The man who stole Dipper's wing
I'm backing Andy Gowers to become the next president of Hawthorn. Earlier this year I spoke to him about the glory of '91, and how when it comes to premierships, Dipper isn't keen on sharing.
An ex-teammate of mine, Andy Gowers, is running for president of the Hawthorn Football Club. I hope he wins it. I’ve been part of the Hawks4Change group that lobbied to get Andy on the board last year and for incumbent Jeff Kennett to cut his term short. Kennett is finishing at this year’s AGM but hand-picked his successor and tried to sneak it all through as a fait accompli by not publishing a due date for nominations in advance of the AGM. All very murky, and typical of what’s become an opaque and Kennett-dominated fiefdom.
There’s a rally in support of Gowers and board nominee James Merlino tomorrow night. I’ll be one of the facilitators. I think the choice is clear. In my years as a seconds and u/19s footballer at Hawthorn, there was no senior player who was better at including lesser lights and building unity across the list than Andy Gowers. He’ll do this job well. He’ll provide some much needed distance from his predecessor.
That was a brief, Good one, Wilson foray into the world of lobbying. Below is more of our traditional fare, which is sporting storytelling, especially the oral history of sport.
Andy is always fabulous to chat to, and this is a great little yarn about sports psychology, new boots, a disgruntled Dipper, and the lead-up to his finest on-field moment — twenty possessions and a premiership medallion in the 1991 Grand Final against West Coast.
I recorded it four months ago while researching my ‘Yabby’ biography project.
TW: Was 91 your best year?
AG: Well not initially. In ‘91 I battled to get into the side. I had a game or two early in the season and didn't do that well, and got dropped both times. And then, I went back to the twos. I started working with Anthony Stewart, the club psychologist at the time, that year, first time. I'd sort of been anti any of that kind of stuff prior to that. And then I thought, well, I've got nothing to lose. Why wouldn't I take it on?
And he was fantastic. He really helped me focus on — not the things that aren't going well or the things you've missed out on — focus on what you can do so that things can go well.
And it was just a complete mindset shift. I started journalling, which I've done ever since. And he taught me a whole lot of amazing stuff. And I just basically had this inner thought, I reckon I'll get back in. I've just gotta play as well as I can in the twos and put my hand up and and knock the door down.
And what ended up happening was I played a game on a wing in the twos and I was actually trialing a new set of footy boots. Do you remember the old Blades? Well I used to get sore feet from my old Puma boots, and I got permission to trial these Blades because we were sponsored by Puma at the time. And the rule was you had to wear Puma. But I said, 'Well these are the tools of my trade. These boots aren't suiting me. I wanna try these ones.' And it was a really wet day out at Waverley, and the Blades were designed for wet weather footy.
So I played on a wing, we played Collingwood. I had 44 possessions. And the only reason I know these stats is because Alan Joyce rang me the next day and said, ‘I heard you played a really good game yesterday. Did you know that you had 44 possessions?’ I said, ‘no.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, you had 17 possessions in the third quarter alone.’ I said, ‘Right. Well okay.’
Anyway, it was his way of saying, you well played and you're on the cusp. And then not long after Chris Mew has a sore calf or something and misses one game. And so they needed to bring someone in, and they brought me in to play centre half back, which I did. And I played well enough to keep my spot. Chris Mew came back in, I can't remember who, who got dropped, who missed out. And at that point, Dipper wasn't in the side. He was injured himself. And anyway I played another game. The next week I played I think either half back flank or the wing, because Darrin Pritchard was on one wing. And then I was played through the final series.
So that was the second last round that I came back in. And in my own mind, I thought, well maybe this might be karma. Is it coincidence or not that I went out of the side in 1988 in the second last round [with a shoulder injury]. This is the second last round when I'm coming back in. I'm gonna grab this opportunity.
And I did! And yeah, I never missed another game for Hawthorn. I played three years, not missing a game after that, before being traded to Brisbane. And Alan Joyce said to me, after that (‘91) grand final, he said, ‘I was so impressed with that game you played on the wing in the twos that day. I always had you a bit in mind to go onto the wing.’
And of course, Dipper says about that, he says, every time I see him, "You know, you cost me my sixth premiership!" <laugh> And I always say, "Well, technically I didn't. Technically, I came in for Chris Mew, not for you. Yes I was playing on your wing. But don't you reckon it's a much better story that I'm a one time premiership player and you're a five time premiership player than you being six and me being zero?’
And he doesn't agree.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Dipper on stage at the Sofitel for a lunch the week after the Grand Final. He was hilarious, as he often is. Nobody is better at comedy big-noting than Dipper, and it’s funnier for the fact that you’re never quite sure if it’s intended as comedy. In the green room beforehand, I mentioned Andy Gowers comment about sharing the premierships around a bit. ‘Fuck Gowers, I should have got six!’ he bellowed through the usual Dipper grin. Onstage, he told a version of the story below. This is audio I recorded during writing my book 1989: The Great Grand Final.
It's like the year after, in 1991, I played one game — I had five operations that year — and for the last seven weeks all I did was get myself ready . ‘Dipper to play finals’ it was all fucking ‘Dipper to play finals’. I remember the night before, the Thursday night, the last training night, I'm fit as a fiddle, I'm ready to go, and then Alan Joyce goes ‘Kennedy, Schwab, Dipper, go train with the reserves!’
I'm thinking, what? It's fuckng grand final on Saturday. Surely I’ve shown you I’m ready to go? Nope. It was time to move on. That was the most hurt I ever been in footy.
I even rang Leigh Matthews, because he was coach of Collingwood, I was fucking angry with the club and said to him, ‘Leigh! I want to come to Collingwood!
He goes, ‘I don’t wantcha.’ [laughs] [Dipper puts on Matthews voice] No, I can't promise you a game. Nah, I don’t wantcha. Yeah, stay at the club. You're a one club player. You've had a great career there.’
I go, ‘Well hang on, it's grand final week, Leigh! We’re playing West Coast, y’know, Mainwaring and the boys! I fucking should be out there!’ [back into Matthews falsetto] ‘Nah I can’t promise you a game.’
That interview finished with me going on to tell Dipper a Dipper story, one that my friend and fellow reserves journeyman John Origlasso shared with me many years ago that involves Peter Daicos, reserves coach Des Meagher, and the diminishing force that was 1991 Dipper. It’s been a favourite for a long time, and I felt pressure telling it to the man himself. Fortunately, there are no stories Dipper likes more than Dipper stories, and he laughed hard and generously.
How many Brownlows has Peter Daicos won?
If you’re a Hawks member, love to see you at the online rally tomorrow. He’ll set the example that needs to be set in terms of respecting indigenous players and righting historical wrongs. He’ll restore transparency and honesty. He’ll unify the club.
Vote for Andy Gowers and Hawks for Change.
Grab a signed copy of 1989 The Great Grand Final for Christmas gifts, can sign and personalise and say that you ‘paid the price’ for the gift receipient.
Some of the popular footy posts so far on the blog:
