The Man Magic

Sun Herald

Sunday December 21, 2008

David Sygall

In a forthright Q&A, the Swans veteran tells David Sygall he's got plenty more tricks in him.

WHEN Michael O'Loughlin arrived in Sydney the game was a triviality, the Swans were also-rans and the club was in a day-to-day battle to survive. In the 14 years since, he has played alongside the best, experienced three grand finals, helped win the club's first premiership in 72 years and has seen the game transform in NSW.

O'Loughlin takes a seat after a tough workout.

"Here we go again," he says. "Another pre-season."

But there's not a hint of arrogance about him. Supporters might feel that at the back end of such a brilliant career this indigenous icon has nothing to prove. However, start talking about the game, the club and what he wants from this season and it becomes clear that the fire in the 31-year-old burns brightly.

The Sun-Herald Is the hunger to win a flag as strong in you now as when you started out?

Michael O'Loughlin Absolutely. 2005 was so sweet and once you've been there, you want to keep going back. Unfortunately is doesn't happen that way, but I am confident that we can do it this season.

SH There have been hints that Adam Goodes will play up front more this season. How do you feel about that?

MO There were some games last season where he was amazing at forward. But I think Goodesy, with his competitive streak, wants to get back to midfield. We'll definitely use him at forward at times because of what he brings to the position - and Bazza [Barry Hall] and I will have no problems with that.

SH How has Rhyce Shaw fitted into the squad?

MO From what I've seen he's really flying at training. He's a great guy and a hard worker. Coming to Sydney will be good for him, like all the guys who came up here in the past, such as Marty Mattner, Barry Hall, Craig Bolton ... It's a good environment and I'm looking forward to seeing how Rhyce goes this year.

SH Do you feel for Nick Davis at the moment?

MO I do. I got along really well with Nick. I've heard whispers about an NFL gig but I just hope that whatever he chooses it goes well for him. He's a nice guy, a good kid. He got injured, which didn't help going into the last year of a contract and a few other things came up, which made me feel for him. He's such a talent, one of the best kickers I've ever seen, so it's a real shame that he hasn't found a home.

SH There's a number of very young players in the squad. In the past the team has been criticised for being too old. How do you view the balance?

MO We've got a great balance. There's guys like myself, Kirky [Brett Kirk], Leo Barry, Barry Hall - a core that's been around for a long time. But there are also a number of guys who stepped up last year, like Paul Bevan, Jarred Moore, Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack - and there's no reason why a few more young guys can't be added to that list.

SH There are several exciting players at the Swans but there's been relentless criticism of the team's playing style. How has that affected you and your teammates?

MO The strength of this group is that we don't worry about what others think. People have written us off before because of the way we play but we've done consistently well. I think we are an exciting team: we've got a dual Brownlow medallist, one of the hardest players in Brett Kirk, Leo Barry, who took one of the most exciting marks of all time. So I don't know where people get that feeling from. I guess we just don't get much respect from down south. I know that we've got players who bring the crowd to their feet.

SH The time you've spent in Sydney has been fascinating in terms of the game's evolution. How have you seen people's attitudes towards the game change in NSW over the years?

MO When I first got off the plane in Sydney I didn't see many footy fields. That was a shock. Now you see a few Aussie rules grounds and it's great. Our supporters have been through some massive lows and highs, and their knowledge of the game has improved significantly throughout it. We get a lot of rugby supporters coming to our games and they can't believe how exciting it is ... The game has certainly changed in NSW since I came here.

SH With all the scrutiny on players' behaviour, how is it that the Swans players have seemed to stay out of trouble?

MO For the most part footballers are very well-behaved. There are some who stuff up - I put my hand up, I've stuffed up a couple of times. But you have to learn from it and not repeat the mistakes. People get sick and tired of repeat offenders and that's where people get bad reputations. At the Swans we have leaders who set a great example. When a young guy comes here, they know straight away what is expected of them. There's no guessing, they're told immediately and a lot of us older guys will pull them up if we see something inappropriate going on. The leaders have the courage to speak up when something's going on and a lot more clubs are going in that direction, too. In the past the footy culture wasn't like that. Our guys do stuff up sometimes but they don't do it twice because they know they'll be out of here.

SH How's your fitness?

MO I had a screw removed from my ankle a couple of weeks ago and I'm confident I'll be back to full fitness soon. The injury was from a collision, not from wear and tear, so it could have happened to anyone, not just an old bloke like me ... I should be running by January.

SH Will this be your last season?

MO I think last season was a reasonable year and I believe that as long as I'm producing on the field and living by our team's rules, there's no reason why I can't play another year or two. The coaching department is happy for me to take it year by year. One thing I'm really proud of is the way I've been able to come back from injuries and play at a high level ... At the moment I'm enjoying it, the guys keep me young and I've been very blessed. Retiring is the furthest thing from my mind.

© 2008 Sun Herald

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