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My chat with the draftees: part two

Roar Guru
19th January, 2013
3

Today I continue my chats with some of the AFL’s new bunch, including Port Adelaide’s Kane Mitchell and Brett Goodes from the Western Bulldogs.

Kane Mitchell is a 23-year-old midfielder from Claremont who was selected by Port Adelaide at number 5 in the Rookie Draft.

AS: Kane, Your story is an interesting one. Could you tell us about it?

KM: In 2010 I was lucky to have Simon McPhee come in as lead coach at Claremont and he believed in me and showed a lot of faith and let me play senior footy, I think I was 19 or 20 at the time so that was good getting that exposure but it has just been a gradual improvement, just always wanting to get better and a hell of a lot of hard work.

I did think being drafted may have passed me by. But I never set out to get drafted. If it happened I was always going to jump at the opportunity but I just wanted to play in a successful side and that meant I had to play good football and this [being drafted] is a by-product of that.

AS: You are one of the few draftees who have played senior football. Do you think that experience gives you an advantage over your younger counterparts?

KM: Whether I have an advantage or not I’m not sure because they have more upside being so young but having said that I have been exposed to playing against men and those who are in the AFL system so hopefully that does work in my favour, but the young guys are all working just as hard as I am.

AS: How have you found training compared to the WAFL?

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KM: I’ve loved every minute of it. I think it’s the sheer quantity that has been the hardest thing to adjust to: the morning skills and running sessions and then doing it again in the afternoon five times a week is something I’m adjusting to. But I’m loving every minute of it and looking forward to a big year.

AS: I haven’t seen you play but what we have heard about you is that you are a beautiful runner, can run all day … but you can’t kick.

KM: Yes, I’ve had that for a long time. I think everyone said I was too slow, too short and couldn’t kick. Sometimes you get pigeon-holed and I try not to listen. I know what my strengths and weaknesses are and I try to work on them as hard as I can.

Hopefully my kicking has improved.

AS: You won the 2012 Sandover Medal equalling the record for most votes polled in the award. That’s quite impressive and with your senior experience and obviously strong work ethic there must be a good chance of you making your senior debut at some stage.

KM: Yes, I hope I will get my opportunity. At the moment I’m just trying to earn the respect of the playing group and that’s where I think I’m at; just to get them, not to accept me, but to earn their respect and hopefully I will get that opportunity and I can repay Port Adelaide for giving me the chance.

Brett Goodes, the 28-year-old VFL journeyman, is probably the most popular of all the draftees. As the Western Bulldogs player welfare manager, he had accompanied the club’s draftees to previous induction camps. But this year it was his turn. Giving hope to all mature age players still dreaming of an AFL career, Goodes was selected as a rookie by the Bulldogs.

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AS: Many people would say that at 28 you’re too old to be starting an AFL career. Do you think though that perhaps you’re at your peak now; that you may in fact be a better footballer than when you were in your early twenties?

BG: I suppose you have different levels of development and obviously I didn’t have the AFL development that these young kids will be experiencing are starting today. But coming through the VFL you learn in different ways and having worked at an AFL club over the past two years I have seen how the guys do develop from the early stages.

Not having trained at AFL level before they are saying that my training age could be around 25 instead. I feel confident in my body, have been able to get through all the training with no injuries or fatigue. I think I’ll be right to go and concentrate on the next six weeks and hopefully get the opportunity to play NAB Cup.

AS: You’re a dual premiership winner with North Ballarat and, until recently, played for Williamstown. Do you think playing at that level for so long will prove a hindrance, or is the physicality of the VFL actually a good preparation for an AFL career?

BG: Not getting picked up as a young kid obviously affected me a little bit. I didn’t take football all that seriously and the penny didn’t drop until I was about 22-years-old when I realised how hard you had to train even to play VFL footy.

It is a more contested brand of footy and not as open and flowing as AFL so I suppose it did shape me into the player that I am now. I’d still take the same pathway because I don’t think I would have been the contesting footballer I am now if I had started at an AFL club as an 18-year-old, but who knows?

AS: When the Bulldogs won their only premiership there weren’t any televisions. It was so long ago that many avid supporters of other teams would love to see the Dogs win a flag. What is the feeling around the club about its past. Does it tend to ignore it and look solely to the future?

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BG: There’s been a big project rolled out about the history and the hall of fame and we haven’t had that previously. We get the young players to do research on the ’54 team and who those guys were. So we make sure the players all understand the history of the club. It is a club that looks back on its history very fondly.

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