experiment was shortlived.

 

Alex Neal-Bullen
R9 2018 v Carlton

I’ve always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with ANB. My early promise for him mostly stemmed from standout performances for Casey in 2016, and even though he got a decent run going in 2017 there was no real moment that grabbed me and said, “this guy is going to be crucial in a premiership tilt!”

So during our crazy run in 2018 when we were belting teams, Nibbler’s speed was starting to become damaging. He kicked four in what was a goal frenzy, but did plenty of defensive things too. Since outside run was always our problem in recent years (and would remain unsolved until 2021) it was promising to see ANB waiting hungrily around the packs.

 

Charlie Spargo
SF 2018 v Hawthorn

Spargo was good in his first year, and who can forget his performance in the Semi Final where he killed it? Two goals and three timely assists, plus incredible defensive pressure that made him integral to the functioning of the forward line. He was so good in this role that it’s hard to believe how average his performances seemed in 2019-20 when we fell down the ladder.

I was firmly in the “delist him” camp, but very glad to be proven wrong with his crucial 2021 role.

Players whose moments came while playing for other teams

Michael Hibberd
R3 2013 v Fremantle

It seems so long ago. Before Essendon’s supplements scandal exploded in 2013, Melbourne were absolutely smashed by Essendon in Round 2 by 148 points. The game was too distressing to watch until the end, but there was one guy running around in the backline for Essendon that caught my eye.

I watched him closely in the next round against Freo and he was even more impactful. That image of him streaming away from defending forwards on the back flanks became a real feature of his time at Essendon. Following his suspension it was amazing to see him do an even better job at this role at Melbourne, taking out an All-Australian. He’s a different player now, but the sight of him sprinting toward the crowd with the premiership cup reminded me of the old Hibberd that I put so much faith in when we recruited him.

 

Ben Brown
R23 2014 v Melbourne

Back when North Melbourne were decent, we faced them just before the finals and posted our 10th loss on the trot. In a tradition that was common at the time, long-suffering supporters like me would look out for inexperienced or bit-part players who would dominate only against us (I think Tim O’Brien was the best of these).

It was BBBs first season and even though he was starting to look the goods, it felt like he had no right to ragdoll us in only his 8th game. Those long arms and crazy hair stuck with me, so when we made him ours all of those years later I felt I could finally get some peace of mind from those moments he ripped us a new one at his peak.

 

Ed Langdon
R22 2015 v Melbourne

In the same game that Fremantle smashed us and Viney showed his courageous nature, a young Freo player was making his debut. Debutants normally fade in and out of the game, but Ed was lively throughout the whole match. He seemed to have a bit of dash and confidence for someone so young - at that moment he seemed like someone to keep an eye on.

 

Steven May
R20 2016 v GWS

The Suns had a low profile in Melbourne but you always knew that apart from keeping your eye on Ablett, May in the backline would be tough opposition. He was always solid in the games I saw him play, but this one I tuned into against the Giants showed that extra edge to his game. The balls that didn’t meet his fist were intercepted and used to begin attacking chains. He seemed like a rock - reliable and with a strong presence around his teammates. No wonder they gave him the captaincy after this season. 

 

Jake Lever
R16 2017 v Bulldogs

Around this era whenever the discussion turned to quality young defenders all the experts would rave about Lever. However I really hadn’t seen him take a game apart as his few games against Melbourne up to that point weren’t that influential.

But in this Friday night game I finally understood all that Lever Fever - he was intercepting everything and seemed to be so in control in the backline. It was amazing to think he was only 21 at the time as he had this level of self-assurance that comes from experience. His signing was my most celebrated - for once a quality defender that WE were poaching rather than the other way around (eg. Rivers, Frawley, Dunn, Howe)

 

Special mention to

Jayden Hunt
R7 2016 v Gold Coast

Jayden Hunt seemed to come from nowhere. Unsighted in the Under 18 TAC Cup and was on our list for 2 years without playing a game….then all of a sudden was charging off the half back line like a madman. His disposal wasn’t great early one but we were so used to slow, safe ball movement at this time that it was a breath of fresh air.

In the game that we crushed Gold Coast, Hunt wasn’t quite ready to break out but he showed that irresistible drive to bounce and run - it was a super exciting time to go to the footy.
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Would love to hear others' memories of these players. Was there a special breakout moment for you?

Edited October 10, 2021 by Deefensive Language
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