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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-10-13 Daily Xml
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AFL Grand Final

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:39): I rise today to highlight and pay tribute to the players and coaching staff who participated in the recent AFL grand final played between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs football clubs, who are either South Australian or developed their talents in South Australia.

Melbourne won the premiership playing an amazing second half, winning the grand final by 74 points with a score of 21.14 (140) to 10.6 (66) to close the remarkable 57-year gap since their previous premiership.

Leading the Demons to that premiership was their senior coach, Simon Goodwin. Simon is a legend of the Adelaide Football Club. He played 275 games over 14 years from 1997 to 2010. He was captain from 2008 to 2010. He won the Malcolm Blight Medal as the club's best and fairest on three occasions—in 2000, 2005 and 2006—and was selected in the All-Australian team on five occasions in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2009. Of course, he played in Adelaide's two magnificent premierships, in 1997 and 1998.

Immediately following his playing career, Simon progressed to coaching and was an assistant coach at the Essendon Football Club for four years from 2011 to 2014. It was then that the move to the Melbourne Football Club eventuated with Simon's appointment as assistant coach to Paul Roos and his anointing as the heir apparent as senior coach.

After two years as assistant, from 2015 to 2016, he was appointed senior coach from 2017 and has overseen the progression and development of Melbourne to the now premiership titleholder. A fantastic grounding in South Australia to now holding the highest honour in Australian football can only be described as an outstanding achievement and a reflection of Simon's talents and professionalism. Simon was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2017.

Supporting Simon are other coaches with South Australian heritage in various forms. Troy Chaplin, who is the backline coach and has been an assistant coach since the 2017 season, played 215 AFL games commencing with Port Adelaide from 2004 until 2012 where he played 140 games that included the 2004 premiership.

Alan Richardson is the general manager of AFL football performance at the Melbourne Football Club. He had a stellar playing and coaching career, not the least being an assistant coach at Port Adelaide supporting current coach Ken Hinkley. Finally, there is the indomitable Mark Williams—a member of Port Adelaide's Hall of Fame and part of a family tradition that astounds the football community. A legend of the AFL, he was recruited to Melbourne at the end of 2020 as head of development, primarily working with younger players to ensure they reach the highest level and realise potential.

What can be said about Mark Williams after 40 years as a player and coach that includes 380 games in both the AFL and SANFL across multiple clubs, 12 years as senior coach of Port Adelaide that includes the 2004 premiership, and assistant coaching roles at Greater Western Sydney, Richmond and now Melbourne. He is a passionate mentor and communicator, who I am sure played a significant role in Melbourne's success in 2021.

In terms of key players in the grand final, there were a number who either came from South Australia or played in South Australia. Melbourne's Harrison Petty grew up playing for Wudinna United, Rostrevor College and ultimately Norwood. The exciting Kysaiah Pickett played for Port District, Prince Alfred College and then Woodville West Torrens before being drafted to Melbourne in 2019. Alex Neal-Bullen played for Plympton and then Glenelg before being recruited by Melbourne in the 2014 AFL draft.

Tom Sparrow played for Bridgewater-Callington and South Adelaide and transferred to Melbourne in the 2018 AFL draft. Jake Lever has played a total of 117 AFL games, learning his craft with the Adelaide Football Club over 56 games before seeking a transfer to Melbourne at the end of the 2017 season where he has become a critical defender.

The Western Bulldogs had three players on grand final day who worked their way through to the AFL via South Australia—most notably Caleb Daniel who played for Edwardstown and South Adelaide and debuted for the Bulldogs in 2015. Caleb is the smallest player in the AFL and had a remarkable game in the grand final. Bailey Williams played for Brighton Districts and Old Scholars, and Glenelg, and joined the Western Bulldogs in 2015 while Alex Keath was traded to the Bulldogs from Adelaide at the end of 2019.

There were eight of 44 players on grand final day from South Australia or who had played in South Australia. Those players and coaching staff bear the standard of football in South Australia. It clearly marks the SANFL as the best state league in the nation.

In closing, it would be remiss of me not to acclaim Ollie Wines from Port Adelaide in securing the Brownlow Medal and Travis Boak, also from Port Adelaide, for winning the AFL's Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award for his decade-long support of individuals and families at the Childhood Cancer Association.

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