’He hit me between the eyes, which is the way I like it’: The conversation before shock medal win

It was the meeting that hit Harry Grant “between the eyes” but paved the way for his shock and stunning Magarey Medal win, writes Andrew Capel.

Harry Grant’s work ethic and professionalism has never been questioned.

He just wasn’t getting maximum reward for effort.

So at the end of last season – Queanbeyan-born Grant’s second in the SANFL with Central District – coach Paul Thomas sat him down and hit him “between the eyes’’.

“We just spoke about my year and some of the frustrations I had, where I knew I had some strong performances in me but I needed to be able to produce them week-in, week-out,’’ midfielder Grant said after he played only seven games in an injury-affected 2022 campaign.

“He just gave me some honest feedback and hit me between the eyes, which is the way I like it.

“I think that was a big turning point for me and my football and I am forever grateful to him for doing that.’’

It was a Magarey Medal winning discussion.

Thomas – a six-time Central premiership player and Magarey Medallist in 2004 – felt Grant, who he described as being “deeply passionate about the sport and our club and hungry for success’’, needed to use his “tools’’ better.

Harry Grant shows off his 2023 Magarey Medal at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday. Picture: Dean Martin.

“It was about his ability to use his weapon, which is his running, differently,’’ Thomas explained.

“Last year Harry navigated a knee injury and some form (issues) on the back of that. He worked super hard, almost too hard, but he needed to learn to use his tools at the right time.

“So it was a matter of realigning what was best for him and providing some education.

“We went above Harry Grant and looked at some players he could follow, such as (Gold Coast’s) Touk Miller and what made him go from a 20-possession player to a 36-possession player and rank highly in the Brownlow (Medal).’’

Thomas spoke to his former Central teammate and then Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew and Suns assistant coach Tate Kaesler, who he worked with at the Crows, about Miller’s transformation from being a good AFL player to star.

Grant, 22, intensively studied Miller’s running patterns, including accessing behind the goals vision, during his summer break.

“That was the big thing that came out of my meeting with Thommo,’’ he said.

“He had connections at Gold Coast and we spoke about my running ability and how I could get more involved in the game – where I could run to pick up more of the footy and learn to defend behind the ball better.

Harry Grant dishes out a handball under pressure from West Adelaide’s Michael Mattingly in Round 13. Picture: David Mariuz/SANFL

“I watched a lot of vision of Touk, where he was running and the fact that he would always use the corridor as his starting point, and I tried to implement that into my game because I had been guilty of not getting into the right spots and wasting a lot of my running.

“The change enabled me to get to so many more contests and become a more effective player for my team.’’

The proof is in the pudding.

Grant, a tough-tackling, 173cm pocket dynamo, on Monday night became Central’s seventh Magarey Medallist, joining the illustrious company of Gary Window (1965), John Duckworth (1979), John Platten (1984), Gilbert McAdam (1989), Thomas (2004) and Brad Symes (2012) in winning SA football’s highest individual accolade.

Platten, a four-times Hawthorn AFL premiership player and 1987 Brownlow Medallist, was at the count at Adelaide Oval and was among the first to congratulate him, even getting him to sign a football with other medallists autographs on it.

Platten revealed Grant had delved into his knowledge about how best to cope with taggers.

“Seeing Harry win the medal is great,’’ Platten said.

“I’ve watched him develop so much over the past three years, he works so hard and puts his life on hold for football and he really deserves this. He plays with great heart.’’

Grant, who averaged 26 disposals, seven clearances and seven tackles this season, polled 27 votes, including five consecutive “threes’’ as best afield in the final five rounds, to edge

Norwood midfielder Mik Rokahr by three.

Bulldog Harry Grant is tackled by South Adelaide’s Joseph Haines in the Round 14 clash at Elizabeth Oval. Picture: David Mariuz/SANFL

Harry Grant at Elizabeth Oval. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“This is all pretty crazy,’’ said Grant, who helped lead the Bulldogs to their first finals campaign since 2017.

“It’s been a crazy 12 months for me, going from doing some run-with roles to having knee surgery, some selection difficulties, and now joining a prestigious (Magarey Medal) club.

“It’s beyond my wildest dreams and doesn’t feel real, even signing that footy for ‘Rat’ (Platten).

“When you walk into Grand Central (the Dogs’ home base at Elizabeth Oval), they have all their Magarey Medallists’ pictures on a wall and to think my head’s going to go next to those greats just doesn’t feel right. It’s pretty bizarre.’’

Grant joined Central from the GWS Academy in 2021 in pursuit of an AFL career.

Growing up as a rugby league and Australian football fan, he played both sports until he was 15 – footy for the Queanbeyan Tigers on Saturdays and league for the Queanbeyan Blues on Sundays – before making the decision to pursue his AFL dream.

His childhood heroes were Parramatta Eels legend Nathan Hindmarsh and former Tigers captain Josh Bryce.

An electrician who was born at Queanbeyan on the ACT-NSW border, Grant attributes his tough-tackling, in-and-under style to his rugby league background.

“When I was playing rugby league I got run over the top of by the big front-rowers, so I love that part of the game, the tackling, the physicality,’’ he said.

It has served him well.

NUMBERS GAME

13

Brisbane goals from stoppages in the second qualifying final against Port Adelaide.

32

More inside 50s that Melbourne had in losing the first qualifying final to Collingwood.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“It’s the falsest finals profile I’ve seen for a top-four team for a long time. And this is not a one-week discussion. It’s about as fake as a $3 note. They don’t defend. They can’t defend their D50 at all and until you get that right, you are not a premiership contender.’’

North Melbourne great David King on Port Adelaide.

“We lacked some composure, we lacked some ball use at times in that first half, but to their credit when they overpowered us, they really overpowered us. They were just better.’’

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley on the qualifying final loss to Brisbane.