Player Column – Brock Higgins Round 14

COMING in after our bye, we always thought this next month of footy we have coming up would probably be our most critical for the season. We got East Perth and won that which is what we wanted, now we have Claremont, Subiaco and Peel. We see this block as setting up our season heading towards finals and then going on from there, so definitely in the context of the season it was a massive win.

Now coming into this week’s game, that loss last time against Claremont has definitely been spoken about and we are looking to make amends. But they have been travelling really well and beating some good teams and etching out victories to get into the top five.

For me personally, it definitely gives me some added motivation losing last time just because I hate losing to teams, and especially when I feel like we are a stronger team. It eats at me a bit, but I can’t speak for the rest of the boys.

While these next three games are big for us as a team, we have some big milestones to look forward to starting with Cooky’s 150th game this week.

Cooky has been the heart and soul for the club ever since I’ve been here. He led the club for my first four years that I was here and he was the first bloke that I clicked with when I moved over. He’s always got time for you and he’s always putting the work in. He’s the one who is always talking before games and I think it does mean a lot to him to get to this milestone. I remember speaking to him last year about life membership and I know he sees it as a massive achievement and I’m so happy for him that he’s going to get it. And I’m happy that I can play with him in his 150th.

He is an annoying prick and he is always yapping, and he annoys me greatly but really I couldn’t be happier for him really. He is just a weird guy to be honest. I call him Jason Statham because he looks like him, but I reckon he balded quite early and it looks like he’s getting younger in age and in the mind. He’s just a child who will never grow up and that’s sort of what we all love about him. He’s the ultimate bundle of fun.

Then the week after Ashton Hams will play his 200th game and that’s a huge achievement for Hamsy. It’s probably more evident this year and last that his body is starting to fail him in some regards, but he’s still have impacts that are unbelievable. He kicked three goals in a quarter on the weekend and he kicked four in our first derby of the year. He just finds a way to do his bit and he is so smart about football, but not so much about anything else. He’s so smart around the ball that he’s invaluable to the team.

He is interesting to play with. He always wants the ball and that’s typical of all good players, but he’s very good. A lot of us senior players have a relationship where we can be quite aggressive at each other at times on the field, Cooky especially, but at the end of the day we know that if you do something wrong you want to be told that. Hamsy’s leadership on the field is invaluable as is Cooky’s, Shane Hockey’s and they are all terrific on-field leaders. No matter how much what they say might seem hurtful at the time, it’s usually pretty spot on.

Hamsy is just that little guy who is always there. You can be having a conversation and he always bobs up and puts his two cents in, which sometimes isn’t wanted. He has another kid on the way too and he’s stressed out at the moment, but the 200-game milestone is a massive achievement for him as well.

Then after that Shaun Bewick will reach 100 games for South Fremantle and I know Bewy is hanging out for this one. We both live up in Scarborough and we often share a lift into the club so we talk about these things a lot and I know it will mean a lot to Bewy. I love the way Bewy plays footy.

He doesn’t get a lot of accolades or credit, but you watch how often he’s the last man back to touch the ball for a point, it happens every game. He’s probably the hardest runner at the club in terms of sacrificial running or to help out the defence, and he’s very courageous for how skinny he is. He goes back with the flight all the time and takes good marks. I have nothing but good words to say about Bewy. He’s a legend on the field and off the field.

Seeing Bewy about to reach 100 games here makes me realise that it’s a goal of mine too to get my name on the locker, which hopefully will happen next year if I can stick around that long.

I do enjoy milestones like this for your teammates, but at the same time it’s a bit daunting because of that pressure that you don’t want to let them down and lose. I do enjoy them, but at the same time I don’t really because there’s extra pressure to win a game you don’t need any more pressure in. And these next three games are all massive for us but I’m sure we’ll get up for them.