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Emma Quayle
Will Minson has never wanted to be anything but a Western Bulldog. That he is playing his best-ever football for the club he first represented 10 years ago, as a 19-year-old who didn't understand why ruckmen needed more time than other players to develop, makes him happy. But three times in the past three years he has briefly imagined what it would be like wearing other colours.
Minson was holidaying on a tiny Caribbean island the first time someone else wanted him. He was on a seven-day, dawn-to-dusk fly-fishing trip, with no mobile reception, and didn't even really know Gold Coast was thinking of adding him to its initial squad rather than Josh Fraser. The Suns would have needed the Bulldogs to release Minson from his contract for that to happen, in return for a compensation pick, but everyone became rushed for time, and the Suns ultimately opted for Fraser.
By the time Minson got home, there was no one to talk to about it. "Most of what I heard was after the fact," he said. "And one of the luxuries of fly fishing is how concentrated you have to be, how focused on what you're doing. Ultimately, it was out of my control. But I would have hated being in Melbourne picking up on all the innueudo and all the speculation. I never wanted to go."
Minson did not want to leave at the end of 2011 either, but after playing just nine games, and called in and out of the team, he felt as though he needed to consider whether it was the best place for him. That time, a chat with new coach Brendan McCartney at the end of the season convinced him it was. "I asked him if he thought I could be the No. 1 ruckman at the footy club, and if he could help me do that. And he said: 'Yes, you can, and, yes, I'll help you'," Minson said. "Sometimes it just takes a genuine conversation: 'OK, we can do this, let's go'."
Minson thought the same things at the end of last year, although becoming a free agent, in the first year of free agency, added "an element of maybe" to his decision to stay, and sign a new contract. He had played every game, and had enjoyed working with and for McCartney, and helping Ayce Cordy, Jordan Roughead and Tom Campbell learn more about playing in the ruck. He still didn't want to go anywhere. "I'd been at the club for nine years and I love the club," he said. "It didn't take a lot of consideration to stay, but I suppose even the consideration was a little unusual. I'm certainly happy with how it's working out."
That's because, this year, Minson is arguably the best ruckman in the competition. So far he has more hitouts than ever, more hit-outs to advantage than ever, more hitouts than any other player. He has been involved in more of the Bulldogs' scoring chains and is getting to more ruck contests. Ironically, he has achieved it all by simplifying his approach – by trying not to try too much.
"I think I've finally resisted the temptation to do more than what's required, on the field," he said. "I've consistently had a lot of feedback to keep things simple, and I think that's what I've finally got a grasp of and am really enjoying, doing the basics. I think over time you just have to get it right, otherwise your time in the game's too short."
Will Minson has never wanted to be anything but a Western Bulldog. That he is playing his best-ever football for the club he first represented 10 years ago, as a 19-year-old who didn't understand why ruckmen needed more time than other players to develop, makes him happy. But three times in the past three years he has briefly imagined what it would be like wearing other colours.
Minson was holidaying on a tiny Caribbean island the first time someone else wanted him. He was on a seven-day, dawn-to-dusk fly-fishing trip, with no mobile reception, and didn't even really know Gold Coast was thinking of adding him to its initial squad rather than Josh Fraser. The Suns would have needed the Bulldogs to release Minson from his contract for that to happen, in return for a compensation pick, but everyone became rushed for time, and the Suns ultimately opted for Fraser.
By the time Minson got home, there was no one to talk to about it. "Most of what I heard was after the fact," he said. "And one of the luxuries of fly fishing is how concentrated you have to be, how focused on what you're doing. Ultimately, it was out of my control. But I would have hated being in Melbourne picking up on all the innueudo and all the speculation. I never wanted to go."
Minson did not want to leave at the end of 2011 either, but after playing just nine games, and called in and out of the team, he felt as though he needed to consider whether it was the best place for him. That time, a chat with new coach Brendan McCartney at the end of the season convinced him it was. "I asked him if he thought I could be the No. 1 ruckman at the footy club, and if he could help me do that. And he said: 'Yes, you can, and, yes, I'll help you'," Minson said. "Sometimes it just takes a genuine conversation: 'OK, we can do this, let's go'."
Minson thought the same things at the end of last year, although becoming a free agent, in the first year of free agency, added "an element of maybe" to his decision to stay, and sign a new contract. He had played every game, and had enjoyed working with and for McCartney, and helping Ayce Cordy, Jordan Roughead and Tom Campbell learn more about playing in the ruck. He still didn't want to go anywhere. "I'd been at the club for nine years and I love the club," he said. "It didn't take a lot of consideration to stay, but I suppose even the consideration was a little unusual. I'm certainly happy with how it's working out."
That's because, this year, Minson is arguably the best ruckman in the competition. So far he has more hitouts than ever, more hit-outs to advantage than ever, more hitouts than any other player. He has been involved in more of the Bulldogs' scoring chains and is getting to more ruck contests. Ironically, he has achieved it all by simplifying his approach – by trying not to try too much.
"I think I've finally resisted the temptation to do more than what's required, on the field," he said. "I've consistently had a lot of feedback to keep things simple, and I think that's what I've finally got a grasp of and am really enjoying, doing the basics. I think over time you just have to get it right, otherwise your time in the game's too short."
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