Patrick Dangerfield’s Adelaide family, the McGills, are still very close to the Geelong star

THE McGills are Crows supporters, but when it comes to Patrick Dangerfield, it’s a little complicated. They are his adopted ‘Adelaide family’ — and still remarkably close to the AFL star.

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PATRICK Dangerfield would often be on the phone around 4.30pm to his old mate Mark McGill, asking “your place or mine?”.

The now AFL superstar would be referring to that night’s dinner, joking with the man whose family hosted him after he landed in Adelaide as a raw teenager in 2008.

As the years passed, they became close friends — and today, that bond is strong as ever.

McGill, who used to work at the Adelaide Football Club, was the master of ceremonies at Dangerfield’s wedding (though he jokes a celebrity such as Bruce McAvaney would be more likely) and he received an immediate text from Dangerfield on the birth of his son, George Patrick.

The message, “I’m a dad,” said everything.

Patrick Dangerfield, with Sam McGill and his brother Jack at their home, where Dangerfield stayed after he moved to Adelaide full-time for the 2009 season. The two families remain close. Picture supplied by family

Dangerfield shares in a family celebration with Sam McGill, who was, along with his brother Jack, like Patrick’s own brothers. Picture supplied by family

McGill, who now serves as the CEO of Variety, recalls a string of memories that sum up the loyalty and close friendship with Dangerfield.

He stayed with his family and became the closest thing to a big brother to McGill’s kids Sam and Jack during the 16 months he was billeted at the family home in Grange.

He would move down the road to Henley when his girlfriend — now wife — Mardi came across to Adelaide, but their friendship remained just as strong.

The 4.30pm phone calls became a ritual, as did the unexpected suggestions of catch-ups.

Such as the time when Dangerfield called McGill and said: “At Grange, come out fishing” and was sitting in his boat about 20m from land as McGill went down to the beach to join him.

McGill says he hasn’t seen many changes in Dangerfield, other than that he has become a Brownlow Medallist and a smooth media performer who is possibly ahead of his time in maximising his opportunities.

His move from the Crows, where he left as a club champion to Geelong, where he won a Brownlow Medal, had left him unaffected.

There’s still the family-oriented, grounded kid who arrived at his doorstep in late 2008.

“He was an incredible role model for Sam and Jack, just how focused he was and he was never in trouble.

“Sometimes when I needed to get a message through I asked Pat and he would tell them.

“Now, with him being married and having a son — it’s been an incredible journey.”

McGill has a chuckle when he thinks back on the pie nights at the family home, where players such as Rory Sloane, Taylor Walker, Richard Douglas and David Mackay were regulars.

Sam and Jack would cut out the player’s numbers in pastry to put on top of the slow-cooked pies so that the players would know which pie was theirs.

McGill now plays host to Jake Kelly, the son of Collingwood great Craig, and there is every chance Kelly will stand Dangerfield when he spends time in the forward line.

McGill’s loyalty will be with Kelly and the Crows, but he still wants Dangerfield to parade his skills.

Patrick Dangerfield after kicking a goal for Geelong against Sydney. Picture: AAP/Julian Smith

“My allegiance will always be with the footy club (the Crows) but I want Pat to play well,” he said.

After being drafted in 2007, Dangerfield spent 2008 completing Year 12 in Victoria but would come over to play a few games for West Adelaide in the SANFL.

He was called up for two games late in the season for the Crows.

West Adelaide’s coach at the time, Hawthorn great Andy Collins, remembers it like it was yesterday.

He could not speak more highly of Dangerfield, who a couple of years later would become an unpaid skills coach for the Bloods’ under-18 team.

“Some of the stuff that he did is still on my highlights tapes.

“The great thing is ... people always try to see flaws but Paddy Dangerfield is just a wonderful human being.

“He was an 18-year-old boy and West Adelaide was just lucky to play a small part (in his career).

“When he was 20, he became our under-18 skills coach.

“He volunteers on his own accord, and this is now one of the biggest names in South Australian football. This is how humble he is.

“He came down every week and he didn’t have to do it. Never missed a session.

“Sometimes I’d tell him, ‘mate, you’ve got a big game on the weekend and it’s raining on the training track, you’ll get wet and catch a cold and the Crows will kill me,’ Collins told The Advertiser.