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Brian Harris now called Brian Lake
11 January 2008 - Herald Sun - Mark Stevens
THE footballer once known as Brian Harris is resigned to being forever called "Ricki".
Western Bulldogs teammate Matthew Boyd has been quick to give the full-back the nickname and it is more likely to stick than "Swan", the other obvious option.
The reason for the ribbing at Whitten Oval is simple: Brian Harris is now Brian Lake.
Lake, last season's best-and-fairest winner at the Bulldogs, legally changed his name before Christmas.
With the birth of a son, Cohen Ashton, he was determined to carry on his father's family name and drop Harris.
The 25-year-old's birth certificate read Harris, because it was his mother's maiden name.
His mother Chesel Harris and father Brian Lake were a couple, but not married, when he was born.
"I had the chance to change to Lake when Mum and Dad married when I was 10 or 11, but I decided not to," Lake said yesterday.
"With school and footy, I decided to put it off."
So the South Australian started his AFL career under the name Harris.
But the name change was back on the agenda the moment he found out his partner Shannon O'Malley was pregnant.
On the arrival of a son, Lake considered it imperative that the family name lived on.
"Dad's only got sisters, so it was a chance to carry on the Lake family name," Lake said.
"Both of my parents were stoked when I told them about the change, but the first thing they said was, 'What about footy?'."
The paperwork was far more complicated than first thought, but it was sorted in time for his son's birth certificate to read Lake.
Paperwork has also been lodged with the AFL. On historical lists, the Bulldog will now be known as Brian Lake (Harris).
There hasn't been time to work on a new autograph to match.
"I've been too busy changing nappies," Harris said.
11 January 2008 - Herald Sun - Mark Stevens
THE footballer once known as Brian Harris is resigned to being forever called "Ricki".
Western Bulldogs teammate Matthew Boyd has been quick to give the full-back the nickname and it is more likely to stick than "Swan", the other obvious option.
The reason for the ribbing at Whitten Oval is simple: Brian Harris is now Brian Lake.
Lake, last season's best-and-fairest winner at the Bulldogs, legally changed his name before Christmas.
With the birth of a son, Cohen Ashton, he was determined to carry on his father's family name and drop Harris.
The 25-year-old's birth certificate read Harris, because it was his mother's maiden name.
His mother Chesel Harris and father Brian Lake were a couple, but not married, when he was born.
"I had the chance to change to Lake when Mum and Dad married when I was 10 or 11, but I decided not to," Lake said yesterday.
"With school and footy, I decided to put it off."
So the South Australian started his AFL career under the name Harris.
But the name change was back on the agenda the moment he found out his partner Shannon O'Malley was pregnant.
On the arrival of a son, Lake considered it imperative that the family name lived on.
"Dad's only got sisters, so it was a chance to carry on the Lake family name," Lake said.
"Both of my parents were stoked when I told them about the change, but the first thing they said was, 'What about footy?'."
The paperwork was far more complicated than first thought, but it was sorted in time for his son's birth certificate to read Lake.
Paperwork has also been lodged with the AFL. On historical lists, the Bulldog will now be known as Brian Lake (Harris).
There hasn't been time to work on a new autograph to match.
"I've been too busy changing nappies," Harris said.
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