FLEET-footed Port Adelaide midfielder Danyle Pearce says being dropped earlier this year was the wake-up call he needed after a sluggish start to the season.
The 2006 AFL Rising Star emerged from his early-season slumber a changed man, determined to get back to basics and earn his spot in the Power's first 22.
That hard work paid off when on Saturday Pearce polled 11 votes to be a clear winner for the Showdown XXV Medal, awarded to the best player in games between Port Adelaide and Adelaide.
"I knew myself not everything was 100 per cent right, so I just really had to get back to basics and concentrate on the little things first, and everything would evolve from that," Pearce said, post-match.
"Unfortunately, the first half of the year wasn’t my best. My head wasn’t 100 per cent in it, and I just hope I've turned that around in the second half of the year."
Pearce, whose three goals and 24-possession effort won him his first Showdown Medal in his side's 12-point win over the Crows, was dropped after Port's loss to Brisbane in Round 4. He wasn't coping with the extra attention. He was back in the side after playing just the one game for Sturt in the SANFL.
"I sat down with all the coaches and had a chat," Pearce revealed. "(I have to) make sure I work hard and get to every contest I can, and just make sure I give 100 per cent effort every game. You just want to have a consistent performance each week."
Pearce showed maturity and sporting professionalism when he was dropped.
"He was disappointed to get dropped a couple of months ago, but it's not like he spat the chewy or gave up," Port coach, Mark Williams, said. "He went back and came back very determined to show he could produce.
"Every week won’t be like this. But he understands that what he had in the first year just doesn’t come easy, and that’s important for all young players to understand.
"It's a really tough game and a lot of scrutiny comes to those who want to stand up and shine out. And you have to keep improving to stay ahead of the rest."
Motlop earns another nomination
Meantime, Pearce's team-mate Daniel Motlop's exciting brand of football has earned him yet another award nomination, this time for mark of the year. Motlop flew in a pack to take a strong mark in the first quarter of Saturday's Showdown. It is Motlop's sixth nomination: his second for mark of the year (Round 7) to add to his four for goal of the year (Rounds 5, 7, 8 and 9).
Sydney's Michael O'Loughlin has won the Round 15 nomination for mark of the year.
* View and vote for mark and goal of the year here:
www.AFL.com.au/markgoal
DARREN MONCRIEFF
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Last Modified on 30/07/2008 23:04