Ghost Dog
08-07-2012, 11:30 AM
The brother of dual Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes has emerged as a key confidante who has helped keep alive the AFL dream of remote WA football product Zephaniah Skinner.
Brett Goodes, the player well- being manager of the Western Bulldogs, insists that watching his brother rise to such fame from equally humble beginnings has given him the skill set to help others reach their potential.
Hailing from Noonkanbah station in WA's far north, Skinner has had to fight his way through homesickness and significant assimilation difficulties to retain his place on the Bulldogs list.
But while the talented 23-year-old, who was a speculative pick at No.88 in the 2010 national draft, narrowly missed selection for today's clash with Fremantle at Patersons Stadium, he and Goodes are confident he will soon add to his three games. Goodes, who also plays with the Bulldogs' VFL affiliate Williamstown, was once a teammate of Skinner at the Northern Territory Thunder.
He has seen vast improvement in Skinner, but much of his role was also delivering life perspective to players so they did not waste their talents.
"When you talk about Adam, he had it tough too," Goodes said.
"I'm pretty sure he went through the same sort of things as Zephi when he first went to the club. He was close to coming home, so when you think of what Zephi is dealing with, they are the same things.
"It's just trying to get the boys to understand what a commitment it is and how professional you need to be to play at the level. The boys from up that way have amazing talent and speed, but even the Riolis and others who have come through have had to work hard.
"I want to make someone like Zephi understand what he has to do to make the most of his opportunity that he's got now.
"But I also just want to make sure they're OK."
Skinner said moving away from his tight-knit family to city life in Melbourne had been his biggest off-field challenge and almost prompted him to give in to the pressures.
"I think I've taken some positive steps. I talk to Goodesy when I'm feeling down and he always gives some good feedback," Skinner said.
Having watched his cousin Alroy Gilligan make it onto Richmond's list before heading home to play in last year's Claremont premiership gave Skinner the belief that he, too, could make it at the highest level.
He is trying to find the right balance between his natural marking and goal-kicking talents with the defensive ethic required in the modern game.
"I grew up just taking hangers, so it's hard when you've got to balance that with your defensive pressure. You've got to have both and I'm still working on it," Skinner said.
"I've been dreaming to play AFL all my life, coming from a remote community. It means a lot."
While Skinner is making many positive steps forward, a closing comment from Goodes is the most poignant: "I know now that if for some reason I wasn't here, Zephi would be OK."
"I want to make someone like Zephi understand what he has to do to make the most of his opportunity that he's got now." " Player wellbeing manager *Brett Goodes *
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/afl/14156489/saving-the-bulldogs-skinner/
Brett Goodes, the player well- being manager of the Western Bulldogs, insists that watching his brother rise to such fame from equally humble beginnings has given him the skill set to help others reach their potential.
Hailing from Noonkanbah station in WA's far north, Skinner has had to fight his way through homesickness and significant assimilation difficulties to retain his place on the Bulldogs list.
But while the talented 23-year-old, who was a speculative pick at No.88 in the 2010 national draft, narrowly missed selection for today's clash with Fremantle at Patersons Stadium, he and Goodes are confident he will soon add to his three games. Goodes, who also plays with the Bulldogs' VFL affiliate Williamstown, was once a teammate of Skinner at the Northern Territory Thunder.
He has seen vast improvement in Skinner, but much of his role was also delivering life perspective to players so they did not waste their talents.
"When you talk about Adam, he had it tough too," Goodes said.
"I'm pretty sure he went through the same sort of things as Zephi when he first went to the club. He was close to coming home, so when you think of what Zephi is dealing with, they are the same things.
"It's just trying to get the boys to understand what a commitment it is and how professional you need to be to play at the level. The boys from up that way have amazing talent and speed, but even the Riolis and others who have come through have had to work hard.
"I want to make someone like Zephi understand what he has to do to make the most of his opportunity that he's got now.
"But I also just want to make sure they're OK."
Skinner said moving away from his tight-knit family to city life in Melbourne had been his biggest off-field challenge and almost prompted him to give in to the pressures.
"I think I've taken some positive steps. I talk to Goodesy when I'm feeling down and he always gives some good feedback," Skinner said.
Having watched his cousin Alroy Gilligan make it onto Richmond's list before heading home to play in last year's Claremont premiership gave Skinner the belief that he, too, could make it at the highest level.
He is trying to find the right balance between his natural marking and goal-kicking talents with the defensive ethic required in the modern game.
"I grew up just taking hangers, so it's hard when you've got to balance that with your defensive pressure. You've got to have both and I'm still working on it," Skinner said.
"I've been dreaming to play AFL all my life, coming from a remote community. It means a lot."
While Skinner is making many positive steps forward, a closing comment from Goodes is the most poignant: "I know now that if for some reason I wasn't here, Zephi would be OK."
"I want to make someone like Zephi understand what he has to do to make the most of his opportunity that he's got now." " Player wellbeing manager *Brett Goodes *
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/afl/14156489/saving-the-bulldogs-skinner/