Mummy looking for his soft side

SHANE Mumford says he will be channelling his inner sensitive guy as he makes the transition from human wrecking ball to assistant coach.

The big man’s softer side was seen about as frequently as yeti in his decade-long career as a one-man demolition unit.

But Mumford knows he will have to find more sympathetic ways of communicating if he is going to make the grade as a ruck mentor.

“I can’t go out there and rip Rory Lobb’s or Matt Flynn’s head off and expect to get a result,” he said.

“That will be the challenge for me because the way I played my footy was being hard at it. Now I have to pull it back and find the best way for each person. That’s going to be the hardest thing for me.

“Everybody is different. For me this year it’s going to be a learning process of how to coach and get the best out of these guys.”

The adjustment has been made harder with the sudden and dramatic nature of his career-ending foot injury.

Only three months ago Mumford was readying himself for a premiership assault and at least another season or two with GWS.

But when he limped off Adelaide Oval in the qualifying final against Adelaide his playing life had come to an end.

With a growing young family he started to think about life after footy for the first time.

“I simply didn’t know if it would heal right,” Mumford said. “There was a risk I would completely ruin my foot and not be able to run around with the kids. Before Ollie came along footy was everything and I would be doing everything to be out there and even playing through injuries.

“Once you have kids your mind changes and you want to put them first rather than just me wanting to play footy.”

While his exit from playing has been swift, one advantage is his first-hand experience matching up against most of the ruckmen around.

“I’ve done my PhD in rucking,” Mumford said. “It’s different standing on the outside of the drills, but I know the ruck caper, I’ve been doing it for so long and know it so well.”

Lobb is the man who has the job of trying fill his boots.

At 24 and with four seasons and 55 games under his belt, the 207cm West Australian is perfectly placed to flourish in the role as number one ruck.

His new ruck coach believes his biggest challenge is the brutality of the position.

Mumford’s quest to bring out his caring nature is sure to be enhanced further by the expected birth of a second child in April. He and wife Eva Konta, sister of British tennis player Johanna Konta, have a two-year-old son, Ollie.