Broncos Anthony Milford inspired by Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance
It’s about being an elite athlete. The money. The crushing pressures. The glory. The private doubts. It is no surprise Anthony Milford has found a resonance in the smash Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance.
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Like seemingly half of the planet, Anthony Milford stays up late every Monday night, waiting for the latest episodes of the compelling documentary on NBA legend Michael Jordan to drop into his Netflix account.
For Milford, it is an anthem — his anthem — of what it means to be an elite athlete.
The struggles. The money. The fame. The crushing pressures. The good times. The glory. The backslappers. The private doubts. The unexpected burdens that can make or break even the most gifted sporting talent.
Milford, the highest-paid player in Broncos history on the club’s first $1 million deal, would never dare compare himself to Jordan, but The Last Dance’s inner-sanctum view of the Chicago Bulls dynasty has resonated with him.
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In particular, one image of Jordan: His Airness sobbing in the dressing room as he clutches his first NBA trophy in 1991. Milford wasn’t even born at the time, but that singular moment, Jordan’s consummating coming of age, represents everything the Broncos playmaker craves in his own NRL sphere.
“All the Broncos boys have been watching the Jordan doco. It’s awesome,” Milford tells The Sunday Mail.
“We all come in on Tuesday morning and talk about it.
“It’s self-explanatory why he was the best athlete in the world. Watching it, Jordan worked hard and was always so competitive. There’s definitely parts in the documentary that I have taken and want to bring to my game.
“To see the footage of him winning his first title, crying as he held the trophy … that really made a point with me.”
It has been almost a year since Milford has conducted a media interview. During that time, the Broncos have been flogged 58-0 in a finals series. Coach Anthony Seibold has held a private heart-to-heart with him. He has shifted from five-eighth to fullback and then back again. His partner is pregnant for a second time. And he scored arguably the greatest solo try of his career against Souths in March, just days before the coronavirus saga forced the suspension of the NRL.
The eight-week hiatus has given Milford time for self-reflection about who he is, how he is perceived and what he wants to achieve at the Broncos.
Last week, his manager advised the Broncos Milford would be remaining at Red Hill in 2021. Milford had a contractual option to walk away from Brisbane this year. Instead, he rejected interest from three NRL rivals to stay loyal.
Granted, a $1 million salary is a fair incentive to stay, but, at 25, Milford says he won’t be truly content until he emulates Jordan and gives the city of Brisbane their first premiership since 2006.
“I still feel I owe the Broncos a lot,” Milford says.
“The reason I stayed … I love this club. If we can keep this current squad together, I believe we can definitely give the comp a good shake and definitely have a red-hot crack at lifting the trophy at the end of the year.
“As a person, I work best when everything is simple. I have a little one due soon and I didn’t want to spend the rest of the year worrying about my future.
“When I try and complicate things, and a lot of stuff is running through my head, I’m not at my best then. My future is not on my mind now.
“It’s been one of my goals since I got to the Broncos (in 2015) to win a premiership. I’ve always wanted to win one for the city and the Broncos fans.
“Being born in Ipswich and raised in Brisbane, it’s all I have wanted to do.”
Now in his sixth season at Red Hill, Milford accepts he has been a source of joy and despair in equal doses. Broncos fans tear their hair out at his inconsistency. Milford has been pilloried for failing to take charge of Brisbane’s offence.
But then he produces a moment of magic, like his sublime 40m solo try against Souths in round two, in which he ghosted past seven defenders, and hope of a Milford-led title dynasty is renewed.
It was that inconsistency which triggered a candid review with Seibold last September. There was speculation Seibold had put Milford on notice. The kid from Inala sets the record straight. He insists there was no talk of being sacked, but the performance appraisal had an outcome. Milford told Seibold to reach his potential as a footballer, he craved a return to the No.6 jumper.
“To be honest, the chat with ‘Seibs’ wasn’t a bad one,” he says. “I don’t know what came out in the media after that, but the talk wasn’t bad in my eyes.
“He wasn’t telling me I’m on my last chance. It was more of an honest conversation around that Parramatta game and how I went last season.
“We spoke about the things I needed to do to get better and how I plan to improve in the pre-season and making sure I look after myself in the off-season.
“I think five-eighth is my best spot. That was part of my discussion with Seibs. I didn’t quite say I don’t want to play fullback, but I came to the club as a five-eighth and I told Seibs I wanted to keep working on my craft as a five-eighth.”
The sight of Jordan tasting NBA glory stirs emotions within Milford. He hasn’t quite reconciled Brisbane’s 2015 grand-final loss to the Cowboys. Milford was the best player on the park that night, but it was his inability to hold possession in the final 60 seconds which led to the Cowboys try that sent the grand final into extra-time.
Then Johnathan Thurston snapped the field goal which broke the Broncos’ hearts.
“What happened in 2015 still haunts me,” Milford says.
“I still remember the final minute. I get flashbacks of it. I made that half-break and then I always think if I just held that ball and Benny Hunt kicks downfield and completes our set, we are the premiers.
“’Hodgie’ (then Broncos skipper Justin Hodges) said to me the only way to bury that memory is to get one yourself. That is driving me.”
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Milford has never appeared comfortable with the burden of expectation and controlling Brisbane’s attack, but the signing of Storm halfback Brodie Croft has been significant.
The former Queensland Origin ace, for once, feels free.
“When I first came here as a rookie, I didn’t have such a big target on myself,” he says. “Then I got that upgraded contract and I understand that deal comes with more responsibility and I am trying to live up to that. It’s been hard at times.
“I feel like I can read the game a lot better than I used to. But there are still moments in my game where, to be honest, I don’t know what I’m doing myself. It’s just off-the-cuff stuff.
“That running side of my game is one of my main weapons and Seibs has given me the green light to back myself.
“Having stability there with ‘Crofty’ definitely helps my game. I don’t need to worry about getting into team into positions.
“I feel there is more to improve on. I think I need to bring my good games and bad games closer together … I hope you haven’t seen the best of me yet.”
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