INTERVIEW WITH RICHIE VANDENBERG // Wed, 02 Jan 08
Marian Carroll interviews Richie Vandenberg, former captain of Hawthorn who retired at the end of this year’s season after struggling with chronic back injuries over the last three years.
G’day Richie, how are you enjoying Bali?
It’s just been absolutely fantastic, so relaxing.
How did you get involved with the Bali Sports Gala?
I’ve been playing football for 10 years for the Hawks and was asked if I’d be interested in doing it. I’ve been to Bali before, I once brought my Mum here for a holiday, and I knew there were a lot of Aussies playing sport here. The Bali Geckos footy team is probably the most prominent one we know of, but there’s also netball teams, tennis…I thought that would be great fun, to come up and support some expat Aussies across various sports.
You had a run with the Geckos the other night. Was that the first time you’ve trained since retiring?
That was the first bit of training, of any kind, that I’ve done since I finished. It was very interesting because we were on a soccer pitch, with all these little Indonesian kids running around playing soccer while we tried to kick the footy, and it was very, very hot.
You played for Hawthorn for 10 years, including two as captain. Can you take us through your football life?
I started playing junior footy in country NSW for a team called Wentworth, beginning in under-11s. I went right through that footy club to play seniors when I was 17. I then moved to Melbourne to go to uni to study engineering and I played footy for Melbourne Uni Blues in the Victorian amateur league. I actually played with one of the Geckos, Stewart Henderson…Big Hendo.
When did you realise you could go all the way to lead an AFL club?
Living out past Mildura, it was never a dream as a kid because you were just so far away from it. But my coach when I was 17 had AFL experience and said if you wanted to have a crack you could. I didn’t take it seriously until I was at Melbourne Uni and the coach there said the same thing, and some scouts came to have a look at me. Then David Parkin offered me a preseason at Carlton, but there was a funny ruling that didn’t allow me to do it.
What was the ruling?
Back then there was a supplementary list and a rookie list. They listed me as a supplementary player which means you play with their reserves, but to qualify you have to have lived in that state for three years. I’d only lived there for two years. We found out the night before I was supposed to play Essendon in my first game that I had missed out. I had a year off and was drafted by Hawthorn the following year.
How many players go into the draft each year and how many make it through?
Between 2000-2500 people are nominated a year for the draft, but only 50-60 are selected.
Who were your special mentors in footy?
David Parkin had a big influence on me. When he finished at Carlton, he came to Hawthorn. Dermot Brereton was another one, and to this day I’m not exactly sure how it came about because he’s 6”6’ and I’m 5”10’, but he took a liking to how I played and gave me advice.
Speaking of Brereton, I googled you and apparently you guys were involved in a certain incident known as the Line in the Sand. What was that all about?
Hahaha. You have been doing your research. Well, Essendon had beaten the Hawks seven years going and every time we played them, they would physically intimidate us. We had a young group and they used to try and beat up on our young kids. The Line in the Sand was a game where one of our young players was unfairly slung to the ground just before half-time, and during the break our coach and some players were stalking around the rooms very upset and everyone became pretty fired up. As soon as we came out at half time, rather than waiting for them to physically intimidate us, we took the front step and gave back as good as we got, and it turned into an all-in-brawl where there were suspensions and fines. My role was so pronounced because I got suspended for 6 weeks.
What for?
Oh, nothing really. They called it ‘striking’.
But was it worth it? Did you win the game?
We lost that game and our next game we just got beaten, but we’ve beaten them every game since. So it actually turned the tables for us.
You were renowned as being very hard at the ball. Would you say you were generally a fair player?
I was only reported twice during my career. Once was the Line in the Sand incident and that was first time I was ever reported in 19 years of playing footy. Once you’ve been done once, it’s a whole different ball game. You sneeze and they are looking at you next. I would certainly be considered by my peers as a fair player.
You grew up on a farm in a small town. Did your upbringing instill any values that specifically prepared you to lead an AFL side?
I always think the way you were brought up determines the way you play football. Country towns are all about sport. The whole community plays sport and everyone gets around those teams. So playing footy for me was all about having that club feeling of bringing everyone together, and it bred loyalty. It’s good to have loyalty as a club especially now in a game that’s become so professional we don’t see much loyalty anymore.
Is it true your parents travelled six-hours each way to watch every game you played for Hawthorn?
Yes, that is true. The two old guys that stand on the doors of the club rooms every game could never believe seeing Dad roll up every game.
You haven’t had a lot of game time due to your back injuries particularly this last season, but your coach said you were instrumental in helping the club to rebuild. In what ways were you able to contribute?
This year wasn’t so good. I tore my hamstring four times, busted the AC joint in my shoulder twice, and tore the medial ligament in my knee. But myself and the entire leadership group tried to breed a culture of everyone feeling that they could lead on the field. When Alistair (Clarkson) first got to the club, we were a rabble, very undisciplined, no structure. The leadership group worked very closely with Clarko to make sure we could turn all that around. Part of that was when we went to the Kokoda trail at the end of 2004 and we built our four pillars, which are the values the Diggers used: courage, mateship, sacrifice and endurance.
AFL is almost a religion in certain cities in Australia. The media and the public put so much pressure on players and raise them to the levels of almost being gods, to the point that if they put a foot wrong, they can be butchered publicly as we’ve seen with Ben Cousins who probably just needs a break and some time out to get his things in order. What are the temptations facing young stars today?
The game’s changed enormously. Ten years ago it was just becoming professional in the clubs’ organisation, and therefore the media spotlight wasn’t as great when I started. When the AFL did the Collective Bargaining deal and footy revenue went through the roof, suddenly there was a lot more money, more stakeholders and we had 1100 journos accredited in Australia to cover AFL, which is extraordinary when there’s only about 650 players. So now, every time a player sneezes, they’re being watched. And these young kids come from all different places, all walks of life and are thrown into an environment where they’ve got all the temptations of any young 17-year-olds, but we have to educate them to make the right decisions. Now the consequences (of making bad decisions) are greater than ever before.
How did you deal with these temptations?
Coming from the country, the limelight never interested me. I didn’t get involved in the media side, I pretty much did what was requested or required by the footy club and didn’t seek other roles. Playing that way, you keep the attention away from yourself.
You are still young at only 30 years old. What are your plans for life after footy?
I’m heading back to Oz after Bali to help out with the (grape) vintage on the farm for three months then my girlfriend Jasmine and I are heading overseas to travel. When we come back I’m going to get serious about what I’m going to do.
What options are you considering?
I’ve gotta make a decision whether I want to stay involved in footy or get involved in business interests. I’ve got the vineyards and I finished a finance/economics degree. I’m also looking at coaching, but I haven’t made a final decision yet. I’ve spoken to them (Hawthorn), they’re aware of my plans and desire to take some time out and I’ve got until October or November next year.
What advice would you give Bali’s sporting clubs in regards to development and membership growth?
The most important thing for Bali Clubs is for the administrators to breed a culture where people want to play sport socially, but also to have a certain level of professionalism when they play the sport. Players go to have a good time first and foremost, but if you are going to go and play the game, you may as well all try to play as well as you possibly can. If it’s just all turn up and chuck the ball around, the people who want to take it seriously and enjoy the competitiveness of the sport may lose interest. So it’s a balancing act of combining those two types of players.
Marian Carroll.