A brief Story of how Richmond almost didn't have Shane Edwards.
I picked a bloke up hitchhiking this morning. Not your usual hitcher. A large middle aged man whose car had broken down.
As he approached the car, he obviously saw the menagerie of richmond stickers on my car, because he introduced himself and the conversation settled immediately to football, and quickly to Richmond, and quickly to Shane Edwards.
This bloke was a skilled conversationalist who was elite at reading his audience. He was Brisbane Lions main Adelaide scout for 5 years around the turn of the century.
'you know Shane Edwards'? he goes, knowing the answer, but probably not expecting one as expansive.
'Of course. The unheralded Richmond's shaun Burgoyne. the most creative exponent of handball the game has ever known. It took his teammates almost a decade to understand him, but I understood him almost immediately'
Scout grinned and nodded broadly. The conversation had achieved the rare Flow that sportsmen sometimes talk about.
'yeah, that's him. I watched him through 05/06 at North Adelaide and I pretty much said what you just did to Brisbane. I explained that this kid was the recruiting hill I would die on. I gave them a full dossier and was in their ear for 2 years and eventually simply said 'Take him. he will be a unique kind of star. If you dont take him, there is no point in me scouting for you'.
I nodded and stayed quiet. Scout was on a roll and I was riveted.
'But Brisbane were really into this local kid. Albert Proud. Yeah he looked good, and Brisbane wanted to invest in some local talent. They took Proud at 22. Tigers swooped on Edwards at 26. I handed in my badge to Brisbane'
'Im very glad your recruiting dream came to an abrupt end'. I grinned. 'we love Shane. he is a very special player. I know im just a bloke who has picked you up in an old *smile* ute out of Ballina, but you were right and you have my utmost respect'
Scout laughed and jumped out at his destination.
I drove home with some king prawns caught last night, opened a VB tally, checked the fluctuations on the Caulfield races, and sat almost entirely content. looking forward to opening another tally and watching a Shane Edwards-less Brisbane competing for top spot.