I could have quit: JohncockADELAIDE's Graham Johncock has revealed he came close to quitting football earlier this year following the death of his mum.
But it was her love of football and a few days’ reflection after her death that convinced Johncock to return to Adelaide and resume his AFL career. Johncock withdrew from the Crows’ Round 1 match against Collingwood to join family in Port Lincoln, north of Adelaide, following his mum's passing.
"The passing of my mum was a bit of a shock, which I found pretty difficult," Johncock said this week. "But the club and the people involved in the club and the players were very supportive of that and it's definitely made it a lot easier for me to come back and get into footy. It would’ve been pretty easy for me to say 'stuff it' and go home to family and friends (after she died). But that's not what she would've wanted and she'd definitely be pretty happy the way things are going at the moment."
Johncock's loss came just months after his career was threatened by personal problems that saw him dropped from the team and being told to undergo in-house counselling.
"It puts things in perspective; there was a bit of a period there where I was just taking things for granted, I guess," he said. "The program I went through opened up my eyes a bit and made me realise what's important. The club's been very supportive, if I was at another club they probably would've shown me the door pretty quickly but the support of the club has been fantastic. I've had a few instances (of difficulty) in my time but the toughest has probably been the last 12 months that I've had to go through."
Johncock, 26, has played 163 AFL matches for Adelaide. He was the 67th selection (overall) at the 2000 national draft and made his debut the following season.
Lovett-Murray vows to clear his nameESSENDON utility Nathan Lovett-Murray has vowed to do whatever it takes to clear his name following a drug possession charge this week.
The Bombers defender was charged by Victorian police on Monday with possessing a drug of dependence, following a raid on his house, and driving while unlicensed.
It is alleged a single ecstasy tablet was found in the rubbish bin of Lovett-Murray's Essendon home during a Statewide police raid that saw 12 people arrested.
But the 26-year-old yesterday told the Essendon website of his dislike of drugs and reaffirmed his innocence.
"The last couple of days have been really tough. I'll be contesting the charge at court and I'd just like to let people know I don't take drugs," he said. "I've been tested numerous times this year by the AFL; I was tested two weeks ago. I'm happy to take urine or hair, blood samples, to prove that I don't take drugs.
"I want to thank the football club to still giving me the opportunity to train and play and I want to be able to repay them with some good performances. It is a legal matter, so I can't say too much, but to my football club, my family, my friends, my team-mates, all of the Essendon supporters, I'm really thankful for the support they've shown me."
Lovett-Murray's manager, Peter Jess, told Melbourne media his client had become a victim of association while he was out of town last weekend.
"As you probably realise, in the community lots of people have access to his house and he was in Perth playing football (against West Coast) on Sunday and some friends and relatives borrowed his car and used his house," Jess said. "Nathan doesn't drink and he doesn't smoke. He's perfectly happy to submit for any drug test."
Davis inks two-year dealLEON DAVIS is likely to remain a Magpie for life after signing a two-year extension to his existing contract with Collingwood.
The exciting midfielder, who is in some of the best form of his career, wants to repay the faith the club showed him early in his career, the low point of which came in the 2002 and 2003 grand finals where he failed to touch the football.
Davis, 28, was drafted to Collingwood from Western Australia in 1999. He has since had a football 'rebirth' and has developed into one of the game's most damaging players.
"I struggled early (in my career) with homesickness and stuff like that, but the club was great to me," Davis said yesterday. "So in the end I just really wanted to stay at Collingwood and look after them like they did me. I'm just happy to be here for the next couple of years now and at the end of the day see how I'm feeling."
Davis's 177 games for Collingwood is the highest of any Indigenous players in the club's history. He has kicked 29 goals this season and some have been freakish. Just this week, he was nominated for his fourth goal of the year. He said his current form, which surely puts him contention for All-Australian honours, was due to good old-fashioned hard work.
"I think it is," Davis said. "I've tried to work hard over the past three or four years at training and do a few extra sessions. I'm able to run out games a lot better than I used to."
Aussie won't play this yearTHE man that sparked his team to life to record their only win for the season last year won't play again until 2010.
Austin Wonaeamirri's bad run of injuries continued this week and his club Melbourne has conceded his season is over.
Wonaeamirri, whose dash and exuberant goal celebrations were a highlight of a dismal 2008 for the Demons, broke down again this week when his troublesome knee swelled at training. It comes after the Tiwi man recovered from a nasty hamstring tear he sustained in the pre-season NAB Cup in Tasmania.
"We've had three or four attempts to get him back, it's got to a stage now where even if we get him back, he's missed so much football," Melbourne coach Dean Bailey said yesterday. "Playing him is almost a greater risk, rather than getting him ready for pre-season. It's disappointing for him, but it's certainly disappointing for our fans. I'd like to think he'll be ready to go (in) the pre-season."
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Last Modified on 06/08/2009 20:19