Beefy Bows Out Gracefully

[U LEGS]

From Club Mail

When is a champion a champion?

In one sense a champion is the ultimate victor but the more common use of the word refers to a person who has performed at an exceptionally high level for a long period of time in a variety of conditions. We likely meet champions everyday - a champion mother, a champion butcher, a champion teacher, a champion doctor. To become a champion athlete is different though as the sacrifice is inevitably massive, the physical challenge extraordinary and the intensity of competition as strong as the individuals playing the game.

Australian football, Neil Craig has described, as the ultimate sport for the demands on participants are more extreme than any other sport. Players must have endurance to run for two hours at varying speeds, power to apply and cope with continual impact, reflexes to distribute the ball while under extreme pressure and skill to read the play and gather possession of an odd shaped ball. The game is magnificent, the players extraordinary and only the very tough and very talented survive.

Less than 10% of players that play one game play 100 and less than 3% get to 200 games at SANFL level. The numbers are more severe in the AFL. Brett played 120 AFL games and 234 SANFL games.

It is too often assumed that Premiership players have an invincible status. It is a title hard won and proudly worn but not an assumption of greatness. Dual Premiership player has a loftier status - particularly in the AFL and to wear the badge of dual AFL premiership player and SANFL Premiership player suggests something more than 'right place at the right time' type serendipity.

Winning three club champion awards and finishing in the top two for six consecutive years is a fine achievement in any sport at any club. At a proud club like the Norwood Football Club the achievement is very significant when only 9 players of the 1349 players in the clubs history has achieved the triple best and fairest honour. Of those nine seven players were selected in the club's Team of the Century.

Selection in the State of Origin teams during the 1990s had a genuine feeling of pride attached to it. The games were fierce with many legends created and reputations destroyed in this cauldron of battle. Being selected 3 times for these games is an indication of supreme talent, elite performance and flint tough character.

The honour of state captaincy when the side is representing the second best competition in Australia in your twilight years is testimony to preparation, pride and continuing excellent performances.

Playing under duress is a trait highly rated in the testosterone packed environment of a football club. Playing every game in a season is always the pre-season goal and inevitably only 5 or 6 can do it in the senior team. Not missing a game through injury since 1997 (two games missed through suspension is always acceptable in a ten year period) makes a player enjoy a prestige in terms of toughness that is priceless. The commitment to fitness and rehabilitation has to be enormous.

Brett James achieved all of this. He did it with humility, he did it without being distracted by the many off field issues confronting his club, he did it caring more about his club and the team's performance than his own individual efforts. Brett's passion for the Norwood Football Club was always underplayed. Not an emotional person or overt in his body language Brett's best work is done away from the spotlight and generally when maximum impact is achieved.

Brett James achieved nearly anything that can be achieved on a football field.

Brett James was a bona fide champion and today announced his retirement.

"I have spent the last two weeks on Queensland beaches thinking about my future and realize that I cannot do any more for the Norwood Football Club. I considered playing without the burden of captaincy, I thought about taking a lesser role on the field and thought about not playing at all. The one option that just seemed right was not playing league footy anymore. I love the game and love the football club but it is time. The time I have spent at the footy club is something that will be hard to replace. I've always had commitments away from footy and my retirement will allow me to do other things that I've loved which is being on the farm and having more time with friends and family."

Senior Coach Trevor Hill said "Brett has been iconic at Norwood and it has been a pleasure to have coached him. His leadership has been outstanding and very underrated by many in football circles. He has carried Norwood over the last few years and deserves every accolade he receives."

Norwood General Manager David Wark said "It has been 16 years since Brett James made his debut for the Norwood Football Club. He retires one of the greats of Norwood and one of the greats of South Australian football and I doubt we will see achievements like his again."

[Dogwatcher]

Sad to hear.
Enjoyed his style.

However, my fave Brett James story doesn't involve football - well mostly doesn't.

My girlfriend (now wife) was at the great watering hole The Norwood soon after his return to Adelaide from Melbourne.
Mr James tried to chat up my lady, who gave him the brush off.

James: But I play AFL football.
My Lady: Who are you? I've never heard of you?
James: I played for Collingwood and have just come back to play for Adelaide.
My Lady: Well my boyfriend's a Collingwood supporter, and he's never mentioned you. And I'm a Crows supporter and I've never heard of you.

End of conversation.

Eight months later - Adelaide wins the flag. Announcer calls out Brett James and he goes up to get his medal.

In Adelaide, my girlfriends watching the presentation, smiling cos her team won. Smile drops "oh my God, he wasn't talking shit".

In many ways it says a lot about him as a footballer. Unassuming, but very talented and an asset to his teams.

[mal]

In 16 years of football James never had to buy a 2nd pair of footy boots.
Handball, handball, handball........

Thanks for the memories Brett, dont work too hard on the Kersbrook farm.

[sydney-dog]

two AFL Premiership medals, James will retire a very happy man

tough character, fierece competitor with a great work rate

all the best in retirement

[Adelaide Hawk]

Brett was right when he said he couldn't do any more for the Norwood Football Club as a player. Watching him in the final few games of 2006 he simply could not do the things that he once found so easy. I guess father time catches up with us all eventually.

However, he is one of the great players in Norwood's history and I would like to both thank and congratulate him on a marvellous career.

[Dutchy]

Sad to hear.
Enjoyed his style.

However, my fave Brett James story doesn't involve football - well mostly doesn't.

My girlfriend (now wife) was at the great watering hole The Norwood soon after his return to Adelaide from Melbourne.
Mr James tried to chat up my lady, who gave him the brush off.

James: But I play AFL football.
My Lady: Who are you? I've never heard of you?
James: I played for Collingwood and have just come back to play for Adelaide.
My Lady: Well my boyfriend's a Collingwood supporter, and he's never mentioned you. And I'm a Crows supporter and I've never heard of you.

End of conversation.

Eight months later - Adelaide wins the flag. Announcer calls out Brett James and he goes up to get his medal.

In Adelaide, my girlfriends watching the presentation, smiling cos her team won. Smile drops "oh my God, he wasn't talking shit".

In many ways it says a lot about him as a footballer. Unassuming, but very talented and an asset to his teams.

Unfortuantely says a LOT about crows fans also!!!!!

[spell_check]

Some big shoes to fill in his absence, you don't become the leading ball getter in the SANFL for nothing.

Unfortunately that leaves just one player left in the pre 1991 players - Ben Hart.

[SimonH]

Good on you, Brett. I've got a beauty for Spell-check: name the last player who got 3 Magarey Medal votes in his last ever game? (In case it's Nafan Buckley, people who went on to the AFL don't count.)

Leaves Scott Bassett as the last member of the 1997 Norwood premiership team still going around for us, as well. We'd better get another flag before he retires, or it will be the first time since 1975 that the Norwood list is devoid of premiership-winners (with the club).

[Jimmy]

haha...the Norwood hotel, if you couldnt pick up there, then you were clinically dead

a great carrer Brett had and he always gave us trouble.

a top player and will be missed by the legs.

[dash61]

If what i read is correct, 368 games combined, what a fantastic effort and wish westies had a couple of servants to the club like him. Well done

[smac]

Congratulations on an outstanding career. Players with his staying power and loyalty are too few in footy.

[JK]

Has been a fantastic and underrated player for the Legs and I wish him all the best on his well deserved retirement ... I would imagine this could bring some initial pain for Norwood, but could well benefit the club part way through the season, as for the last few years when the going got tough, Beefy was always the main to lift a cog while some others were happy to leave it to him ... Those same players won't be able to hide as easily and will need to stand firm now and that can only be a good thing!

A fantastic career, a champion player and a great bloke to boot ... Thanks for the memories Beef!!

[Wedgie]

A great player, Im not sure if he was underrated as I and other rated him very highly. I was always of the opinion he should have got more games for the Crows.
Good luck in your future Brett.

[Macca19]

Great player. Awesome inventive handball. Up with the best in that regard.

To play 350 games of senior football is an extraordinary achievement. Its right that hes unassuming. If you asked an average football follower how many games of footy he'd played most would say 'about 200' i reckon.

Best of luck in retirement Brett!

[Thiele]

A great player all the best Brett