Unlucky West Coast players lean on each other after missing out on a premiership
ANDREW Gaff blinked away the tears as he praised the people who helped him through a difficult time as his teammates paraded their premiership medallions around the MCG rooms.
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ANDREW Gaff blinked away the tears.
“You get to know the people that are really there for you,” the emotional star said as his West Coast teammates paraded their gold bling around the MCG rooms.
The midfielder missed out on a premiership due to an eight-week suspension for a punch on Fremantle’s Andrew Brayshaw.
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“My family and friends (have supported me). Sam Mitchell (midfield coach) has been great for me,” Gaff said.
“His experience through so many years as a player and now a coach, he knows the right time to talk to players and he knows the right time to leave people alone.
“Eric Mackenzie and obviously Shep (Brad Sheppard) and Nic (Naitanui) have been really good in this situation as well.
“At least we’ve got each other and hopefully we get our chance in the next few years.
“We’ve been encouraged to feel how we’re feeling and I think a good thing for me is to be able to come in — once I’m around the guys I’m fine.
“At training I’m occupied, my mind is busy. It’s on your days off and when you’re at home you think about it a bit more.”
Gaff, 26, is about to hit the road. He’s off to Tasmania for a week and then north Queensland as the realisation his punch cost him a premiership sinks in.
The free agent gave an understandable “nothing at this stage” when asked if there was an update on his future.
It was a class act to even speak to the media, and one that sums up the popular ball winner from Kew.
Naitanui declined to talk, and that was fair enough. After Gaff’s chat he wandered over to the corner, where West Coast integrity officer Peter Staples kissed him on the forehead.
Nathan Vardy knows what it’s like to miss a premiership.
In 2011 he and Dan Menzel both watched on with crutches as Geelong defeated Collingwood in the Grand Final.
Vardy endured “13 or 14” operations at the Cats and was told after hip surgery he would never play again.
“They’re (the surgeries) all worth it now, aren’t they?” Vardy said.
“They’re all worth it now. Doesn’t matter. Does not matter. You can’t take this off me now (holding medal) — unbelievable.
“I took it for granted (in 2011). I thought we’ll just win it next year, I guess. Seven years later you find out how hard it actually is.”
As Vardy was passed a beer, which was significantly drained in a single go, he said the ruck plan was to tag Brodie Grundy.
It worked, much to the joy of his Yarram panel beater father, Bob, and bus driver mother, Shirl.
The Eagles charged into the room at 6.09pm — an hour after the final siren.
Former star Adam Selwood patiently waited in the rooms with his blue and gold scarf wrapped around his neck. Supporter operations staff posed for group photos as the Choirboys’ Run to Paradise was pumped through the rooms.
Gary Greer landed in Melbourne at 5.20am yesterday and then helped prepare the banner and run water to the players.
Greer was in Los Angeles on a family holiday, booking his flights from the Australian bar in New York shortly after the preliminary final.
“I came to this club in 1988 with (inaugural coach) Jonny Todd, so I’ve been here over 30 years,” Greer said.
“My daughter took command of our family holiday and booked flights. She said, ‘Don’t worry, Dad, they won’t get to the Grand Final’. She was hoping we wouldn’t win games, and we just kept on winning.
“There’s 12 of them over there, all my kids and grandkids. They’re all in Disneyland … and I’m in Disneyland here.”
Greer has done just about everything at the Eagles, including recruiting during the early years.
“This club is everything,” he said, clutching a beer.
“This club is extra special, because they seem to keep the likes of myself, ordinary people, involved. You feel like you’re part of the fabric.”
Chief executive Trevor Nisbett said the Eagles’ fourth flag was about resilience.
Nisbett has built this club into a giant. It has a waiting list of about 10,000, because Perth Stadium is not big enough, and Nisbett said that would grow in 2019.
“It just builds on what we’ve done over our 32 years,” he said.
“But we’ll have to reset because they’re hard to win.”
What about the coach, Adam Simpson?
“Well, he’s smart, and that’s the first thing. But he’s also very measured, a really good guy and he was always going to be a good football coach because that’s what he wanted to do,” Nisbett said.
Under pressure to keep his job at times last year, Simpson summed up the Eagles’ year from the dais:
“We’ve done it the hard way this year ... we can’t wait to bring that cup home.”
Originally published as Unlucky West Coast players lean on each other after missing out on a premiership
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