Bernie Vince opens up on his ‘silly’ suspensions and why players fear pulling out of the contest

IT is the one thing no player wants to have said about them. It may also be the reason some players get suspended. Bernie Vince opens up on life in the spotlight and how he plans to beat his ‘silly’ suspensions.

BERNIE Vince has promised to eliminate the “silly” suspensions that have seen him miss four games in the past two seasons at Melbourne.

But the Melbourne star says the extreme media scrutiny on AFL players means they fear pulling out of the crunching collisions for fear of being shamed.

Vince has been a brilliant recruit for the Demons, about to enter his fifth season having missed just one game through injury in his time at Melbourne.

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The 32-year-old is in no rush to retire, keen to continue on well into his 30s if he can continue the form that has seen him play 212 games over 12 seasons.

Vince was last year suspended for a week for a clumsy swipe on St Kilda’s Nathan Wright and two weeks for an elbow on Eddie Betts.

But in the same game against Adelaide he was fined for rough conduct after a collision against Adelaide’s Richard Douglas.

Bernie Vince wants to stay out of the umpire’s book. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“I won’t change the way I play but I just have to make sure I stop doing those silly things,” he told the Herald Sun.

“There was a bit of everything, wasn’t there. I just like to make your job interesting so there is something to talk about.

“I chatted to Goody (coach Simon Goodwin) after each incident. He wants us playing on the line. The elbow ones are the silly ones.

“The head over the ball ones are a timing thing of who is going to get there first and sometimes you get it wrong.”

Vince says the fallout is savage if a player is seen to pull up short without committing their body to the cause.

“It’s a lot easier when commentators are able to slow it right down bit by bit and think you could easily pull out of a contest,’’ he said.

“But if you pull out of a contest it gets played on all the footy shows, so you certainly don’t want to pull out.

“It’s huge pressure, even more so with the younger guys. If you pull out of a contest you see it all week. You don’t want to be that player.

“It’s may mean conceding at times you are going to be second to the ball so you have to tackle the guy rather than beating him to it.”

Vince, named in Thursday’s JLT Series clash against St Kilda, is adamant co-captain Jack Viney (foot) will play in Round 1.

Like all Melbourne players Vince sat and watched their finals chances blow up in smoke, aware their inconsistent contest work had taken their destiny out of their hands.

But he says Melbourne’s elimination from finals contention should be a message to Melbourne’s young brigade.

“No one gives you anything in this game. We had no one else to blame except ourselves,’’ he said.

“I have been in some really disappointing finals — Jack Anthony kicked a goal against us with 10 seconds to go and Hawthorn beat us by five points in a prelim.

“It can spur you on to bigger and better things and I hope it can be the case for us.”

With his form still strong and body durable, Vince believes there is a major incentive to keep playing on as Melbourne’s window opens.

“No one is going to give you that opportunity, you have to go out and earn it,’’ he said.

“I have had good chats with Goody about it. For me to keep playing on is based on form.

Adelaide players were left shattered after Jack Anthony’s final second goal in an elimination final.

“I have had a chat about what footy and life looks like. I will keeping playing on but it’s all based on form. It’s going to end at some stage, I just hope it’s not yet.

“I am one who has always believed in myself, to go out and do the job. Whether back, forward, midfield, run-with role, attacking mid.

“Just week to week I go out and do what is needed. If that’s what is needed for the team, I will keep playing.”