Port Adelaide’s mid-season draftees Harry Ramm, Ewan Mackinlay and Mani Liddy
The three newest Port Adelaide players have shelved university and work — at least for now — as they embark on life as a full-time footballer. Simeon Thomas-Wilson met them.
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The days of eight hours of work then straight to footy training are over, uni courses are either being deferred or going to part time.
Life has changed very quickly for Harry Ramm, Ewan Mackinlay and Mani Liddy after the trio realised their AFL dreams on Wednesday night when they were all picked up by Port Adelaide in the mid-season draft.
“I’ve started uni, I’m doing mechanical engineering full time at the moment and I’m meant to be there right now actually,” Ramm said as he addressed media as a Port Adelaide player for the first time.
A week for the now ex-Glenelg athletic defender — 202cm tall and at 18 still growing, getting the nickname of ‘Wemby’ after basketball star Victor Wembanyama at the Bays — is going to look a lot different.
The train ride from Brighton to the city to go to Adelaide University is now going to be a lot different.
“Last week would have looked like uni Monday, Tuesday and then I would have gone into work on Wednesday,” he said.
“I worked eight hours at the timber yard there building trusses, which is a bit on the tools, bit of nail gunning, a bit of lifting wood.
“And then would have been back at uni Thursday and Friday and then obviously training between that.”
Former North Adelaide midfielder/forward Mackinlay is another who was balancing studies to become a PE teacher and work.
“It was either uni or work,” the 21-year-old said.
“If I had uni I was waking up and getting to Flinders Uni at 8am and I would be there until 3pm and have three different classes.
“And then I would probably usually go straight to training, do my vision and then train.”
On the days he was working, whipper snipping and landscaping, Mackinlay would start work at 6.30am or 7am and finish around 2.30 to 3pm.
Liddy, a former under-18 state captain from Central District, was spending the day as a refrigeration mechanic before going to training with the Bulldogs.
“I’d get up at about 5.30am, 6am, get ready for work, head into the city and do my eight hours of work and then head to training or do weights after work,” he said.
“On Monday’s I would get home at 8pm or 8.30pm because it is a lighter session then Wednesday’s would be 9pm or 9.30pm because you’ve got your main session.”
Now their days are going to be a fair bit different.
Footy is now full-time work, so the balancing act is a far more simple one.
“Full-time footballer, it’s going to be a nice change,” Liddy said.
“I’m going to have a bit more time on my hands to help around the kitchen I think.”
Originally published as Port Adelaide’s mid-season draftees Harry Ramm, Ewan Mackinlay and Mani Liddy
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