DARREN MONCRIEFF
Monday 19 September, 2011
HE'S only played a handful of games this season but Des Headland is raring to go ahead of next Sunday's grand final.
Headland (pictured) returned to Subiaco full-time at the start of this season after 12 years in the AFL for 166 games and one premiership.
On Sunday, the Lions -- with Headland, Adam Cockie and Allistair Pickett -- fought gamely to hold off Anton Saylor's determined West Perth to defeat the Falcons by 15 points in the wind and the rain in the WAFL preliminary final at Arena Joondalup.
It's all set, then, for a Subiaco-Claremont grand final at Subiaco Oval next Sunday, something Headland is looking forward to.
The Lions are in some good form. They defeated South Fremantle in last week's first semi-final and after Sunday's win have won their past nine games, or 11 of their past 12.
"I'm looking forward to having a successful finals series," Headland said.
"I've only played a handful of games (8) for Subi this year because I've had breaks here and there over the season to make sure I've got my body right, but I've stepped up in the last couple of weeks.
"The standard (in the WAFL) has been pretty good. The comp's pretty strong and it's been even and, you know, anyone can win the grand final."
The personnel at Subiaco have changed a lot since Headland was a regular player there before his AFL career took off.
In 1998, the year he was drafted by Brisbane as the No.1 pick, he played 17 games for the League side. On his return to WA to join Fremantle in 2004, he's played just eight, not including the eight this season.
"As you know there's the League team, the reserves and Colts so there's about 60 players around the club," he said.
"I've worked well with the senior team, getting to know them and also there's a lot of Indigenous boys coming through at Subi at the moment."
Headland has made a seamless transition from the AFL to the WAFL -- and in life after AFL -- helped in part due to his final season spent on the sidelines with injury, giving him more time to organise life after the big time.
And he's been busy. He was the chief architect behind Subiaco Football Club's Reconciliation Action Plan, he coached the WAFL's Indigenous All-Stars against a WAFL under-23s and was the coach of the unbeatan WA side at the national Indigenous championships on the Gold Coast.
"That year, 2010, I was injured all year," he said.
"I just wanted to finish the year off and Fremantle said, 'We'll reward you for all your rehab work and will give you a game in the finals'. I was pretty rapt with that."
That game was last year's semi-final against Geelong which didn't end well for Headland, or the Dockers -- he was injured early and, like his team, failed to make much of an impact.
"I would have loved to have repaid the favour Fremantle showed me bit unfortunately that's the way footy goes," he said.
"That injury against Geelong, I realised this was it. I came back for the final game but I did my knee again, and when Geelong eventually belted us I thought, 'What a game to finish on'."
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Last Modified on 20/09/2011 03:18