by RustyCage » Thu Jan 12, 2006 1:14 pm
Final fling for 'old dinosaur'
1:12:15 PM Wed 11 January, 2006
Alan Shiell
Sportal for afl.com.au
Gavin Wanganeen, Port Adelaide's much-decorated champion, has started preparing for his 16th and final AFL season, describing himself as 'one of the old dinosaurs of the competition'.
Wanganeen, 33 in June, is scheduled to play his 300th AFL match in the opening round - against the Kangaroos at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night, April 1.
He has made a later-than-normal start (a week ago) to pre-season training and Port coach Mark Williams has said he will be nursed through the season - in matches and at training - as Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy has indicated he will do with James Hird this year.
"I'm mentally fresh and the body's a lot fresher, so the break has been really good," Wanganeen said at Alberton Oval on Wednesday. "It's great to be back. There are a lot of new faces here and I'm getting to know a lot of the younger guys.
"Knowing it's my last year, I'm excited about it. I know the time will go very quickly, so I'm going to enjoy it while I'm still here. Once it's over, it's over, and I'm looking forward to the year.
"Mark Williams had a good chat to me and he just mentioned there was still a role for me to play at this ripe old age. I thought that was enough and I'd push my body through one more year."
Wanganeen, the 1993 Brownlow medallist, a dual premiership player (Essendon in 1993, Port in 2004), a five-time All-Australian, an AFL life member and the Power's inaugural captain (1997-2000), played 23 of Port's 24 regular-season matches last year to lift his tally with the Power to 172 since 1997 after 127 with Essendon from 1991-96.
He said he would play a 'similar role' to what he played in the second half of last season - 'a lot more time on the bench, more of a burst sort of a player'.
"I enjoyed that so I look forward to doing that again this year," he said. "It will probably be a half to three-quarters of a game. Occasionally I might get the full game in if we've got a few injuries and if I'm feeling good … just spending a lot more time on the bench and trying to stay fresh.
"I might start on the bench, I might start on the ground. It all depends on how I'm going. I still believe I've got a lot to offer, even though it's on a limited time on the ground.
"I've been training (with Port) for a week now and I'm already starting to feel a lot better. The old lungs are not suffering as they did last week, so, yeah, I'm not going too badly at all.
"My back and legs don't feel as good as they used to when I was 18 running around all day every day. But (they are) not too bad - good enough. You've always got to expect some sore spots at this age.
"You just get used to the sore spots and, at the same time, you're still rapt just being around the place. I've still got quite a bit of time to get right. I'll be ready for round one, that's for sure."
Reminded of Sheedy's sympathetic consideration for Hird early this week, Wanganeen said: "Good old Sheeds. I think it's a great point. The older guys in the competition have got a lot to offer in terms of experience and what they can hand down to the younger guys.
"I think there are definitely positions there where they should look at keeping the older guys and looking after their training and all their appearances during the week. If they can limit that and be able to keep a lot of the older guys it's definitely better for the game, that's for sure. Choco and Sheeds have been good in that area."
I'm gonna break my rusty cage and run