Tim Membrey has always been a naturally gifted footballer.
When the Swans swooped and took the Gippsland prodigy with Pick 46 in the 2012 Draft, the young forward had already proven he was a talented goalkicker with the old-fashioned blue-collar swagger about him.
It seemed like an almighty steal for a club that has found some serious diamonds out of the rough in their impressive decade.
During his draft year, his then coach at the Gippsland Power, Nick Stevens, declared he was a better kick at goal then Brendan Fevola.
He worked on his craft, bagging goals in the NEAFL, including an eye catching eight-goal performance in 2014 but was simply unable to find a spot in a Sydney side that had only recently obtained the signatures of Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett on big money deals.
Membrey spent two years at the club, exempt from opportunity despite being a class above reserves level.
When club legend Adam Goodes decided to commit for another year, Membrey got tired of waiting, he was eager to get his crack at AFL football and realised that a change of clubs might be the spark he needs.
He then requested a trade, citing more senior opportunities as the reason he wanted to leave the Swans.
His coach, John Longmire, was on the record giving Membrey his blessing to leave, but making it clear to him that he wants him to stay as he is good enough to be playing regular AFL football.
Membrey chose to leave.
Surprisingly, the Swans could not facilitate a trade and subsequently delisted the devastated young forward.
It seemed that another prodigious talent would be lost to AFL football after only two years.
Then came the lifeline by the St Kilda Football Club, who saw Membrey’s talent and thought he could add a dimension to a Saints side in the middle of a painful rebuild.
The Saints recruited Membrey as a delisted free agent at the end of 2014, on a one-year contract.
The tattooed, rough-looking forward came to the club as an unknown commodity.
Membrey battled through his first year at the club, bagging nine goals from his 12 games at the senior level, but failing to find the continuity that derailed the start of his career at Sydney.
He was a whipping boy for Saints fans, who were frustrated with his season, as they could see his potential.
Coming into the 2016 season, barely keeping his spot on the Saints senior list, being offered a deal close the cut off period for list managers, Membrey knew he needed a big year to keep his AFL dream alive.
After starting the season in the VFL for Sandringham, Membrey finally got his chance in the Round 6 thumping of Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.
He kicked five goals, had eight marks and 16 disposals in a best on ground performance. He hasn’t looked back since.
Membrey’s stunning form has seen him kick 39 goals from his 14 matches to date, including four bags of five goals.
Only Lance Franklin, Josh Jenkins, Eddie Betts and Josh Kennedy have matched or bettered this feat.
It makes you wonder if he had played the first five games whether he would be the leader in the Coleman Medal.
The 22-year-old forward has stood tall and been a brilliant addition to the Saints.
He is an old-fashioned, hard working forward who does all the little things right and is a deadeye dick in front of goals.
His coach, Alan Richardson, spoke of Membrey’s elite qualities and how he is helping shape a potent forward line for his side.
“So not only is a he a pretty good mark, he’s a very hard match-up from that point of view, he’s able to get up and back, he was involved in a lot of our defence he’s certainly able to reset aggressively as a forward and give us something to kick to.
Players that are so flexible do not grow on trees. He is startling similar to Jack Gunston in the way they work hard up and down the ground, but still provide an attacking presence.
His footy nous and excellent instinctive footy brain have made him one of the improved players in the competition.
He is now settled at the Linen House Centre and has a massive future and say in the direction of his new club.
The supporters are excited and so they should.
He is surely in the calculations for an All-Australian selection, in what would be one of the most remarkable stories to come out of this season.
Membrey has epitomised the rise of the St Kilda Football Club in 2016, leaving them on the brink of a shock finals appearance.
Coming up against his old side at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night, in arguably the most important game the club has played since it’s 2010 grand finals against Collingwood, Membrey has a chance to rub salt in the wounds of a club that let him go without giving him the chance to shine.
Jewels
Roar Rookie
Wow Nick, probs should have waited to write this till AFTER the game. Was Membrey even out there in the second half when the Swans turned the screws? I've watched the game twice now and don't recall seeing him when his team really needed everyone to stand up.
Maggie
Guest
Swans win by 70 points. Membrey: 9 disposals, 2 tackles, one goal - h'mmm, If there were any salt being rubbed into wounds tonight, I think it was in the opposite direction to the one being suggested in this article.
MG
Roar Rookie
I think Goodes and Shaw played on because of the trade ban. If there hadn't been a trade ban then I think one or both would have retired. Salary cap was also an issue here. Once they kept Goodes and Shaw there probably wasn't much left for Membrey. Note we also lost Biggs. A side with Membrey and Biggs instead of Goodes and Shaw would have been interesting.
Weasel
Guest
Not to mention the Swans hands were partially tied on the trade front, given they couldn't trade him for a player, only for a pick due to the trade ban.
Rocko
Roar Guru
Premise that Membrey was devastated is highly misleading. He simply wanted out to further his career and get more opportunities - Saints wanted him and a trade could not be done (Saints were in the box seat with number 1 pick in pre-season draft and had no incentive to trade). http://m.afl.com.au/news/2014-10-31/membrey-now-a-saint While great Membrey is doing well, this article has more holes than the Lion's defence. All-Australian???!!!!
me too
Guest
Goodes last year likely cost them Membrey, but gee, if anyone deserved to go out on their own terms it was Goodes. I'm happy for clubs to do the right thing by their stalwarts and their champions. the individual may not be bigger than the club, but the club is made up of individuals. Always saw something in Membrey at the Saints - he just needed to work on very inconsistent goal kicking. He has improved that area enormously. Will be a very important player for us going forward.
Gecko
Guest
Actually it's sad that in this age where there's such a big gap between an AFL footy income and any other income these guys can get, they almost always stay and play one year too many. O'Keefe, Chappy, Goodesy, Judd and Jonathan Brown (arguably even Pav), just to name a few. They end up departing on a low note.
Sydneygirl
Guest
I agree with Jim in that Membrey wasn't as good then as you made out. He had potential. That has been developed since he got the wake up call of having to go elsewhere. Pleased he is doing well now but he wasn't always like that in the neafl and there. I'd a huge. gap between neafl and afl.
Winston
Guest
Stewie that's what I thought last year, but I've changed my mind. It was very important that the old players played on last year during what we can now see in hindsight as a mini-rebuild. Goodes wasn't very good, but we needed him to hang in there for another year while other youngsters developed.
Jim
Guest
Nothing wrong with what Xavier Richards has done for us over the last 3 weeks - not that he is probably a long term solution. Its one of those things - decisions are easy in hindsight and difficult at the time.
Stewie
Guest
I love Goodesy, don't get me wrong, but he really shouldn't have stayed for his last year. If he left, Membrey would've slotted into his spot beautifully, and we'd have an excellent second/third tall for Buddy and Tippett. Instead we currently have Xav Richards :P I kinda wish we gave Goodes the Ryan O'Keefe treatment. He was good in patches in 2015, but in other patches he was a real liability.
Jim
Guest
But what else could they have done Nick? They were ultimately fair to the player at the end of the day, as they should have been - they made it clear they wanted him to stay, but there is one thing the Swans will never do - and that is guarantee players that they will play in the AFL. Players have to earn their stripes and always had. At that stage, Membrey wasn't willing to stay and fight his way into the team in 2015 - so he left for somewhere that he saw as greater opportunities awaiting for a more immediate impact. By the end of 2014 he was clearly above NEAFL level, but that does not mean he was clearly at AFL level either - there is a long way between those competitions. He had some very good games, but he was very quiet in others, in particular against the better reserves teams . He was nowhere near screaming down the door as some might suggest with their retrospective glasses on.
Nick
Roar Pro
I think you have misunderstood. I am painting the picture of a club that may have let a gem get away from them without perhaps fighting a little bit harder to keep him. Actually I monitored Membrey during the 2014 NEAFL season and he clearly played above that level. I never insuitated the Swans treated him badly, I have only said he is talented and the Swans perhaps should have fought harder to keep him on their list. The Swans may regret losing him, because players like him are hard to find.
Jim
Guest
You are really trying to twist and create a story where there isn't one. The swans only delisted him to facilitate him getting to another club - they didn't throw him on the waste pile as you insinuate. Longmire was keen for him to stay, but understood the reasons why he wanted to have more of a chance at first team football in the shorter term - something that in 2015 he didn't really get. No club made a suitable offer, and by that stage the Swans had moved on with their planning, so did what was a reasonable move to ensure he could get to another club. I also don't think you really saw much of Membrey at the Swans in reserves either - while he certainly was showing promise, especially towards the end of his second year, he was never clearly a 'class above' is in my opinion is nonsense. That is not to say that regular swans reserves watches weren't disappointed to lose him - but you make out like he was ripping out there and kicking a bag every week, which was not the case by a long shot. He has blossomed in 2016 no doubt, and good on him - its great to see him starting to fulfil his potential, but really this is a story of Membrey taking his opportunity at the Saints, rather than anything to do with some sort of poor treatment by him at the swans. Ultimately, every club has players they let go that they wish they didn't as an afterthought, but I'd argue the Swans have got far more list management decisions right than they have got wrong, especially over the past 10 years or so. Also, before we all hail him as the next superstar, lets see him kick a bag against a top quality opponent (no doubt he'll come out and do it tomorrow night now). West Coast - 0, Adelaide - 1, Geelong - 1, Bulldogs 2. His bags of 4 and 5 have come against North, Melbourne,, Bombers, Carlton and Melbourne again. All bottom out of the eight teams with the exception of North. No doubt it will come in time, but its one thing to bash up the mid tier teams, its another thing to do it against quality opposition. Perhaps Saturday night might be his night, but he also might find it tough against a pretty miserly defence - will just depend on the nature of the game that ends up getting played out.