Brent Harvey diaries: Boomer on his 2016 season and path to record-breaking 427th game

IN A year where he was set to break Michael Tuck’s games record, Brent Harvey documented his 2016 season and path to 427 with Jon Anderson.

IN the likelihood he would break Michael Tuck’s games record sometime this year, Brent Harvey agreed prior to Round 1 to diarise his 2016 season.

On the Monday or Tuesday after each game, Harvey spoke with Jon Anderson as the countdown continued.

Here are the “Boomer Diaries”.

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ROUND 1: Defeated Adelaide by 10 points at Etihad Stadium

I spent a bit more time up forward so not as much running as previous years, meaning I pulled up as good as gold. The body feels very similar to the last two or three years which is a good sign. Continuity is the key for me unlike some guys who like some time off as they get older. It depends on the opposition and how we are travelling as a team as to where I will play each week. Maybe 50-50 (forward-midfield) in the last couple of years whereas this year may be more like 60-40 forward. We didn’t play our best footy but I think Adelaide will be a very good side. In previous years we would have dropped this game so that was good. Todd Goldstein reminds me of Dean Cox who used to dominate us with his work around the ground and his ability to get to contests.

Brent Harvey celebrates a goal against Adelaide in Round 1. Picture: George Salpigtidis

ROUND 2: Defeated Brisbane Lions by 34 points at the Gabba

The first time for a long time we have won our first two games. Still didn’t play our best, so a lot of improvement to go which is a huge upside for us. Brisbane had a crack at us early and didn’t help themselves with their kicking for goal. Jack Ziebell is spending more time in the guts so he needs to be one of our major ball winners along with Andrew Swallow and Ben Cunnington. The thing with Jack is getting his consistency right because in the past there have been really good games mixed in with a few quieter ones. I started a little bit slowly and it would have been nice if I’d finished my work because four or five would have been a lot better than 2.3.

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ROUND 3: Defeated Melbourne by 5 points in Hobart

I’m sounding like a broken record but we won without playing our best. Two years ago Richmond won its last nine to make the finals then got smashed by Port Adelaide, proving it’s just too hard to try to catch up. You have to win the early games. My body is good as gold as it always is the day after the game, but the next day is when I’m most sore. When the game isn’t too bruising you get really sore in your calves, hammies, groins, just from the amount of running. I was happy to kick six straight. On my day off during the week I ended up having 70-odd shots, plus 30-odd at training.

ROUND 4: Defeated Fremantle by 31 points at Etihad Stadium

We knew Freo would come hard at us because they have been such a good team under one of the most ruthless coaches in Ross Lyon. We jumped them early and then let them back in, the second week in a row for us which was disappointing. We still haven’t put four quarters together. And but for some silly mistakes late in the game we should have won by 45-50 points. I played mainly forward with no centre bounces. I was a little bit down and only had two shots on goal. Playing small forward means there will be a few quieter games but I understand that. It’s all about my role for the team. I was really happy with the game of Mason Wood which highlights our depth.

ROUND 5: Defeated Gold Coast by 38 points at Metricon Stadium

Gold Coast has been a bogey side for us in recent years. Steven May going out for them was massive and Trent McKenzie was underdone and clearly didn’t want too much body contact because of his broken nose. We have been lucky with injury to date, with Jed Anderson and Taylor Garner the only two missing from our best side in Round 1. We are lucky to have some half decent depth in players like Kayne Turner and Mason Wood to cover those blokes. Ben Brown was very good for us and I love him. It helps that Drew still gets the number one defender and Waitey has been on fire leaving 200cm Ben Brown to get the third tall defender who might be around 190cm. When we look at our GPS after a game he is always right up there and he’s one of the best set-shots I’ve played with.

ROUND 6: Defeated Western Bulldogs by 16 points at Etihad Stadium

Those who watched it said it wasn’t a great game to watch because of the turnovers from both sides, but I always felt like we were in control. We didn’t ever think it would be a high-scoring shootout because both sides ranked high in the pressure stakes. Scott Thompson had an outstanding game and part of that was the pressure exerted up the field allowed him to set-up. He has an uncanny ability to get his body in the right position. And he is very good in one-on-ones. I can’t remember a season when we have been like this and it gives the young guys confidence that we can beat the best in the competition.

Brent Harvey in action against the Western Bulldogs in Round 6. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

ROUND 7: Defeated St Kilda by 7 points at Etihad Stadium

Maybe doing this diary is our good luck charm. They are not a bad team St Kilda. I have been to watch them live a couple of times this season and they have played some really good football. We were disappointed to let them back in because in our first six games our last quarters have been our best. I still think we have huge areas for improvement, but we’ve been winning whereas previously we would have dropped a game like this one. Ben Cunnington, Andrew Swallow and Jack Ziebell are all absolute bulls inside, very hard to tackle and good tacklers themselves. Their job is to get the ball out to Wellsy and Dal and co. I kicked 1.2 which was really disappointing and the two I missed were very gettable. Drew Petrie in his 300th gave us a contest every time he went for the ball. It was just so good to be able to carry him off after a win. I feel little difference to previous years and right now just want to keep playing.

ROUND 8: Defeated Essendon by 14 points at Etihad Stadium

Maybe we switched off mentally ... the second half was disappointing.

Maybe we switched off mentally because our first half was very good given they didn’t kick a goal. But eight goals to two in the second half was disappointing. So again we didn’t play a four-quarter game or combine fully. Looking back our best win was probably in Round 1 given the Crows challenged us and beating the Bulldogs because they are a good team. Our third quarter against Adelaide was the type of performance that can win you finals games. People say our draw has been soft early on which is fine. We say “bring it on” so we can challenge ourselves against the best. I kicked no goals, no points and three out on the full. I have never done that before. One snap, one on the run and one set shot, but I did have three goal assists which was good. I will do a heap of goalkicking during the week to rectify it. Our goalkicking is part of training plus our forward group would average 150 shots at goal during the week. For kids reading this, make sure you do the same thing every time.

ROUND 9: Defeated Carlton by 67 points at Etihad Stadium

This was arguably our best four-quarter performance this year. Robbie Tarrant continued his outstanding season and I would be very surprised if he isn’t a key defender in the All- Australian team. He has never had a lot of continuity in his football after so many injuries and is now getting to every training session, which I believe is so important. The more you train the better you play. Scott Thompson has done an awesome job over the past six years on the gorillas but ideally isn’t quite big enough. Sydney this week I think is the best team we have come up against and we want to challenge ourselves against the best. From a personal viewpoint I kicked a couple and set up a couple so that was good. Plus I felt great during the game and bounced it a few times. Kayne Turner (drink driving) knew he had done the wrong thing but we will support him. He is a great young man and I think he will be a fantastic player. But he will have to cop a clip at the same time.

North Melbourne’s first loss of the season was to Sydney at the SCG. Picture: Phil Hillyard

ROUND 10: Lost to Sydney Swans by 26 points at the SCG

The Swans started really well and while we clawed our way back into it, they were better on the night, winning some crucial contests and were better at the stoppages. We had 53 to 51 inside 50s and the same number of scoring shots, but the ball wasn’t clean for our forwards. Their midfield is probably the best in the competition. And I think right now they are the best team so it’s not all doom and gloom for us given we lost by four and a bit goals. I got beaten on the night by Jarrad McVeigh who played really well, frustrating, but just another challenge for next time we play them because you never want to lose twice in a row to the same bloke.

ROUND 11: Defeated Richmond by 70 points in Hobart

This was close to our best four-quarter game for the year. We were on from the start. Majak Daw was fantastic. With “Goldy” coming back next week I’m not sure what they will do but I thought Majak did enough to hold his spot. His follow-up work was good, his tackling and ball use. And he didn’t look out of place one bit. But if he stays are in are we too tall up forward? He will be very stiff if he goes out, he’s a hard trainer and a great young fella. But it’s all about team balance. It was nice to kick four straight after a few points in recent weeks. I would have liked to kick more goals in some games although my defensive work has been as good as it’s ever been, even if I’m not getting as much of the ball, but I’m playing a completely different role. My year has been solid without being outstanding.

ROUND 12: Lost to Geelong by 31 points at Etihad Stadium

Andrew Swallow got concussed before quarter-time and he is the heart and soul of our midfield in terms of tackling and leadership. Plus “Cunners” (Ben Cunnington) was on one leg and Nick Dal Santo was sore as well, so it was a fairly good effort to be up at half time by 10 points. We lost legs after that and got beaten at stoppages with Dangerfield and Selwood outstanding. As we were walking back to position after quarter-time I had a look at the scoreboard where it said Dangerfield had 15 possessions and a goal. So he made the most of his free run at it, but was still bloody amazing.

North Melbourne and Hawthorn players get into a melee. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

ROUND 13: Lost to Hawthorn by 9 points at Etihad Stadium

It’s a game that we should have won although bad kicking is bad football. There was a fair bit of niggle because there is a little bit of history between us. We got on the front foot this time after they came at us last time. We wanted to initiate the contact. Not be over the top or stupid, but not be the ones reacting. In the end we did a fair job, probably about 70/30, but we still could have done it a lot better. All we want with Lindsay Thomas is consistency. I said to the umpire during the game, and I didn’t yell because I have learnt over a few hundred games that they won’t answer if you yell, that he was the same umpire who didn’t pay Lindsay’s one but did pay James Sicily’s. When you look back at the replay I thought they were very similar.

ROUND 14: Lost to Adelaide by 33 points at Adelaide Oval

We were coming off two six-day breaks and were interstate ... I don’t think the bye is fair for that reason.

We were running on the spot by the last quarter. We were coming off two six-day breaks and were interstate, they were coming off a bye plus Farren Ray got injured. I don’t think the bye is fair for that reason because sides come off six-day breaks against teams with two-week breaks. I don’t like it over three weeks either. I would rather one week off for everyone after Round 8 and another week off after Round 16. Make one of them a community week and then it’s even for every AFL team, the same amount of time off. Plus I don’t think that week off before the first week of finals will work. No footy at all before finals seems silly to me. I’m now on 423 games so the record is an issue. My goal was to get through to the break unscathed and playing some decent footy. Every interview I do now, this will come up, I started this week talking with the club about all the merchandise and to our media manager Heath O’Loughlin has put down a plan for me. The jumper has to be organised. Previously, I didn’t want to jinx anyone or jinx myself.

ROUND 16: Lost to West Coast by 32 points at Subiaco

They were better than us even if we had our chances to be a couple of goals up at quarter-time. After that it felt like they had our measure for the rest of the game. And there is no escape from the fact we have lost five of our last six to sides in the top eight. But the mood is still upbeat. Brad (Scott) has pointed out on a number of occasions we are still played some decent football. We haven’t lost our confidence. The games record is in the background right now because it’s all about getting 12 wins for us to be make the finals. The next three weeks are winnable given the teams in Port, Collingwood and St Kilda are out of the eight. Win those and we can then talk about getting back in the top four.

A disappointed Brent Harvey after the loss to Port Adelaide.

ROUND 17: Lost to Port Adelaide by 28 points at Etihad Stadium

I’ve been better on a Monday. I’m an upbeat person but I’m bloody angry at the loss. But you have to be upbeat, seen to be focusing on this week and not dwelling. Brad (Scott) is very good at that. Andrew Swallow is also good that way, Robin Nahas is a real character who the boys love being around, Michael Firrito is another. Nick Dal Santo is also very positive, win, lose or draw. What did we kick in the third quarter, 2.9 or something? But it was the terrible start as well and it’s very hard to peg back six goals, even if people think you can do it in 15 minutes these days. I played a different role, further up the ground, got my hands on the ball and kicked it inside 50m a bit more. The games record isn’t in my mind right now, just beating Collingwood. We have to put our arms around each other and sing that song. We lose games in 15-20 minutes of football. Silly, silly stuff, switching off for five minutes. There is always a fixable reason why. And it’s so annoying.

ROUND 18: Defeated Collingwood by 40 points at Etihad Stadium

How good was it to win again? Just seeing the excitement in your teammates’ faces. Drew (Petrie) was sensational with his pressure early. I thought we always had control of the game and our pressure was back to where it should have been. Ryan Clarke has had an outstanding career start, averaging 23 possessions, and his exceptional workrate helps him. Majak is our X-factor. If Jarrad Waite comes back in I’m not sure how it all works at selection with the talls. Now for St Kilda who are going all right and when they are on, their pressure is really good. As for the record, I’m honoured to pass someone like Michael Tuck who I have met a couple of times recently. I have heard he hasn’t been feeling well so I hope he can at least watch it on the tele because I will be paying some sort of tribute to him when I run out. I can remember him playing for Hawthorn in the late 1980s and early 1990s when I was a mad Geelong supporter and the Hawks used to beat the Cats when it mattered. Losing 1989 killed me.

Brent Harvey prepares to break Michael Tuck’s games record.