For several years, the pre-season competition held some credence, with prize money and the chance of silverware pushing teams to win the grand final.
For most teams the competition also gave them the chance to gain match practice. With a title on the line, the further they went, the more the competitive juices flowed.
The prize money of course was always handy, especially for financially stricken teams like the Western Bulldogs, St Kilda and North Melbourne, who under the old format all won this comp.
Having got so close to the 2009 grand final, in 2010 the Dogs recruited disgruntled Swan Barry Hall, who they hoped would be the final piece in the puzzle to win a flag for the first time since 1954. The plans were not to peak in the pre-season, but they won their first two matches easily and then fell over the line in the semi-final over Port Adelaide, presenting them with an opportunity to win a grand final even if it wasn’t the major one.
They subsequently did, defeating St Kilda, with Hall kicking seven. But their season never got better than that, bowing out in another preliminary final.
Fast forward five years and now the pre-season is all about every team playing three matches each to give their kids game time, experiment with completely different or altered game plans, and then allow their established stars a chance to get rid of the cob webs in the second and third weeks.
This leads us to Essendon, who won’t have many of their players who were at the club in 2012 available to play in these games due to the substance scandal. The Bombers have been given permission to fill their teams up with state league players around Australia, and few ex-AFL players are among those who have answered the call including Mitch Brown from Geelong, Former Demon James Magner, and three-time St Kilda grand finalist Clint Jones.
Although limited, Jones was a fine servant for the Saints and he is a hard body who will complement the Essendon youngsters who will represent the side over the next three weeks.
But why not allow the Dons to be pick some of the best from the leading country and metropolitan leagues around the country, particularly Victoria?
Competitions such as The Ovens and Murray Football League in Victoria take in famous North Eastern clubs such as Albury, Wangaratta and Yarrawonga. Strong metropolitan leagues in the suburbs of Melbourne – including the Essendon District, the Eastern and the Western Region – have provided stars and legends to VFL and AFL over the years, and could still today.
The amateur leagues around Australia also have tremendous reputations.
Their players featuring for Essendon would be a great opportunity for these leagues and clubs to increase their profile and give some of their better and younger players a taste of the big time. No doubt it will be a massive step up, but remember these are practice matches and it’s not about winning at this time of the year.
Who knows, it might be the start of something special for a footballer who thought playing in a very good local league and having a traditional career during the week was going to be their footy career.
The pre-season is the perfect chance to give a player a chance at something very special.
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