Charlie Spargo is the youngest, skinniest and shortest player on prelim weekend. But he’s still gangsta
CHARLIE Spargo is the youngest, skinniest and shortest guy playing AFL footy this weekend. But the Melbourne forward is still gangsta.
Melbourne
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CHARLIE Spargo is sandy-haired with a freckled face and a ready smile.
He looks like such a sweet kid and at 18, standing just 173cm and weighing 72kg, he’s the youngest, shortest and lightest player suiting up in preliminary final weekend.
But behind the harmless facade lies an Original Gangster. An OG, as Spargo jokingly says.
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Hip hop music is his score — Kendrick Lamar the mainstay — and he plays a bit like Ice-T rhymed on his famous ode to life in the hood.
A little different than the average though. Jet you through the fast lane, drop ya on death row.
“If you’re small, you’ve sort of got to compensate for what you lack in height in another skill, you sort of make it your X factor,” Spargo said this week.
“I try and make my tackling, my attack on the ball and probably my running ability my things that can separate me from other people.
“It sort of played on my mind a little bit when I was off the field, like, sort of, ‘Will they pick this guy, will they draft his guy ahead of me because he’s taller’, or will it affect my draft chances.
“But once I play I can easily get it out of my head that height doesn’t matter.
“My dad (Paul Spargo) and a lot of others coaches said, ‘You’re tall enough if you’re good enough’.”
Spargo was born to play.
His father notched 81 games at North Melbourne from 1985-92, and nine more for the Bears in 1993.
Paternal grandfather Bob turned out for Footscray from 1958-63 and his great-grandfather, Bob Sr, played for the Dogs through the late-1930s, adding a final two games with Melbourne in 1942.
Paul said his son’s intent on the field was inbuilt.
“He competes hard, regardless of his size,” Paul told the Herald Sun.
“We’re obviously proud of him, we didn’t expect him to play as many games as he has (17) and to play finals.
“Its great — great for him because he’s worked pretty hard.”
From Albury, Spargo won a scholarship to board at Melbourne Grammar for his defining high school years, and arrived at Melbourne via pick No.29 in the 2017 national draft after a shoulder injury cruelled his final under-age season.
“I sort of always wanted to be drafted but Dad didn’t really care what I did,” Spargo said.
“He’s certainly had a massively influence on me. He never placed any pressure on me to play footy, he’s always been open for me doing whatever I wanted.
“He emphasises having a good balance, especially when I was down here at school. School comes first and then footy.
“He’s got a fair bit of knowledge of football and whenever I do need advice I go to him … he’s someone I always listen to.
“I’ve watched a few of his tapes … he was probably a better kick than me, but he was probably a bit slower.
“I love telling him that he’s slow.”
Spargo’s dominance on the field as an under-16 player is footy folklore. Stats boffins marvelled as the then midfielder averaged 219 SuperCoach points during the 2015 national championships.
“That was back then, when I was probably median height,” Spargo joked this week.
“I didn’t really grow, I wish I had grown 10 or more centimetres.
“I wasn’t tall, but I definitely wasn’t a midget. Now I’m probably a midget ... I’m easily the smallest on the ground.”
So Spargo has made himself a tackling machine.
His defensive pressure inside 50 has been lauded by coach Simon Goodwin and last week he got some scoreboard reward, bagging two goals for a season total of 14.
He’s been a permanent fixture since returning in Round 16 from a few weeks out of the team, keeping Jeff Garlett and others out of the side.
“That’s probably another good thing about how we’re doing so well now,” Spargo said.
“That’s the coach’s best problem, a competitive list. If I have one bad week, Jeffy or someone will come straight in for me; you can’t have an off game.
“I just try and keep all the messages simple. I just run hard, tackle, set up. I try not to stray too far away from that. Just do whatever is asked of me.”
Spargo’s Demons journey has started out like that of his captain Nathan Jones, but he hopes the path from here is very different.
Jones has been tormented by a lack of success at the Dees. Spargo’s first season has spawned two inspiring finals win and now, a potential Grand Final berth.
“I feel very privileged,” Spargo said.
“(Jones) told me before my first final not to take it for granted because he played a final in his first year, I think, and didn’t have finals for another 12 years.”
Spargo used to listen to beats before the bounce but tomorrow night against the Eagles he’ll have the slap of Sherrins and shouted encouragement of his mates as his pre-match symphony.
“I don’t listen to music before the game,’’ he said. “I used to, but it got me too gee’d and I’d be buggered before I went out.’’
So cool and calm, before the storm. Now that’s gangsta.
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