Ricky Nixon
Straight Down the Middle
A month ago I was crossing Bay St in Port Melbourne and ran into Richmond Player Jake King (aka The Push Up King). I’ve met Jake a few times which is a 100% more times than most of the people commentating on him in the last 48 hours. To me Jake represents a lot of what AFL should be about yet some commentators and media outlets find it “newsworthy” to promote (to their own benefit) a very different view.
Jake King retired this week and deserves to be remembered and celebrated for what he has achieved. Not “childlike” unfunny fake phone messages that a journalist wrote this morning nor the constant repeat of pictures with ex bikie Toby Mitchell which one paper thought appropriate to put to an article about cancer patient 5y.o. Nate Anderson. An act that not only upset Nate’s family but also many of King’s friends, family, teammates.
Let me tell you a bit about Jake King (the side of Jake you don’t hear a lot about). The boy played for North Heidelberg kicking 5 goals in a Grand Final and was Rookied as a 24yo to Richmond. He stands a tad over 170cm. Let face it he’s no Anthony Koutoufides rolled in to Wayne Carey. He once kicked 4 goals in an AFL game. Something only very good players can do.
Round 6 2011 sums up Jake. The Tigers were locked in a fierce battle with Brisbane at the MCG. King grabs a bouncing ball one handed near the boundary line on forward 50m, shrugs off a McGrath tackle almost losing his shorts. He bounces the ball in front of the Richmond faithful and sprints towards goal. Please Jake don’t get your ambitions mixed up with your ability because you ain’t Gary Ablett. Kick a goal Jake ! He runs to 25. Please kick it now. Please. What ? No. He takes another bounce. He cops and almighty tackle from Irishman Pearce Hanley and nearly gets decapitated, shakes it off, never losing balance and nails the goal. Oh yeah boy oh boy we love Jake. The Lenny Hayes of Richmond. The heart and sole of what makes a footy club tick. That’s footy played the Jake King way.
Heroes and villians make AFL a great game. Sadly the lack of such Heroes and Villians now is one of the contributing facts which make it less entertaining by the week. Wayne Carey could be both in 5 minutes. Jake was typecast as villain both on and off the field and rarely a hero by Media. But by people who have played the game or played with him he stood tall as a hero to them.
Football isn’t just about games played and goals kicked it’s what you do with the opportunity of a lifetime. Jake didn’t waste one second of his career. He was determined to make something from where he came from. He was the first person in his family to buy a house. When he stood up at his press conference to announce his retirement he spoke about his teammates and the club that gave him an opportunity. He is a “we” man not an “I” man. Something a few people at a Club with a sash in the Northern Suburbs have taken a while to come to grips with.
Football use to be for everyone. Black, White, Tall, Short, Local, Foreign and dare I say it men with Tattoos from the other side of the street. Unfortunately the do gooders both within the game and outside the game don’t agree. They want to sterilise it. They want robots. They don’t want characters. Pretty soon if you’re a tradie who drinks beer you will be banned from playing the way the game is going.
Jake King is what football should be about. Inspiring to kids who aren’t as fortunate as some of us. Jake well done. A mighty career and a mighty person and a mighty goal. Just cut the bounces out son !
http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2011/6/rich-v-bl
“Straight Down the Line” is a regular blog written the Ricky Nixon way…..Short Sharp Informative & Entertaining….just the way you like it.
Ricky Nixon can be contacted via info@rickynixon.com.au
Ricky Nixon 