Clever kicksDANIEL JACKSON
April 7, 2010HALLO, kannst du diesen satz lesen? The answer you are looking for, unless of course you happen to speak German, is: ''No, I cannot read this sentence.'' Don't worry, neither can I, but fortunately the internet is a wonderfully handy tool.
Will Minson from the Bulldogs, however, would be able to tell you exactly what it says because he happens to speak fluent German. He could probably also run a few thoughts by you about civil engineering, if that's what you're into, because that's what he studies at Melbourne University.
OK, so who can tell me a little bit about iron-ore deposits or perhaps the processes for refining petroleum? Oh, that's right, Michael Rix, the former St Kilda ruckman, could. He worked for Rio Tinto and Shell after completing a double degree in engineering and commerce while playing football. Now who would you call if you wanted to re-plumb your house or simply fix a broken shower? I know whenever my toilet breaks I just ask my teammate Jake King, who runs his own plumbing business around his footy career.
I could go on to make mention of Luke Ball's VCE enter score of 98.8, and the fact that Ben Hudson is a qualified physiotherapist. Then there's former Carlton champion Justin Madden, now the Victorian Minister for Planning, and my old teammate Ray Hall, who now works for the Treasury Department in Canberra. Mike Fitzpatrick, the current AFL chairman and former premiership ruckman, is a Rhodes scholar.
My point is this: there is a plethora of highly intelligent and well-qualified current and past AFL players in the community. So my next question is: do you think these guys could name five Australian prime ministers? I'd suggest so, except for maybe Kingy, but he's a hands-on kind of smart! Would you think it a reflection of their intelligence if they couldn't? As a matter of fact, has anyone ever asked their boss, their accountant or perhaps their GP whether they could name five past prime ministers? Those people who don't regularly watch The Footy Show may be a little baffled as to what it is I'm going on about. Well, The Footy Show's Q&A segment a few weeks ago, which portrayed some AFL stars as, let's say, ''a little slow'', while fairly amusing, was a bit misleading and clearly a poor reflection of AFL players on the whole.
No player could name five Australian PMs. The closest was Fremantle's Byron Schammer, who named five. Unfortunately, one was George W. Bush. How do I know this is not an entirely accurate picture of the answers given to The Footy Show interviewers? Because I was one of those interviewed.
There is a fair chance the guys in the segment could tell you about the dominant energy system used by the body in high-intensity, repeat-speed activity, the anaerobic glycolytic system. And it's not to say that those who haven't ever enrolled in tertiary education or done an apprenticeship aren't also highly skilled and qualified in their own right. The modern-day footballer is exposed to pressures, demands, expectations and a general life scrutiny that a first or second-year accountant, lawyer or banker can only imagine. Yes, young people in those professions work hard and no doubt feel similar pressures, but how many of you reading this today have to worry about turning the page and reading about how poorly you performed at your job and that you should be fired at the end of the year? I think it's fair to say that sportspeople and footballers in Melbourne are perhaps the most accountable of all professions.
Anyway, that's enough of me being so disparaging. I was once told by a prominent journalist that I was a bit of a cynic, although to his credit that was in person, so I didn't have to read about it in the paper! Some people may be surprised to learn that, every year, almost 70 per cent of AFL footballers will participate in some kind of further education or vocational training - including university, TAFE, workplace placements and other courses.
At Richmond, all players are involved is something outside of their football careers. The AFLPA provides all players with access to an education grant to cover or at least subsidise the cost of their study, organises work placements through its Next Goal program and runs training programs for media training, running small business, investment and many more. So the next time you find yourself laughing at a footballer's apparent lack of intellect, remember to ask yourself: ''Could I name five Australian prime ministers?''
For whatever reason, my Footy Show answers ended up on the cutting-room floor. I did manage to name five prime ministers although I will admit that I couldn't come up with five current Socceroos players or last year's Coleman and Norm Smith medallists!
Daniel Jackson is a Richmond midfielder and the club's delegate to the AFL Players' Association.http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/clever-kicks-20100406-rpdr.html
