Simmonds puts the zen back into Richmond
15 July 2007 Sunday Herald Sun
David Reed
THERE are footballers and there are people who play football.
And Richmond ruckman Troy Simmonds definitely falls into the latter category.
A whole-hearted Tiger on the field, Simmonds is an interesting cat off the park.
He practises the martial art zen do kai and clearly has a spiritual bent, owns his mortgage-broking business, loves snakes and derives some of his greatest joy by helping the youngsters at Punt Rd.
The balance suits the former Docker who cut his teeth with Melbourne in its 2000 Grand Final season.
"I suppose it annoys me a little bit people see you as just a footballer. Some are, some aren't, but that's the perception," Simmonds said.
"For me, it is a game I love playing and it is another part of my life. It has helped me a hell of a lot having other interests outside football."
Simmonds has needed that sense of perspective in a year that ranks among his most challenging.
His first season at Tigerland coincided with the arrival of Terry Wallace as coach and it took him time to win over Richmond fans.
But his excellent 2006 season put any doubts to rest.
So it was a major setback when Simmonds broke his right ankle on January 15 and then returned to battle too soon.
He was in the senior team by Round 3 and battled on for a couple of games before breaking down again early in club's horrible Round 6 loss to Geelong.
Further X-rays revealed the bone in his ankle had not healed properly and extended rest was the only option - six more weeks.
Simmonds played for Coburg in the VFL the same round Nathan Brown made his Friday night return against Melbourne in Round 12.
Then a fortnight ago, after almost two months out, he was back in the seniors.
"It is feeling good again now," Simmonds said.
"With 'Patto' (Adam Pattison) standing up, they can control my game time a lot better and I can ease my way into it. That has been the bonus for us, it has been fantastic to see him develop.
"I had the same situation when I was at Melbourne in 2000 when Jeff White was kept out with a bad shin injury and they threw me in to just do my best and I learnt a lot quickly."
Simmonds said the mood at Punt Rd had been remarkably upbeat.
"I reckon the spirit of the team all year has been sensational," he said.
And talking of spirit, like Sydney's Brett Kirk, Simmonds is a fan of meditation.
"I just like time on my own, whether it be reading, meditating or whatever," he said.
"It probably comes from my martial arts background, zen do kai is all about mind and spirit
"I use it a fair bit in pre-season and that's why I have been pretty lucky with injury - touch wood. I have never had a soft-tissue (injury), but a break you can't help."
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