Papley the Rising Star

[chuckie]

How many players have been nominated for the rising star award and then have to go back on the rookie list the next week? That is what will happen unless they nominate him as a replacement for AJ as Gary Rohan comes of the long term injury list this week.

[i'm-uninformed2]

Which they will

[mcs]

How many players have been nominated for the rising star award and then have to go back on the rookie list the next week? That is what will happen unless they nominate him as a replacement for AJ as Gary Rohan comes of the long term injury list this week.

There is no way Papley will be going back to the rookie list now. I think they nominated him against Gaz to start with so they could keep the AJ position open - say if we had a season ending injury occur, or alternatively if Papley found the going in the top level too tough at this stage. But given the area we have injury concerns doesn't have anyone on the rookie list really ready to go for senior footy, then surely Papley gets the nod without even a second thought.

[Gary]

Several times it has been mentioned about grandfather Max, who won 1966 B&F and could have been anything if he came earlier and stayed longer ... but a bit sad that the other grandfather, Jeff Bray of the same era is often overlooked by commentators etc.

[Nico]

Several times it has been mentioned about grandfather Max, who won 1966 B&F and could have been anything if he came earlier and stayed longer ... but a bit sad that the other grandfather, Jeff Bray of the same era is often overlooked by commentators etc.

Gary, I have posted here before that Max found out some years later that he had a heart condition. Some days he was off, others he was on. Some days he couldn't train because he was tired. He had no idea why this was happening. I think some people thought he was just lazy. Goodness knows his status now if he had good health then. Jeff was a good solid performer.

[Doctor]

Some games stick in the memory - often not particularly memorable games on the face of it. One such game for me is round 5 2014. It was against Freo at the SCG. Many will remember that we had started that season in pretty ordinary form. First there was the ignominy of the club's first loss to GWS, followed by an ordinary performance against the Pies out at Stadium Australia. The team looked to have redeemed itself with that great win in Adelaide against the Crows, only to dish up rubbish against North Melbourne in the pissing down rain back at the SCG.

So we entered round 5 1 and 3, with the season looking very much on the line. The first quarter started scrappily and it looked like we were in for a long afternoon. Enter Ben McGlynn. His first quarter epitomised so much of the Swans' season to date (and, at times, McGlynn's career). He attacked every contest as if it might be his last, but then dished up turnovers that had the crowd groaning and holding its collective head in its hands. But he persisted. And the rest of the team started to come along for the ride. And as the team's intensity lifted, so did their confidence. They started hitting targets more regularly, and the team regained its coherence. Despite Nat Fyfe playing a blinder, Freo were never in with a chance from the second quarter onwards. The Swans have had better and more memorable wins, but this one was critical in kick starting the season.

The point? I think Papley's first half efforts on Saturday had a similar effect. The team was not as low on confidence as it had been in 2014, and the season wasn't exactly on the line. But they had lost the previous weekend - albeit playing well - and much of the first quarter was played on West Coast's terms. Papley was the beacon that refused to let the game slip away. He was far from perfect, and made some bad errors in his enthusiastic inexperience. But the errors mattered less than his refusal to let West Coast have their way around the contests. Part way through the second quarter, despite the loathsome rain, the team dug in and you could literally feel them wrest control of the contests back from the Eagles, and to strangle them with pressure all over the ground. It would be simplistic to credit this all to Papley. In particular, the defence was already doing a great job holding back the dam walls. But I do think it was Papley who largely showed the way to a number of vastly more experienced team mates.

Good call Liz. I commented at half time to my Bay 29 cronies that Papley was into everything but just needed to stop rushing his disposal. The effort and the intensity was exactly as you described it. The longer the game went though, the better his disposal and decision making got.

[crackedactor]

What a brilliant post, liz. Illuminating, entertaining and insightful. Thank you!

great Post Liz.. I felt exactly that way when watching Papley in the 2nd quarter. Eagles were dictating the game and Papley almost single handly refused to let them, It sounds crazy, but its just what I felt at the time.

[dejavoodoo44]

Good call Liz. I commented at half time to my Bay 29 cronies that Papley was into everything but just needed to stop rushing his disposal. The effort and the intensity was exactly as you described it. The longer the game went though, the better his disposal and decision making got.

Or to put it another way: by going hard, he had a learning experience that was intensified. Judging by the Rising Star nomination and the coach's votes, he had learnt quickly and well.

[Gary]

Thanks Nico for that input on Max ... hadn't heard it before but it ties in with the mix of great and ordinary games. Still think Jeff needs equal billing in the reminiscing references.

[Meg]

Thanks Nico for that input on Max ... hadn't heard it before but it ties in with the mix of great and ordinary games. Still think Jeff needs equal billing in the reminiscing references.

Jeff Bray is well remembered by older footy followers in Adelaide, from his days starring for West Adelaide in the SANFL. There is a bit about him in the following two references.

Jeff Bray (footballer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SA FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Jeff Bray

Apparently Max Papley and Jeff Bray became great friends when they both played for South Melbourne - which is how Tom Papley's parents met. Great story.

?Jeff and I (Max Papley) became best mates at South and stayed best mates to the point that when we had a son, he told me as the father of four daughters he could account for one of them just so long as I shared the wedding costs.

?When David and Susie married it was like a fairytale ? and now Tom is part of that.?

No Cookies | Herald Sun

The bit about Tom's father (David Papley) coaching Shane Mumford (told by Tom in his media conference this week) is yet another great addition to the story. And this is why Tom chose number 41 for his guernsey.

Now we need to know a bit about David Papley. Clearly he also knew his away around a footy field.

[Gary]

Terrific stuff ... thanks Meg.

[Nico]

Thanks Nico for that input on Max ... hadn't heard it before but it ties in with the mix of great and ordinary games. Still think Jeff needs equal billing in the reminiscing references.

Max was my brother's hero. A few years back he met Max at a Swans function in Melbourne, and he told him the story. Skilton said Max was a more brilliant and skilled player than himself.

[dimelb]

Jeff Bray is well remembered by older footy followers in Adelaide, from his days starring for West Adelaide in the SANFL. There is a bit about him in the following two references.

Jeff Bray (footballer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SA FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Jeff Bray

Apparently Max Papley and Jeff Bray became great friends when they both played for South Melbourne - which is how Tom Papley's parents met. Great story.

?Jeff and I (Max Papley) became best mates at South and stayed best mates to the point that when we had a son, he told me as the father of four daughters he could account for one of them just so long as I shared the wedding costs.

?When David and Susie married it was like a fairytale ? and now Tom is part of that.?

No Cookies | Herald Sun

The bit about Tom's father (David Papley) coaching Shane Mumford (told by Tom in his media conference this week) is yet another great addition to the story. And this is why Tom chose number 41 for his guernsey.

Now we need to know a bit about David Papley. Clearly he also knew his away around a footy field.

Thanks Meg. So good things can come out of Adelaide!

[Nico]

When Tom played his first pre season game I had this feeling that we had found a genuine "X" factor. He was so lively and good around goals that I said to my brother thsi boy is very good. Having both seen Max play we were bouyed just to see the name out there. Now we recognise that we really have something special. I also sense that Buddy loves having him around. They seem to have a real rapport out there. I reckon we have a really good forward line that gives any other coach nightmares. We can rotate dangerous rucks and mids in here and it appears to create real confusion. I am looking forward to the game against the Dogs.

[stevoswan]

Nice 'Sliding Doors' entry for the Swans from Damien Barrett this week on afl.com.au, "IF...you go back to the national and rookie drafts of last year........ you'll realise 83 players were selected by clubs before the Swans nabbed Tom Papley. Never give up on that dream."