Darwin Whiz Kid Was the Best of His Generation
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SPORT3llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 2 2 ntnews.com.au Malcolm Blight Medals AFL Premierships Norm Smith Medals (Adelaide Best & Fairest) McLeod pure class FOOTBALL BY GREY MORRIS ANDREW McLeod’s last game of football was against Geelong, the best player of his generation signing off against one of the best teams PUB: of all time. The quietly spoken Territ- orian from Australia’s Top End did it his way when he NT NEWS called a halt to his 340-game AFL career. No farewell match against St Kilda at AAMI Stadium in front of his adoring fans, just a quiet word with his team- mates before a press confer- DATE: ence to tell the world his 12-year battle against a pain- ful right knee had been lost. ‘‘The knee got me in the 24-AUG-2010 end, just when I thought I had it stuffed,’’ an almost re- lieved McLeod told the Northern Territory News last night. ‘‘It’s given me a fair bit of curry this year and finally turned the tables on me when I didn’t want it to happen. ‘‘But I got six or seven PAGE: seasons more than I probably should have got and I’ve got to thank a whole heap of peo- ple for that. 36 ‘‘I got through 11 oper- ations and was treading COLOR: pretty carefully in the end while again trying not to let it get the best of me.’’ The hardest part for McLeod was saying goodbye to the Adelaide players he C had scrapped, run, played and fought with in a career McLeod was one of AFL’s true warriors. Throughout his amazing career he underwent 11 knee operations but always bounced back for his beloved Crows M that produced considerably more highs than lows. ing, I reckon some of the to help them out any more.’’ ‘‘I thought then it was a mantle. Adelaide was a club I would be remembered as the Y He opened his farewell players believed it,’’ McLeod McLeod decided on Sun- great way to go out and I feel didn’t have much love for but greatest player the Northern K with a fake offer concerning laughed. day that beating Geelong on even stronger about it now, I came to love, as much for Territory had produced. his former NTFL club Dar- ‘‘But seriously it was the his home ground was the last ending my career by beating their culture as for the ‘‘For mine Andy McLeod win and their wish for him to hardest thing I’ve ever done, time he would wear the fa- the best. players, coaches, training was the best and that’s a play with them for the next telling the players I wouldn’t mous No.23 jumper. ‘‘I’m pretty proud to end staff and the fans who always tough call when you include three seasons. be out there any more. ‘‘It was a great night for the my career as a one-club man, wanted us to win.’’ Maurice (Rioli), Michael ‘‘I thought I’d break the ice ‘‘The press conference af- club and myself, beating the particularly when I was an One of McLeod’s greatest Long, Darryl White and that way and remind them ter that was a breeze com- best side in the competition Essendon man before I friends, former Western Bull- (Nathan) Buckley in there,’’ that Adelaide could not pared to telling your mates with my old mate Goody (Si- played AFL footy and could dog and Brisbane utility Mi- McLean said. ‘‘In terms of match the offer so I was leav- you won’t be in the trenches mon Goodwin) alongside me. easily have played for Fre- chael McLean, said McLeod longevity, ability, leadership Darwin whiz kid was the best of his generation COMMENT It was the perfect recipe for ficial Mayor of Adelaide. Jason Akermanis and into pain was just another hurdle BY GREY MORRIS a ‘‘rookie’’ card that could Today Andrew McLeod is a AFL folklore, but the three for Andrew McLeod to over- possibly have made me a for- retired player after booting field umpires that day did not come in his days as an attack- IT was September, 1994 and a tune in later years — if only a 275 goals in 340 games from give him a vote. ing half-back or hard run- bright-eyed young kid from NT News photographer had McLeod was the 1995-2010. He won every indi- That voteless game is still ning midfielder, playing Darwin called Andrew been close to me. vidual award on offer except talked about today, in the football was something he McLeod had joined AFL club We talked about ambition, best of his time the Brownlow Medal and the same manner witnesses in did very well and being a Adelaide. longevity and living away Coleman Medal and set stan- Dallas in 1963 talk about a Northern Territory player I was a month into my foot- from home. dards on the football field shooter on the grassy knoll was even better. ball writing job with the I remember McLeod telling club (1995) to the matchwinn- that may never be reached. when US President John His premiership coach Northern Territory News me how goose shooting and ing toe-poke goal against At 181cm he was never go- Kennedy was shot. Malcolm Blight said he was and anxious to find out about fishing were things he would Hawthorn three weeks later ing to be a permanent for- But if Andrew McLeod was the player who sparked Ade- the NTFL’s new ‘‘whiz kid’’ miss but that he really want- that was the real beginning ward so the Coleman Medal mysteriously eliminated laide’s premierships in 1997 who had dominated the VFA ed to give AFL footy his best of an extraordinary was never going to be his. from the Brownlow Medal in and ‘98 and Australian coach in an interstate clash in Mel- shot if he was good enough to 16-season career. But the Brownlow, award- 2001, his skills made sure he Kevin Sheedy made him cap- bourne six months earlier. get a game. He was (almost) always ed annually to the AFL’s best was always a larger than life tain of his country when his McLeod was 18 years of age It was the quiet, unassum- available for a chat on the and fairest player, should be character in the AFL. club Adelaide did not. with a neat haircut, collared ing McLeod I was to know phone, enabling me to bypass in his trophy cabinet. He endured 12 seasons of Andrew McLeod was a shirt, shorts and adidas right through his career, be- Adelaide’s media minders to A 37-possession game in pain with his right knee to Territory footballer at the shoes when he finally talked ginning with his almost un- talk one-on-one to the man in Round 22 of 2001 against Fre- reach 340 games, a fact sev- top of his game, skilful, cour- his way past reception to noticed debut against Mel- the No.23 jumper who mantle should have lifted eral fans and pundits would ageous, modest, brave and reach my desk. bourne in his first year at the quickly became the unof- him over eventual winner have been unaware of. But the best of his time. 36 NT NEWS. Tuesday, August 24, 2010. www.ntnews.com.au.