Round 15 08.indd - sanfl

6
TOUGH GUYS OF THE SANFL
TOUGH GUYS OF THE SANFL
BY PETER ARGENT
The notion of ‘football
toughness’ comes in
many forms.
If you look in a dictionary,
among the general definitions
of toughness you will find
terms such as ‘not easily
broken’, ‘durable’, ‘capable of
great endurance’, ‘staunch’
and ‘steadfast’.
What is recognised in a
footballer to achieve this
substantial accolade is a
player’s ability to run in
straight lines, not shirk a
contested situation, or be
pushed off the ball.
Players also need to
demonstrate they have a
strong presence around the
contest and the ability to win
the hard ball, along with an
uncompromising and fearless
attack, and a willingness to
remain focused on the football
no matter what is coming at you.
Another sign of toughness
is the ability to play through
injuries.
During a famous South
Australian win over Western
SANFL FOOTBALL BUDGET - ROUND 15 - LEAGUE FOOTY
Australia in the 1960s, Glenelg
legend Harry Kernahan was
reported to have been moved
up to a forward pocket to
help the Croweaters to an
inspiring win, despite having
a broken collarbone.
Port’s Ivan Eckermann,
playing with heavy strapping
around his leg in the 1977
Grand Final, returned to the
ground and kicked three
goals to help his side to
victory in another case of
intestinal fortitude etched
in the annals of SANFL
football history.
While the history of South
Australian football is rich in
players who have displayed
great physical courage with a
fierce desire for the ball, we
now take a club by club look
at today’s SANFL players who
are regarded as having the
unique qualities of football
toughness.
Sturt
Nicknamed ‘Madness’ and
always punching above his
height and weight range is Sturt
defender Andrew Whiteman.
Whiteman is relentless in his
attack on the ball and body,
but remains scrupulously fair.
He is a highly respected, if a
little unheralded, member of
the SANFL football community.
Co-captains Ben Nelson and
2002 Magarey Medallist Jade
Sheedy are also among the
Double Blues’ personnel noted
for their courage, commitment
and determination.
Recruit of the year in 2007,
Luke Crane, is also highly
credentialed in this area, as is
veteran Simon Feast who has
often demonstrated the ability
to play through the pain
barrier. Despite a myriad of
ailments, Feast, now 33,
continues to be a stoic
performer for Sturt in ruck.
Port
A footballer who gets more
attention than most in the
SANFL is Magarey Medallist
Jeremy Clayton. Diminutive in
stature, (175cm and 76 kgs),
Clayton persistently has a
tagger alongside him, trying to
curb his influence on the game.
Despite the constant
attention, Clayton is always
putting his body over the ball
and taking physical
punishment, while still being
among the competition’s top
possession winners.
Kristian De Pasquale also
espouses all the requirements
of a tough footballer in the
SANFL, true to the tradition of
the prison bar jumper.
South
From the West via Alberton,
Craig Parry is currently one
of the leading big men in
the competition. At 194
centimetres and 98 kilograms,
Parry has the size for a
physical presence on the
ground and he’s as tough as
nails, either in ruck or up
forward for the Panthers.
Josh Thewlis is another
Panther considered amongst
the toughest players in the
competition.