Googs' Gabble – Adam Guglielmana Column Round 6

ONE of the many good things about playing for South Fremantle is the opportunity to play in the biggest home and away games of the WAFL season.

This Friday we take on East Fremantle in the Anzac Day derby and, a few weeks later, in the Foundation Day derby.

The hatred between East and South Fremantle goes back a long way before I was even born so I won’t attempt to explain it!

It is something that is ingrained into you as soon as you walk into the South Fremantle Football Club, and I'm sure it's the same over at East Fremantle. The former players never forget to remind you how much winning a derby means, and the supporters are even less forgiving if you lose!

The next two derbies take on extra significance as we are trying to bridge the gap between the sides above us, and East Fremantle will be trying to solidify their spot in the top four.

Although we haven’t got off to a great start this year we are still only two wins behind East Fremantle, and playing them twice in the next five matches gives us an opportunity to make some ground we have lost.

Obviously the WAFL hasn’t been the main attraction in town since the Eagles joined the AFL, so the chance to play in front of a bigger crowd on a significant occasion is something the players really enjoy.

Preparation rarely changes regardless of the significance of the match as players tend to be creatures of habit, although certain traits can be exaggerated.

Toby Bairstow doesn’t spend as much time checking the race results, Ashton Hams and Haiden Schloithe let off some nervous tension by joking a bit more before a big game, Josh Pullman prefers to be a bit more focused and intense, and some, like Dylan Ross don’t seem fazed by any occasion.

There is no right or wrong way to prepare, and most players find what suits them through trial and error fairly early on in their careers.

The other aspect of the next derby is the day it is played on. It is obviously a massive privilege to play on Anzac Day but we have never pretended that war and football are anything alike. When you hear the heroic stories of the Anzacs at this time of year you clearly feel compelled to show as much courage and resilience as you can on a day meant to honour them, but thankfully no coach I have played under has ever tried to use it as a source of motivation.

Although ladder positions and form are basically irrelevant when it comes to derbies it is nice to go into this week’s game with some winning momentum. We had shown signs in the first four games that our best football could match most sides; we just struggled to maintain it for much more than a quarter or so.

We have taken a lot of confidence out of beating the reigning premiers on their home ground, but more than anything it was good to get some reward for the effort we have been putting in since last October.

We are well aware as a group what our weaknesses are and we have been working hard, not only over the past month, but since last October, to improve on areas such as our skills and our ball movement in different situations.

Even after such a bad start to the year it is pleasing the mood around the group hasn’t turned sour. We have stuck together tightly as a group and are working hard to turn our season around before it’s too late.

It was great to get a win on the weekend but the feel good story from the game was Jarrod Parry’s return to league football. Somebody said it had been 1331 days since he last played a game of league football, in 2010, the year he won the “best first year player” award. The best thing about “Paz” is his attitude.

Despite two knee reconstructions, deep vein thrombosis and a number of hamstring issues he kept working hard and never put himself before the team. People forget how good a player he is, and if anyone has built up some good karma, it is him. The players love him and it definitely gave us a lift on the weekend having him out there.

The difference in how you feel after a win and after a loss is enormous. It was interesting bumping into Ash Hams’ girlfriend after the match. I’d thought she had over indulged in a few wines during the game as she was very happy and chirpy, only to later find out she was just so happy we hadn’t lost as she and Ashton had to drive out to her family’s farm in Tammin after the game, and she can’t stand being around him after a loss!

Hopefully we can continue our “streak” this Friday against East Fremantle, as I’m not sure Ashton would be able to find another girl willing to go out with him.

By Adam Guglielmana