Adelaide defender puts hand up for All-Stars guernsey
GRAHAM JOHNCOCK won't need much convincing to play for the All-Stars next year, even if it means taking on players from his own club.
The composite Indigenous AFL side will play Adelaide in Darwin on February 7, and Johncock, a nine-year Crow, is keen to don the traditional red, black and gold of the All-Stars.
"I still haven't decided on who to play for yet, but it will probably be for the All-Stars. I won’t need that much persuasion," Johncock said on Thursday.
Johncock, 27, has played for the All-Stars just once -- in 2007's loss to Essendon, a defeat that has stirred the 147-game utility.
He said it would be ideal to have the best possible line-up come next February.
"Clubs have held back their players in previous years so I just hope for next year we can get a good team together," he said.
"The experience (in 2007) was really good; all the boys get along really well and we have a good time with each at the community camps, too."
But Hawthorn premiership stars Lance Franklin and Cyril Rioli jnr are not so sure.
"It's something I'd love to do, spending time with the Indigenous boys, but I've got a big chance next year (in the AFL), so I wouldn't want to stuff that up," Rioli told news agencies yesterday after visiting his people on the Tiwi islands with the Hawks.
"I'm not too fussed."
Franklin, who would be a massive drawcard for the All-Stars game, was worried about his shoulder, which he had cleaned out after the AFL Grand Final.
"The shoulder's a bit sore so I'll have to see what happens," he said.
"I'm just looking forward to putting in a good pre-season and coming out with the rest of the boys and doing exactly what we did this year."
The clash will be the first time the All-Stars have played an 'interstate' AFL side, having met Collingwood (1994), Carlton (2003), Western Bulldogs (2005) and Essendon (2007), and of course, Richmond (1983), in previous encounters.
The 2007 match was the first All-Stars game that pitted Aboriginal players against each other in the concept's brief history, due to the large amount of Indigenous players in Essendon's squad that season.
Johncock grows in mentor role
THE trickle of Indigenous players arriving at the Crows has increased since Graham Johncock arrived at the club in 2000.
It seems he and McLeod's suggestions to coach Neil Craig over the years have been heeded. For years, it was just the pair of them, save for a brief stay by former Geelong goalsneak, Ronnie Burns.
Now that youngsters in Jared Petrenko, elevated to the senior list this year, ruckman Jonathon Griffin, and Jarrhan Jacky and Tony Armstrong are on board, seemingly for the long term, Johncock has found personal growth in mentoring the newcomers.
"The last couple of years, we've had more (Aboriginal) boys come to the club," Johncock said.
"It must've been after us trying to convincing Craigy all the time; just in his ear, nothing too serious, but he must've got the picture.
"We've been able to mentor the boys, just having them under our wings, catching up every week, having a yarn with them, helping them with their transition.
"It's their first year with the club and they might be a little bit shame, not knowing how to approach the coach or players if there's a problem somewhere. Things like that."
Right now, Johncock is in the middle of a gruelling pre-season, building his fitness base for the season proper. And it's not getting any easier.
"You just take it day by day," he said.
"Pre-season (training) is always hard this time of year, it's always solid. The more you do it, it doesn't seem get any easier.
"But you've got to build your base. I started off with a bang last season but half-way through sort of slipped away but I want to fix that for next season."
DARREN MONCRIEFF
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Last Modified on 06/12/2008 23:52