The only way has been up for Dane Rampe since his goalpost blunder
It’s been a weird season for Dane Rampe but the All Australian contender has put the fallout from his goalpost climb and umpire sledge well behind him.
Dane Rampe might have appeared in the fine print of the Greatest NSW Team of All Time as an honorary “additional squad member”.
But when he joined the starting 22 on stage at an event in Sydney earlier this year, Rampe was paid perhaps an even more tangible tribute.
The King of the AFL, Wayne Carey, declared, unprompted to the audience, that Rampe was the defender he least would have wanted to match up on during his playing career.
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John Longmire joked in the car ride home that he’d never once received a compliment like that from Carey in 11 seasons playing alongside him at North Melbourne.
Singled out on a dais of champions, Rampe was taken aback by what was ultimate praise from arguably the greatest to ever play the game.
“I actually hadn’t met him before. That was the first time I’d ever heard him speak about me, let alone to me,” said Rampe.
“It was very unexpected and I was chuffed. It was a pretty good moment.”
The next night, Rampe climbed a goalpost at the SCG and came crashing back down to earth.
Goalpost gate in turn drew attention to another incident in the win over Essendon that might otherwise have gone through to the keeper, where he sledged an umpire about sounding like a little girl.
The AFL didn’t want to admit to a stuff-up over the goalpost climb so they couldn’t punish Rampe for that, but for the little girl comment, they threw the book at him.
Out of nowhere, Rampe was buried in the middle of what he bluntly acknowledges as, a “s--t” storm.
“It was an interesting couple of weeks, that’s for sure. Fair to say I definitely have learnt my lesson,” Rampe said.
“As s--t as it was, I just wanted to knuckle down and get the attention back on the team.
“The best way of doing that was just to perform well. And I remember thinking after a couple of out-of-character instances, that all I wanted to show was that.
“To provide an example that, despite having a tough time off the field, I could still perform. And that was important for me to prove. Not only to myself but also to my teammates as well.”
That storm finally passed, but the torment wasn’t over yet for Rampe.
Two weeks later at the same end of the SCG, with a match against Collingwood hanging in the balance, he made another schoolboy error in going over his mark. This time the Swans lost.
Coach Longmire struggled to hide his frustration post-match.
However, even on reflection, Rampe denies he had an issue with keeping his head in big, pressure moments.
“No I don’t think so. If it happened once or twice more you’d probably have a case, but for me, where my head is at, I don’t feel that way at all,” he said.
“If anything it’s just a little bit of overzealousness in the one with the mark and a desire to win, whereas the other was a dumb brain fade.”
It’s to Rampe’s great credit that a season punctuated by a couple of embarrassing bloopers has still held up as arguably his best yet in the AFL.
Rampe is well on track to become an All Australian for the second time in an extraordinary career, which he has built from nothing, having been disposed of by the Western Bulldogs as a kid.
The blunders this season might have been astonishing at the time, but what’s been most remarkable is Rampe’s enduring ability to put them behind him and continue to power towards Sydney’s best and fairest.
Rampe has shown his value as a leader.
“It might seem like a big thing but on the inside, (leadership) almost gives you a focus point and I guess having a team to worry about and not worrying about myself, really helped me steel my focus and sharpen my role for the team,” Rampe said.
“I copped a bit of stick but the boys were pretty supportive and had a bit of a laugh in the end.
“I think it’s been my most consistent season. That was a big focus of mine going into my first year as captain. Just to have consistency so I could lead by example.
“I wanted to keep that front of mind.”
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