The Coon Dog
05-02-2009, 08:51 PM
Simon Garlick
Sydney 1994-1997 - 44 games, 27 goals
Western Bulldogs 1998-2004 – 137 games, 114 goals
http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd340/TheCoonDog/Other%20stuff/1012862.jpg
TCD: Simon, I appreciate you’re busy so thanks for making time available to talk to me.
SG: You’re welcome.
Where did you grow up & who did you barrack for as a youngster?
I grew up in Glen Waverley & barracked for Essendon because my older brother did. I was a huge Simon Madden fan as a kid.
Who did you play your junior footy with?
Glen Waverley Rovers in the Waverley Junior Football League.
You came through the draft in 1993, but could you have gone to Richmond before that?
Yes, Glen Waverley was in Richmond’s zone so when I was 15, I played with the Tiger’s under 19’s for a season. It was the last year of the under 19 competition & Richmond elected not to take me then, so I played under Slug Jordan at the Central Dragons for 2 seasons in the TAC Cup.
You were taken by Sydney at pick #49 in 1993. Did you have an inkling or preference?
About half a dozen clubs had spoken with me, but Sydney seemed the most interested. During 1992 I had played as a top up with Richmond’s reserves on a few occasions & kicked 6 or 7 goals against the Bulldogs, who were coached by Terry Wallace so there was a rumour that I would be a Bulldog with pick #50. Sydney got in ahead of them & I was thrilled. I just wanted to play AFL footy & didn’t really care where.
Was it difficult to adjust moving to a new city?
No, the club were fantastic & made it so easy. That draft Sydney went away from drafting recycled players so I was one of about 8 or 9 young hopefuls. Funny though I’m not so sure putting about a dozen teenagers together in an apartment in Randwick was the smartest thing the club ever did football wise, but socially it was terrific.
Can you remember much about your debut?
It was against Collingwood at the SCG in round 15. Sydney weren’t traveling too well back then so there was only about 13,000 there. It was much worse the following week when we hosted Brisbane; there was only 6,000 fans & if the ball went over then fence you had to get it yourself.
In 1997 you only played 2 games & left the Swans at the end of the year to become a Bulldog. How did that transpire?
I did my collarbone & missed 8 weeks & then I missed another 6 weeks with a medial. At the end of the season the Swans told me that the Western Bulldogs had made an approach & they asked if I was interested.
I weighed it up & it was quite a simple decision to make; one club was really keen for me & the other wasn’t so sure. I think a lot of it was due to Terry Wallace who was the coach at the Doggies & he probably recalled my performance in the reserves for Richmond.
Tell me a bit about your AFL coaches?
• Ron Barassi – He had the profile Sydney needed back then. He had an enormous passion for the game & was a great motivator.
• Rodney Eade – The stars aligned for Sydney in 1996. It was Rocket’s first year & Plugger, Kel & Roosy were firing & many of the mid range players lifted. Rocket was prepared to try things & was tactually astute & innovative ie flooding.
• Terry Wallace – He & Rocket were cut from the same cloth in some ways, both innovative & Plough was terrific at motivating individual players.
• Peter Rohde – I’m not so sure he was helped by timing, we were a team on the slide, but it wasn’t through a lack of effort on Peter’s part.
3 games; round 19, 2000 against Carlton, round 21, 2000 against Essendon & your last game.
• When we took on the rampaging Blues they had won something like 12 games in a row & hadn’t been beaten forever at Optus Oval. That day we had a number of players out injured including Granty. It was a really close game all day; at quarter time we led by 2 points, half time Carlton led by 4 points, three quarter time we led by 5 points & hung on to win by 3 points. It was Robert Murphy’s debut & he put through a crucial goal late on along with Trent Bartlett. Both sides only managed 11 goals each that day & I kicked 6 of them.
• Plough was terrific in the week we took on an undefeated Essendon at Telstra Dome on the Friday night. He dubbed it ‘Mission Possible’ & really made us believe we could win. Because it was a Friday night we had a light week on the track & actually ducked off to Werribee to train away from any prying eyes. We practiced the drills we given & executed them flawlessly on the night. We were very strong in the final quarter & kicked 5 goals to Essendon’s 1, after trailing by 15 points at the last change.
• Both Matthew Croft & I had been playing good football for Werribee, but because of the situation the seniors were in the club adopted a policy of playing the kids. Eventually we were given a ‘farewell game’ in round 21 against North Melbourne. I kicked a couple & Crofty was on fire & kicked 5. It was a great way to go out.
Lets pick 3 Swans & 3 Bulldogs amongst the better players you played with & why?
• Tony Lockett – Plugger was the best player I have ever seen, just such a dominant figure. If we kicked it into his vicinity the defenders just couldn’t get past him. I saw him at close range as I played in the forward line & the crumbs for us smaller guys were few & far between. At training you'd see him wander down the backline for a bit of fun & all of a sudden he’d just let a pass rip, absolute daisy cutters. One day we were playing Fitzroy at the Whitten Oval I knew he had a few on the board & at half time I asked him how many he'd kicked. It was a real deadpan; ten. He kicked 16 straight that day.
• Paul Kelly – Absolutely inspirational & went at everything very hard. Not overly polished in his early years but with hard work & dedication he overcame this.
• Paul Roos – Roosy just knew the game & how it was panning out out there on the ground. I’d just be worrying about trying to get a kick & Roosy was out there teaching you where to run & what was likely to happen. It was obvious he was going to be a successful coach.
• Scott Wynd – The big fella was just sensational, he’d tell you where he was going to hit it & he’d put it there. You got a spray if he did put it there & you weren’t there. He had a willingness to hurt for the team.
• Chris Grant – His skills were as good as anyone’s. Wednesday nights at the Whitten Oval in the middle of Winter when it was cold, wet & dark he had the ability to light up training with skimming passes on the left foot that traveled no higher than 2 metres off the ground. You felt like stopping & clapping. It was a pleasure to watch him from the best seat in the house.
• Brad Johnson – I actually played against Johnno in juniors. He is so hard to match up on; if you have a tall on him to stop his marking he’d be too quick & if put a small to go with him he’ll mark it all day long.
Towards the end of your career you became involved with the AFLPA.
Yes, in my last 2 seasons I was on the executive, Johnno & Bubba were the club delegates at that time. I had spoken with Brendan Gale & really enjoyed the behind the scenes stuff, the management of sport & I’d seem the strides the AFLPA had made since I commenced way back in 1994.
You are the Football Director on the Board of the Western Bulldogs. How did that come about?
I was doing some stuff with the ABC on the radio & had been involved with the Western Bulldogs Forever Foundation. David Smorgon spoke with me & said that Jose Romero was moving aside & asked me if I was I interested.
We’re fortunate at the Western Bulldogs, we have a fantastic Board, Administration, Football Department & Playing Group.
I appreciate your time Simon & thank you for giving me so of it.
No worries, you’re welcome.
Sydney 1994-1997 - 44 games, 27 goals
Western Bulldogs 1998-2004 – 137 games, 114 goals
http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd340/TheCoonDog/Other%20stuff/1012862.jpg
TCD: Simon, I appreciate you’re busy so thanks for making time available to talk to me.
SG: You’re welcome.
Where did you grow up & who did you barrack for as a youngster?
I grew up in Glen Waverley & barracked for Essendon because my older brother did. I was a huge Simon Madden fan as a kid.
Who did you play your junior footy with?
Glen Waverley Rovers in the Waverley Junior Football League.
You came through the draft in 1993, but could you have gone to Richmond before that?
Yes, Glen Waverley was in Richmond’s zone so when I was 15, I played with the Tiger’s under 19’s for a season. It was the last year of the under 19 competition & Richmond elected not to take me then, so I played under Slug Jordan at the Central Dragons for 2 seasons in the TAC Cup.
You were taken by Sydney at pick #49 in 1993. Did you have an inkling or preference?
About half a dozen clubs had spoken with me, but Sydney seemed the most interested. During 1992 I had played as a top up with Richmond’s reserves on a few occasions & kicked 6 or 7 goals against the Bulldogs, who were coached by Terry Wallace so there was a rumour that I would be a Bulldog with pick #50. Sydney got in ahead of them & I was thrilled. I just wanted to play AFL footy & didn’t really care where.
Was it difficult to adjust moving to a new city?
No, the club were fantastic & made it so easy. That draft Sydney went away from drafting recycled players so I was one of about 8 or 9 young hopefuls. Funny though I’m not so sure putting about a dozen teenagers together in an apartment in Randwick was the smartest thing the club ever did football wise, but socially it was terrific.
Can you remember much about your debut?
It was against Collingwood at the SCG in round 15. Sydney weren’t traveling too well back then so there was only about 13,000 there. It was much worse the following week when we hosted Brisbane; there was only 6,000 fans & if the ball went over then fence you had to get it yourself.
In 1997 you only played 2 games & left the Swans at the end of the year to become a Bulldog. How did that transpire?
I did my collarbone & missed 8 weeks & then I missed another 6 weeks with a medial. At the end of the season the Swans told me that the Western Bulldogs had made an approach & they asked if I was interested.
I weighed it up & it was quite a simple decision to make; one club was really keen for me & the other wasn’t so sure. I think a lot of it was due to Terry Wallace who was the coach at the Doggies & he probably recalled my performance in the reserves for Richmond.
Tell me a bit about your AFL coaches?
• Ron Barassi – He had the profile Sydney needed back then. He had an enormous passion for the game & was a great motivator.
• Rodney Eade – The stars aligned for Sydney in 1996. It was Rocket’s first year & Plugger, Kel & Roosy were firing & many of the mid range players lifted. Rocket was prepared to try things & was tactually astute & innovative ie flooding.
• Terry Wallace – He & Rocket were cut from the same cloth in some ways, both innovative & Plough was terrific at motivating individual players.
• Peter Rohde – I’m not so sure he was helped by timing, we were a team on the slide, but it wasn’t through a lack of effort on Peter’s part.
3 games; round 19, 2000 against Carlton, round 21, 2000 against Essendon & your last game.
• When we took on the rampaging Blues they had won something like 12 games in a row & hadn’t been beaten forever at Optus Oval. That day we had a number of players out injured including Granty. It was a really close game all day; at quarter time we led by 2 points, half time Carlton led by 4 points, three quarter time we led by 5 points & hung on to win by 3 points. It was Robert Murphy’s debut & he put through a crucial goal late on along with Trent Bartlett. Both sides only managed 11 goals each that day & I kicked 6 of them.
• Plough was terrific in the week we took on an undefeated Essendon at Telstra Dome on the Friday night. He dubbed it ‘Mission Possible’ & really made us believe we could win. Because it was a Friday night we had a light week on the track & actually ducked off to Werribee to train away from any prying eyes. We practiced the drills we given & executed them flawlessly on the night. We were very strong in the final quarter & kicked 5 goals to Essendon’s 1, after trailing by 15 points at the last change.
• Both Matthew Croft & I had been playing good football for Werribee, but because of the situation the seniors were in the club adopted a policy of playing the kids. Eventually we were given a ‘farewell game’ in round 21 against North Melbourne. I kicked a couple & Crofty was on fire & kicked 5. It was a great way to go out.
Lets pick 3 Swans & 3 Bulldogs amongst the better players you played with & why?
• Tony Lockett – Plugger was the best player I have ever seen, just such a dominant figure. If we kicked it into his vicinity the defenders just couldn’t get past him. I saw him at close range as I played in the forward line & the crumbs for us smaller guys were few & far between. At training you'd see him wander down the backline for a bit of fun & all of a sudden he’d just let a pass rip, absolute daisy cutters. One day we were playing Fitzroy at the Whitten Oval I knew he had a few on the board & at half time I asked him how many he'd kicked. It was a real deadpan; ten. He kicked 16 straight that day.
• Paul Kelly – Absolutely inspirational & went at everything very hard. Not overly polished in his early years but with hard work & dedication he overcame this.
• Paul Roos – Roosy just knew the game & how it was panning out out there on the ground. I’d just be worrying about trying to get a kick & Roosy was out there teaching you where to run & what was likely to happen. It was obvious he was going to be a successful coach.
• Scott Wynd – The big fella was just sensational, he’d tell you where he was going to hit it & he’d put it there. You got a spray if he did put it there & you weren’t there. He had a willingness to hurt for the team.
• Chris Grant – His skills were as good as anyone’s. Wednesday nights at the Whitten Oval in the middle of Winter when it was cold, wet & dark he had the ability to light up training with skimming passes on the left foot that traveled no higher than 2 metres off the ground. You felt like stopping & clapping. It was a pleasure to watch him from the best seat in the house.
• Brad Johnson – I actually played against Johnno in juniors. He is so hard to match up on; if you have a tall on him to stop his marking he’d be too quick & if put a small to go with him he’ll mark it all day long.
Towards the end of your career you became involved with the AFLPA.
Yes, in my last 2 seasons I was on the executive, Johnno & Bubba were the club delegates at that time. I had spoken with Brendan Gale & really enjoyed the behind the scenes stuff, the management of sport & I’d seem the strides the AFLPA had made since I commenced way back in 1994.
You are the Football Director on the Board of the Western Bulldogs. How did that come about?
I was doing some stuff with the ABC on the radio & had been involved with the Western Bulldogs Forever Foundation. David Smorgon spoke with me & said that Jose Romero was moving aside & asked me if I was I interested.
We’re fortunate at the Western Bulldogs, we have a fantastic Board, Administration, Football Department & Playing Group.
I appreciate your time Simon & thank you for giving me so of it.
No worries, you’re welcome.