New ground no problem for NewmanBy Ben Collins
afl.com.au
2:50pm AEST Thursday, September 5, 2013RICHMOND veteran Chris Newman will overcome the hype surrounding his first finals appearance and deliver a typically polished performance, say two all-time greats.
Newman comfortably holds the record among current players for most games played without a final - 232 games - with the next being his vice-captain Brett Deledio on 194.
But Newman, 31, will happily lose that unwanted mantle on Sunday when the Tigers break a 12-year finals drought in the first elimination final against Carlton.
Just eight players in history have waited more than 200 games to play their first final, and only four have waited longer than Newman.
Longest wait for first final
Games Player Club Age Season
270 Robert Flower Melbourne
31years, 301 days
1987
242 John Murphy Fitz/SM/NM*
29 years, 292 days
1979
239 Stan Alves Melb/NM*
31 years, 105 days
1977
235 Greg Wells Melb/Carl*
30 years, 94 days
1980
232 Chris Newman Richmond
31 years, 114 days
2013
221 Rod Carter Fitz/SM/Syd*
31 years, 313 days
1986
218 Bob Skilton South Melbourne
31 years, 301 days
1970
194 Brett Deledio Richmond
26 years, 144 days
2013
* Denotes team represented in final
Perhaps the most celebrated cases of players breaking their finals drought in the twilight of their careers are Robbie Flower and Bob Skilton.
Flower amassed a record 270 games for Melbourne before making his first September appearance in 1987, his last season.
The then 32-year-old skipper performed superbly in September, kicking bags of five and four goals from a half-forward flank in big wins over North Melbourne and the Sydney Swans, before suffering a dislocated shoulder in a narrow preliminary final loss to Hawthorn.
It's doubtful Flower would have played if the Demons made the Grand Final.
AFL Legend Skilton, a triple Brownlow medallist and nine-time Swans best and fairest winner, played 218 games before leading South Melbourne in his one and only finals appearance in his second-last season of 1970. In the first-semi-final the Swans led St Kilda by five points at half-time before going down by 53 points.
Skilton, then 31, had 20 kicks and was one of his team's best players.
Both greats expressed their joy for Newman, who they praised as both a player and leader.
"It's a wonderful time one of the highlights of your life and I'm just rapt he'll finally get to experience it," Skilton said.
The experiences of Skilton and Flower could prove instructive for Newman.
The duo had previously represented Victoria but nothing could have prepared them for the roar of massive September crowds. Skilton was rattled momentarily by the din of 104,239 people at the MCG, having only rarely played before more than 40,000 previously.
"I'd never experienced anything like those first couple of minutes in that final," Skilton said. "That's why I can understand why players can be a bit fumbly early. I added one to the crowd figure for a while. But you soon settle down."
However, they believe this won't be an issue for Newman, who will be well conditioned to playing before big crowds at the MCG.
And unlike Flower, whose Demons only snatched a top-five spot in a dramatic final round, Newman has had longer to prepare for his September debut.
The old champs say Newman will naturally be nervous and excited, and determined to capitalise on an opportunity that might never present itself again, but expect him to handle the occasion with his usual aplomb.
"Chris is a class footballer and certainly well equipped to cope with anything that's thrown his way in a final," Flower said.
"As an experienced player, you know there are certain things you need to do and you do them automatically regardless of whether it's a final or any other game, and Chris is the type of disciplined, team player who knows what to do just through experience.
"Yes, the emotion of the day can be a big factor, but it can also be a positive thing. It pretty quickly becomes just another game, albeit a very important one, and one that you have to win."
Skilton was confident Newman would be "as good as gold" on the big stage.
"We all love him for the way he goes about his footy and I've got no doubt we'll see the same Chris Newman we've always seen. He doesn't play any different to when he was captain he still leads by example. I dont think I've ever seen him play a bad game, and I dont expect him to start now."
Skilton said the best advice he could give would be for Newman to simply "be himself, and continue to do whatever works for him because it's taken him this far. I'd be trying like mad to make my routine the same as always".
Skilton also made the point that Newman wouldnt be the only Tiger who had been starved of finals.
"You've got all your mates alongside you who have gone through the same thing with you, even though they havent played as many games. so youre all in it together. That's one of the many wonderful things about team sport," he said.
Current players most games without a final
232 Chris Newman (Rich)
194 Brett Deledio (Rich)
172 Shane Tuck (Rich)
145 Daniel Jackson (Rich)
140 Jay Schulz (Rich/PA)
136 Nathan Foley (Rich)
133 Jack Riewoldt (Rich)
128 Shane Edwards (Rich)
124 Richard Tambling (Rich/Adel)
119 Andrew Raines (Rich/BL)
118 James Frawley (Melb)
117 Lynden Dunn (Melb)
107 Trent Cotchin (Rich)
105 Luke McGuane (Rich)
105 Matt White (Rich)
104 Jake King (Rich)
101 Colin Garland (Melb)
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-09-05/new-ground-for-newman
