Great grand final stories (from top left clockwise): Steven May, Adam Treloar, Alex Neal-Bullen, Roarke Smith
One of the joys of each grand final is revelling in some of the more captivating individual stories.
They are the players who might have overcome significant adversity, who’ve taken the path less-travelled, or for whom this occasion looked like it would never come. Individuals who fall into this category might be stars, or they might be some of the last selected in their side’s 22.
In recent years, neutral supporters have heartily celebrated the likes of Marlion Pickett, Tom Boyd, Matt Spangher and Max Bailey, and for a multitude of reasons. As the two sides line up on Saturday evening, certain players from each will be watched closely, and cheered on by those hoping to see a long, tumultuous, or complex journey rewarded with the ultimate footballing success.
Of these, Adam Treloar will sit close to the top of the list. Treloar has become one of the most transparent figures in the game, opening up about his struggles with anxiety and displaying a rare kind of honesty that has endeared him to supporters of various footballing denominations. Having been a good contributor in Collingwood’s defeated 2018 side, this will be his first premiership should the Bulldogs emerge victorious.
But in November last year, these happy circumstances seemed a mile off. Having cautiously offered him up for trade 12 months prior, the Magpies were far less subtle this time round, trying to broker a deal first with Gold Coast, and then anyone else who was interested. The broad view of the football-watching public was that Treloar was treated abysmally by his old club.
And given that most non-Collingwood supporters don’t need much of an excuse to barrack against the Magpies, the circumstances around this acrimonious split should see plenty of support for Treloar on Saturday. In fact, even Collingwood fans, who received him warmly when they met in round one this year, may be hoping for a Bulldogs victory so that their former gun midfielder might have a joyous ending to a rough 12 months.
Melbourne’s Alex Neal-Bullen has a very different journey to tell. Unlike Treloar, he is not considered one of his team’s star players, and yet his importance to the Demons this season is reflective of a simpler, more pragmatic approach taken by the club.
Prior to this year, Neal-Bullen had been a fringe player, except, perhaps tellingly, in the Demons’ preliminary final year of 2018. As the club slumped to a bottom-two finish the following season, the South Australian product found himself back-and-forth between the firsts and seconds. This was followed by a 2020 season where he received a contextually hefty suspension of four matches, managed just senior seven games, and was told by Melbourne to pursue a trade if he could.
Demon fans would have been forgiven for thinking that Neal-Bullen’s career was winding down. But if his selection in round one was a surprise, his selection this weekend is not, having been a crucial cog in Simon Goodwin’s forward set-up in every game this year. That he could not crack the side when they were awful, but has played every game in a grand final season, clearly indicates improvement.
But more so it shows that when a team buys into a system, and it prioritises role players who can execute that system instead of trying to have All-Australians all over the park, they’re often bound for success. In a way, Neal-Bullen represents the new Melbourne: selfless, consistent, determined, and successful.
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Another somewhat off-Broadway candidate in this year’s match-up is the Bulldogs’ defensive winger Roarke Smith. While Treloar, Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae, Bailey Smith and company zip around and chase the footy, Smith allows it to happen by dropping back, guarding space, and committing himself to (un)rewarded running.
But even recently, it wasn’t this way. Like Neal-Bullen, Smith has struggled to lock away a spot in the team for much of his career.
Two ACL injuries (in 2015 and 2017) kept him grounded for the first three seasons of his career, and along the way, he’s not only had to fight for his spot in the team, but also on the list.
Initially selected in the 2014 rookie draft, Smith has since been delisted and re-rookied by the Dogs twice in the last four years. And after a strong pre-season in the lead up to 2021, he had to wait until round nine to get his first opportunity.
While this season has again been one on the fringes, Smith’s 13 games is the most of his career.
And having been re-called for round 23 and held his spot through the finals – barring further misfortune – will run out on Saturday night as one of modern footy’s ultimate battlers. Should the Bulldogs taste victory, his is a story that even the most hard-hearted opposition fans will be able to get behind.
Finally, there’s the Demons’ All-Australian full-back Steven May. Prior to this season, the former Suns captain had played in 98 losses and just 49 wins, with nine of those 49 coming last season as Melbourne staggered to a ninth place finish. Across 11 years, May has played in precisely six quarters of finals footy. To say he’s waited for success is an understatement.
But while he may have waited, he has not been patient, and his conviction and willingness to drive standards has been a constant theme coming out of Melbourne in the last two years. While his former co-captain at the Suns in Tom Lynch tasted immediate success after they both jumped ship in 2018, May’s path to a grand final has not been anywhere near as smooth.
His club’s travails notwithstanding, the star full-back was on the receiving end of some pretty strong criticism in his first year at the Demons.
He was accused of turning up for pre-season in less-than-ideal shape. He missed 14 games with injury, and when he was out there, his performances were fairly sub-par. And, somewhat ludicrously looking back, his professionalism was again questioned when he was papped having a quiet drink while out injured.
Where the Demons were criticized heavily for spending so much money and draft capital on May, especially just 12 months after they’d done the same for Jake Lever, every single club in the land wishes that they had him now.
Of course, these are but four examples among many who will be celebrated earnestly on Saturday night.
No doubt others like Max Gawn, Josh Schache, Angus Brayshaw, Mitch Hannan, Jake Bowey and Stefan Martin will all get a special cheer should they mount the stage to collect their premiership medal. Ultimately, it’s the stories of new-found success that make this event so nourishing for many.
