Brownlow Medallist and premiership hero Gavin Wanganeen coming out of retirement to play for Moonta to see if he’s still got it at 46
Brownlow Medallist Gavin Wanganeen is going full steam ahead to make a comeback for a country footy team. But has he still got it at 46? SEE THE VIDEO.
- Local Footy SA: For all the latest around the state
- Wanganeen creates more history on Power board
- AFL legend’s artwork to feature on footballs
- Wanganeen reveals his biggest struggle
Gavin Wanganeen is coming out of retirement at the age of 46 to help a country footy team hit by injury attempt to make finals – and to see if he’s still got it.
The Brownlow Medallist, two-time AFL and one-time SANFL premiership player has been training for three weeks ahead of his football comeback for Moonta on the Yorke Peninsula on August 3.
A phone call from friend Aiden Zwar, whose season with Moonta ended in Round 4 when he injured his knee, has convinced Wanganeen to play his first competitive football game in more than a decade.
He retired after 300 AFL games in 2006 and, apart from playing in an Aboriginal football carnival six years ago, has not kicked a ball in anger since.
“My body was sore when I finished, I’ve got over 300 games in this body and I thought I could do an injury or a knee,” Wanganeen said.
“But then I thought ‘hey, I’m getting older, this could be my last chance to ever play again’ and even though it’s at a different level, that’s OK.
“I got a phone call from Aiden and he said ‘we’ve got some injuries, you don’t want to put the boots back on do you?’ and I said ‘no way in hell’.
“But I thought about it and by the end of the conversation I said ‘yes’.
“I wish I’d done it eight years ago because I’m 46 now and haven’t played a serious game of footy or been registered with a footy club for 10 years.
“But why not? It will be a challenge to put a bit of training in and see how we go. I think it’s going to be a win if we get to the ground and the first siren goes – that’s a win for me.
“Beyond that I don’t know how I’m going to go or how the body is going to hold up. Fingers crossed I can get through the first game.”
Excitement has been slowly building at the Moonta Demons since the club moved to register Wanganeen as a player before the June 30 deadline and it’s now peaking ahead of his first game against Wallaroo at Moonta on August 3.
The Demons sit third on the ladder and Wallaroo is fifth as they chase ladder-leader Paskeville.
“It’s pretty exciting for the whole league, everyone is talking about it,” Moonta coach Luke Pridham said.
“We’ve got a lot of injuries, we’ve had three ACL’s, a PCL and a shoulder, so for him to offer his services, for however long it is, is massive.
“He’s very much respected in football but also the community in general.
“We’ve got a pretty young team this year so the young lads are stoked and some of the older guys who saw him in his prime are pretty excited as well.
“When we first spoke to him he was only 5kg or so over his playing weight so he’s still in good condition and you don’t lose your smarts do you?”
Wanganeen won a Brownlow Medal and a premiership with Essendon in the forward pocket, then 11 years later won a second AFL flag with the Power in the forward pocket - and that’s where he plans to line up for Moonta.
“That’s probably the only position I can play, if I play in the back pocket my opponent might run me off my feet, he might kick a bag on me,” he said.
“So I’ll just play in the pocket and rely on some experience and some smarts if I’ve still got it, but it’s an unknown.”
Wanganeen has given himself five weeks to get fit and condition his body for a return to competitive footy, including training with his son Tex’s under-16 team at the Mitcham Hawks.
“He said ‘you won’t get a kick dad’,” Wanganeen said.
“And gee I was blowing, I was thinking ‘why am I doing this? You’re crazy Gav’, but anyway, it will be interesting.
“I’m bone on bone in my right knee so I might have to get booked in to get my knee replaced after the first game, but hopefully I can get through and get some sort of fitness back.
“The plan is hopefully to play more than one game. You never know, I might enjoy it again.
“It’s a chance to get back out there, hopefully there will be a bit of excitement around the place that I’m coming back and that’s a good buzz for me at my age too.”
Wanganeen was part of a TV panel discussing the Adam Goodes documentary ‘The Final Quarter’ last week and said it was a positive that people were now talking about it.
“It was an opportunity to start talking about that casual racism that exists in that minority of people,” Wanganeen said.
“As a nation it’s up to the rest of us to call it out, if it’s still hanging around, it’s a positive I think.
“We’ve all got a great tool to educate and not allow anyone of race, religion or sex be discriminated against, they are positive conversations that are happening.”
reece.homfray@news.com.au