Western Bulldog Joel Hamling is making the most of his second chance at AFL level
JOEL Hamling’s journey to Whitten Oval has been longer than most. A total of 4984km — with a detour to Geelong thrown in.
Bulldogs
Don't miss out on the headlines from Bulldogs. Followed categories will be added to My News.
JOEL Hamling’s journey to Whitten Oval has been longer than most.
A total of 4984km — with a detour to Geelong thrown in.
Signed by the Cats in the 2011 national draft, Hamling packed his bags and left Cable Beach — most famous for its Indian Ocean sunsets and camel trains — destined for Simonds Stadium.
He’d be in for a huge learning curve, starting in the weights room.
BIG FINAL: BOYD READY FOR FIERCE REUNION
SEPTEMBER DREAM: DOGS UNITED IN SEPTEMBER DREAM
“I came from a long way back,” now-Dog Hamling laughs.
“I’d never been in a weights room in my life.
“I probably ran 10 minutes in a 2km (time trial) and I never really knew a game plan.
“I rocked up to Geelong with a singlet on and went, ‘Jesus’.
“Tom Hawkins was throwing weights around in the gym and then there’s me — a scrawny little 78 kilo fella in a singlet. I knew I had some work to do.”
And work he did, the defender — who played most of his junior football for Cable Beach, where he lived for a few years from the age of 13, before the club stumped up the cash for him to go to Perth and play for WAFL outfit Claremont.
A move east eventually beckoned, Hamling plying his trade in the Cats’ VFL outfit for three years before he moved to the Western Bulldogs as a delisted free agent at the end of 2014.
He’d won a flag with Cable Beach in 2010, and his days of fishing and camping are reserved for holidays now, but he credits the Greenbacks for doing their bit in getting him to Saturday’s clash.
“I was in a singlet and boardies every day, no shoes, training twice a week,” Hamling says of his time playing in the Kimberley.
“Just enjoying it really — a young country boy who was down the beach every day.
“They’ve been massive for me — Cable Beach Football Club — and my development.”
Now 23, the defender has played 10 games for the Bulldogs this year including the team’s two finals wins.
Having arrived at Geelong at the end of a premiership year, Hamling knew he’d have his work cut out to break into the side, but said he was anything but disheartened by his three years in the VFL.
It was his apprenticeship, he says, and now that he’s graduated, the benefits of such a solid foundation and the tutelage of star players are evident.
“The jump from where I’d come from to playing VFL with men and one of the best state competitions in the country was pretty big for me — let alone playing AFL,” Hamling explains.
“I was playing VFL and was doing pretty well at that … pretty much an apprenticeship, really, to set myself up to play decent AFL football.
“People from the outside always say ‘you were slogging it’ and ‘you were really upset to not be playing AFL’, but I wanted to play it, for myself. To be playing VFL and learning my craft in there, if it means I can be playing consistent football when I’m in the AFL and not be in and out of the team, it has really helped me along the way.
“I never really doubted my ability. For a lot of people on the outside, it was a long shot, but I put myself in the right frame of mind and put myself in the position to play AFL footy … and I’m getting the rewards.”
Giant forward Jeremy Cameron looms as a likely opponent at some stage in Hamling’s first preliminary final, but he’s not daunted by the prospect.
But coach Luke Beveridge is calling for a big one.
“His season’s gone in different waves,” Beveridge said.
“He’ll be a really important role-player for us in this game. We’ve seen over the last two weeks that he can play on all types — he’s got good attributes to be able to compete in the air and ground level.
“We’re looking for another big performance from him.”
The back six are a team within a team, Hamling says, and after what he describes as a ride that has included “a few bumps along the way”, he and the “people’s club” are ready.
BIG CALL: COULD THE BULLDOGS BE THE NEXT HAWKS?
LIST CHANGES: WHO IS GOING WHERE IN 2017?
“We’re just a group of guys who just want to go out there and play hard each week and we love our fans and love the club,” Hamling says.
“It’s just a good place to be around. Since Bevo has come, he’s made that culture and it’s just a good club to be around and good to play for.
“Even people that don’t support us will say we’re their second team. I’ve got people that message me on Twitter to say ‘good luck’ and they say that they go for Hawthorn … it’s really bizarre to think that everyone’s going for us.”
Originally published as Western Bulldog Joel Hamling is making the most of his second chance at AFL level
Saints cool on Soldo as Lions eye Daniher replacement
Jack Macrae is still coming, but Ivan Soldo might not be. JON RALPH has the latest on the Saints’ targets, as well as who the Lions might be eyeing to replace the retired Joe Daniher.
Cats, Dogs at odds as hefty Smith asking price revealed
The Western Bulldogs have refused Geelong’s offer of pick 17 for Bailey Smith. Now what they are really after can be revealed. Plus the latest on Jake Stringer’s move away from Essendon.