Bernard Tomic was badly exposed by an AFL footballer on I’m A Celeb

RETIRED AFL player Josh Gibson’s ridiculously ripped rig isn’t the only way he’s shaming troubled tennis star Bernard Tomic.

Bernard Tomic has been hung out to dry. Credit: Network Ten

COMMENT

BERNARD Tomic is baring his soul on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here and psychoanalysis is suddenly Australia’s new favourite past time.

Tomic, and fellow tennis problem child Nick Kyrgios, prompt more opinion pieces than any athletes in Australia (and perhaps Australian history), and there’s going to be dozens more this summer if the Tank Engine can stay on the rails in South Africa.

Here’s one more to add to the pile because last night’s episode was fascinating.

The conversation every footy player (of any code) has wanted to have with Tomic since his career went haywire finally happened as retired AFL star Josh Gibson pinned him to the wall.

It’s worth pointing out up front how qualified Gibson was for the task. Being named your team’s best player in a premiership-winning season is one of the highest accolades you can have as a footballer.

Gibson did it twice while winning three flags with Hawthorn in a position which required him to not only shut down his own opponent but come to the aid of his teammates whenever possible. He knows what it takes to sacrifice for success.

The discussion began after Tomic cracked a joke about being retired. This is an edited transcript of their back-and-forth.

Gibson: “If you retired now would you be honestly happy with everything you have achieved in the game?”

Tomic: “No. I could have been top five and won some slams.”

Gibson: “Exactly. Could have, would have, should have.”

Tomic: “If I had have played 10 years ago I would have been probably top three. Now, in the last 10 years ... you have got these three or four guys who control the sport: Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray.”

Gibson: “They don’t have to.”

Tomic: “There is a lot of good players out there.”

Gibson: “Who cares about them. We are talking about you as a player.”

A non-retired tennis player. Picture Nigel Wright.

A retired footballer. Picture: Channel 10

Tomic: “I know. You have to remember I didn’t have a childhood and I didn’t have a life since I was eight or nine years old. I didn’t come from anything ... People don’t realise tennis is a very isolated sport ... it’s not soccer or basketball where you can rely on your teammate ... Ever since I was young I played for the love and the respect but it’s been a business since I was 17 ... I think Novak at 20 got to the top 100, Roger at 21 ... at 18 I was top 40. And 19 I was top 25.”

Gibson: “It doesn’t matter what they did as kids. It’s what they f***ing do now.”

Tomic: “I needed a break to be normal.”

Gibson: “You need a new corner. You need someone who is going to keep you on track here (points to his head) and everywhere else in your life ... It will start here. It will start with challenges and ... training with me. I will push you and make you feel uncomfortable and see what you do.”

Tomic: “You are like a vampire. You don’t eat or sleep.”

You could immediately sense the difference in the way elite sporting teams like Hawthorn deal with performance issues compared to the way Tomic appears to have managed it over the years.

Gibson — who has been shown staying in shape by lifting whatever he can get his hands on in camp while Tomic lays in bed — wanted to stand eyeball to eyeball, not sugar-coat anything and deal with the problem head on.

Tomic looked to make excuses and deflect, and then disarm his confronter with a bit of humour about being a vampire to escape the conflict.

You can argue, like Tomic, that he missed out on learning Gibson’s approach because he plays an individual sport. But it’s almost impossible to believe the likes of Federer and Nadal have achieved what they have without being able to handle confrontation.

Bernard Tomic has been hung out to dry. Credit: Network Ten

But the two comments that really hit home were these:

I could have been top five and won some slams ...

Why is this the rod the 25-year-old has created for his own back? Perhaps when he won the Australian Open junior title at 15 this was a reasonable expectation, but that was 10 years ago and nothing he’s done as a professional has suggested it’s even close to an achievable goal.

If Tomic is to find happiness on the court it’s time to reset his targets. He’s only made one quarterfinal — at Wimbledon in 2011. What’s wrong with simply aiming to regularly make the second week of grand slams?

Nick Kyrgios just pulled a large percentage of the tennis-viewing public back into his corner by getting to the fourth round at the Australian Open. Tomic won’t need to do much more to have everyone viewing him more favourably.

I think Novak at 20 got to the top 100, Roger at 21, got to the top 100 ... at 18 I was top 40. And 19 I was top 25 ...

Sorry mate, but this is just flat out fiction. Djokovic was as high as fifth in the world before his 20th birthday. Federer took a little longer to blossom but he was inside the top 15 at age 19. Your best before your 20th birthday was No. 39 and you’ve never been higher than 17.

But again, why compare yourself to two of the best handful of players in history? This is the realignment that needs to happen. Even aiming to match the achievements of say, Tomas Berdych or Marin Cilic is probably too lofty a goal right now.

Let’s set the bar at Kevin Anderson (highest ranking of 10, made a US Open final) or Sam Querrey (highest ranking 12, made a Wimbledon semi).

Do that and trust us, Australia won’t be disappointed.

Originally published as Bernard Tomic was badly exposed by an AFL footballer on I’m A Celeb