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It wasn’t Liam Shiels’ first impression however it was an enduring one.
This was the night time Alastair Clarkson fell in love with the then-first-year Hawk. Former Tiger Will Thursfield in all probability doesn’t have fairly as fond recollections.
Shiels dashed down one of many MCG wings however was irate after shanking his kick, with the bobbling Sherrin nonetheless nearby.
“I form of put my head down and there was a giant collision,” Shiels mentioned.
“We had been coming from completely different instructions and had been each form of head-on and I turned just a little bit and received (Thursfield’s) shoulder and he went off with a collarbone damage.”
Each Shiels spotlight tape since has included that ferocious passage.
It was his tenth senior match, however Clarkson instructed him afterwards he would play each week if he saved doing issues like that.
Shiels nonetheless does it now, 239 video games later, forward of his 250th on Sunday towards Collingwood, the membership he grew up barracking for and that wished to draft him 14 years in the past.
Making this weekend’s milestone extra particular is that his nice mate, Luke Breust, is coincidentally, or in all probability not, taking part in recreation 250, too.
They arrived at Waverley Park in the identical 12 months – Shiels because the No.34 draft choose, and Breust through the rookie draft – and have been inseparable since.
Their wives, Claire and Anthea, are shut as effectively. Shiels turned a father in March and the stress is on Breust to ship Tommy just a little pal.
They performed in 4 grand finals and gained three premierships collectively as a part of a golden period for Hawthorn, alongside Sam Mitchell, who’s now teaching them.
Mitchell was a part of Breust’s personal coming-of-age second, even when it was nothing like Shiels’ one towards Richmond.
All of the membership’s 2008 draftees had been shortly thrust into John Donehue’s jiu-jitsu courses in Chadstone, which had been an eye-opening expertise for a skin-and-bone Breust, who weighed 70kg dripping weight on the time.
In a single session, Breust was grouped with Mitchell and Taylor Duryea for a tackling drill, with Shiels watching from close by.
Mitchell’s job was to corral, then nail Breust in a sort out. That’s not what performed out.
“I bear in mind you stepped him and he was like, ‘No, no, go once more’ and you then stepped him once more and he mentioned, ‘I’ll get you the third time’,” Shiels mentioned.
“He knew precisely the place you had been going to step a 3rd time round, however ‘Punky’ nonetheless stepped him.”
For Breust, it stays certainly one of his strongest early recollections and a turning level in believing he might make it at AFL degree.
Tigers triple premiership coach and ex-Hawks assistant Damien Hardwick purportedly described Breust’s sidestep as Chris Heffernan-like in these early days.
There have been difficult instances earlier than that, together with one pre-season recreation the place Breust didn’t document a single disposal.
“It doesn’t assist whenever you stroll in on a Monday morning, and also you’re sitting within the assembly and the very first thing Clarko says is, ‘The place’s Punk?’,” Breust mentioned.
“You’re type of already doing these ones (hiding), making an attempt to dodge and weave, then it’s like, ‘Yeah, over right here’, and he asks, ‘What number of touches did you will have?’. It’s not a fantastic feeling.
“You routinely begin to doubt your self. I used to be 70 kilos on the time, however I luckily had one other go the subsequent week and received a couple of possessions, in order that was good.”
However whereas Shiels made an prompt impression, sharpshooting Breust, who developed right into a twin All-Australian, needed to wait till his third season – after piling on double-digit kilograms – to make his AFL debut.
His soccer alternative virtually didn’t occur in any respect.
Missed within the nationwide draft, Breust was simply one other wannabe coaching alongside Jeff Garlett, Riley Milne and Haydn Kiel within the lead-up to the rookie draft.
Garlett was seen because the superior small ahead choice again then – and can be Lance Franklin’s cousin – and the Sydney Swans had already dominated out Breust, from Temora in nation NSW, as an Academy choice.
Carlton swooped on Garlett first, leaving Breust to fall to the Hawks at No.47. North Melbourne later indicated it might have thought of him at No.54 however there was no certainty.
“I’d spoken to a few SANFL golf equipment, however I in all probability would have gone dwelling, gone to uni at Wagga and accomplished a commerce diploma, which I’ve completed now,” Breust mentioned.
That sliding doorways second has paid off magnificently for Hawthorn and the person liable for the recruitment of each Shiels and Breust, Graham Wright.
Wright is the Magpies’ soccer boss today, so could have additional curiosity in Sunday’s contest.
“I’ve been rapt to be a small a part of their journey from the beginning and to see them each turn into three-time premiership gamers, leaders and excellent younger males off the sphere,” Wright mentioned this week.
“They’re each stars, humble and down to earth.”
Neither Shiels nor Breust has absolutely mirrored on their extraordinary success at Hawthorn, though the latter identified he grew up a Saints fan and doesn’t take his flag glory as a right.
However theirs is a narrative of friendship and bonds as a lot as premierships.
They had been each within the ‘70s group’ on the Hawks, comprising third-to-fifth-year footballers. Becoming a member of them had been the likes of Paul Puopolo, Ben Stratton, Duryea, Ben McEvoy and Matt Suckling.
Each participant on the checklist was allotted to a specific improvement group, however this one was arguably probably the most influential.
They noticed themselves because the heartbeat of the brown and gold, self-charged with energising the remainder of their teammates (“I swear, generally, different guys on the crew would get a bit jealous they weren’t a part of it”).
The 70s group would meet pre-game to debate their priorities, together with whether or not one of many members was out of kinds and wanted additional assist.
There have been additionally particular events once they would come collectively mid-match, just like the well-known 2013 preliminary last overcome Geelong, when match-winner Shaun Burgoyne went bonkers within the last time period.
Shiels: “There was this enormous quantity of perception. It was like, ‘We’re proper on this recreation; let’s deliver a little bit of spark’.”
Breust: “Generally, it’s simply as straightforward as acknowledging the scenario you’re in.
“Like, it’s a giant second; three-quarter time of a prelim towards a rival who we hadn’t crushed for 11 video games, so, generally, even simply saying that out loud practically makes you chill out just a little bit.”
They’re very completely different instances for the rebuilding Hawks, Breust and Shiels in 2022.
Breust severely contemplated the Giants’ commerce interval advances final 12 months and the additional safety that might have include it, whereas Shiels was dropped after spherical 1 and has recurrently performed because the medical substitute.
However Shiels is much from crushed and would ideally wish to play past this season.
He nonetheless lives by former assistant Brendon Bolton’s mantra to, “be dependable, you don’t need to be exceptional”.
“I’ve form of simply mentioned, ‘Yeah, righto, problem accepted’,” Shiels mentioned.
“I do know the place the footy membership is at and I’m completely happy to assist these younger youngsters develop, if it means Hawthorn’s going to win one other premiership within the subsequent two or three years.”
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