AFL round 3: Melbourne v Sydney, Peter Ladhams opens up on Grand Final suspension pain

Peter Ladhams should have been playing in last year’s Grand Final. Instead, he watched on while suspended. He opens up to Jon Ralph about that pain and changing his ways.

Peter Ladhams had to hit rock bottom to learn the lessons which could be the making of his career.

As he sat in the MCG stands on grand final day, aware a second ill-timed suspension of the season had cost him a spot in that team, it was apparent something had to change.

Put simply, his first season had been a significant disappointment.

His first game against former side Port Adelaide after a high-profile trade had resulted in two minutes of madness.

Ladhams gave away a pair of goals from free kicks against Sam Powell-Pepper and former captain Ollie Wines with the tummy tap to the midfield bull resulting in a one-match suspension.

Peter Ladhams battles Jeremy Finlayson during a match against his former club Port Adelaide.

Then his three-match VFL ban for a late and mindless charge on Melbourne’s Taj Woewodin in late August took on added dimensions as Sydney’s flag hopes grew.

By grand final week John Longmire needed more ruck strength as he dropped Logan McDonald and yet with Ladhams suspended Hayden McLean played instead.

So six months on, it might surprise you to hear Ladhams believes his first season as a Swan will end up being a net positive.

Why?

A four match ban for Peter Ladhams for this VFL hit. He can accept a three week ban with a guilty plea under VFL rules or fight it. A huge setback for Sydney’s ruck depth pic.twitter.com/Zqdze5X0A4

— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) August 29, 2022

Instead of moaning and whining, Ladhams has made profound change.

Through sessions with Sydney’s psychologist Suzie Rhydderch he is working on the steps to harnessing that on-field aggression in a more positive way.

“I think I learnt so much from last year. Obviously it wasn’t such a great year for me personally but what I have learnt from the year, it is actually quite a positive year for me, if that makes sense,” told the Herald Sun ahead of an MCG clash against Brodie Grundy and Melbourne.

Peter Ladhams, Joel Amartey and Logan McDonald after Sydney’s round 2 win over Hawthorn.

“Coming across to a new club was a lot harder than I expected. Moving to a new city and meeting heaps of new people. I didn’t really know anyone at all. It can get really tough but I feel like I have built those connections a lot more and am feeling a lot more settled.

“Last year was really disappointing but I have worked really hard with the psychologist at the footy club. I can get that white line fever and go over the edge a bit.

“It’s about how to control that in a way to have the aggression, which is needed for a big man in the ruck but control it so it doesn’t go over the line and hurt someone and ultimately get suspended. Those two instances last year were pretty silly and it wasn’t really needed at all.

“It is trying to stamp that out of my game and be aggressive in ways that help the team rather than give away 50m penalties and shots at goal and stuff like that.”

Peter Ladhams battles with Tim English for front position.

The June incident against his former side might have created a bigger off field splash.

Jordan Lewis described it as a “brain explosion” as Mark Riccuito gave him a drive by on the way out: “That might just confirm the reason why they pushed him out of the club”.

But for Ladhams the Woewodin hit was even more perplexing.

Sydney was down by 59 points 18 minutes into the last term as Ladhams mowed down Woewodin as he tapped a ball already out of bounds back into play.

“It was definitely disappointing. I was playing VFL and the game was pretty much over and I do that and miss the rest of the season and have no chance of putting my hand up for selection, even though I wasn’t in the team at the time. You think about ‘what-ifs’.

“I guess you have a lot of mates and family messaging you saying what could have been and you definitely think it yourself. I tried not to think about it too much but I was at the game thinking, “I could be out there playing’ but hopefully we are back there this year and I am part of it.”

Peter Ladhams during a VFL match against North Melbourne.

So for Ladhams the aim is to channel ex-Swan Shane Mumford, a physical player who stood tall as a big ruckman but artfully dodged suspensions in the back half of his career.

“Yeah, definitely. The way he went about it was really good. He did it in a way that was within the rules of the game and helped his team and he was a big presence out there.

“If I can do something similar to that without crossing the line I would be happy. It’s just when you get frustrated and have a brain fade, you take a step back and focus on your breathing or the next effort. After those incidents you sit there and think, “Why did I do that?”.

“If you take a few seconds to calm down and breathe you realise everything is going to be sweet.”

Sydney is a spectacular harbourside city but it is also a vast and isolating place for those who relocate without an established support structure.

Settled in the beachside suburb of Bronte, Ladhams says he is finally feeling at home after a tough initiation off the field.

“I think probably the hardest part of coming to a new city is I had only been here once before. I didn’t really know any of the boys at all and then you have to meet 60 new faces with staff and coaches and players as well. It can be really daunting but throughout the year I met the boys and then at the end of the year I went away with a few of the boys and it really helped as well. Did a little trip to Europe.”

That itinerary ticked off a 25-year-old’s bucket list of picturesque sites – Munich’s Oktoberfest, Mykonos, Barcelona, London and then Amsterdam.

But it also allowed him to bond in a more meaningful way with his teammates.

“There were a fair chunk of us that went across and we all split off but came together for Oktoberfest and a few other times. You are there with each other every single day and you build that connection quite naturally and then at the club as well, so I feel more comfortable now.”

The pre-season that effectively started after that VFL suspension also unfolded flawlessly after a first summer that involved a Covid positive, a concussion and continuing knee issues.

Tom Hickey is out for four more weeks with his continuing hamstring issues so Ladhams has time to shine.

But if he can continue his strong resurgence and Logan McDonald continues to shine it means Sydney can build from within without needing a massive bid for a Tom De Koning type from a rival club.

“With Tom Hickey injured I have played that ruck role with Hayden McLean and it’s been really good. It’s a position I like to play so I think I have done OK so far.

“The midfield is pretty young as well so hopefully we are there for however long and can really build that connection. It’s really exciting. They are a great bunch of blokes and star players so I am just really fortunate to hit it down to them.”