Giants bet on return of Mummy
GREATER Western Sydney’s Shane Mumford restoration project will officially start today with Leon Cameron admitting it is no guarantee to succeed.
The Giants will lodge papers to again recruit Mumford under new rookie rules, with Cameron saying he wanted to hand the 32-year-old a second chance. The new rookie rule will in coming days see exFremantle ruckman Zac Clarke join Essendon, with Mav Weller (Richmond), Corey Wagner (Melbourne) and Keegan Brooksby (West Coast) find new homes.
Mumford was fined $25,000, suspended for rounds 1 and 2 and continues to undergo rehab and education programs after a video showing him snorting cocaine in 2015 was unearthed.
At his best Mumford is a fearsome raging bull of a ruckman who makes his teammates stand tall. But Cameron knows that the veteran’s body has been beaten up over the journey, labelling his recruitment at “calculated risk” as he prepares to start training today.
The Giants have endured a troubled off-season with salary cap troubles meaning Dylan Shiel, Will Setterfield, Tom Scully and Rory Lobb departed as Toby Greene recently underwent foot surgery.
While Cameron knows there are doubters regarding the Mumford decision, he has backed in a player who could fill a key void in the ruck if he can stay on the paddock.
“I’m a believer of second chances and guys make mistakes in life, and Shane made a really big one,” he said.
“We’ll work with him closely to make sure he makes better decisions. He’s determined to make the wrongs right and we’ll be there to help him through that. It’s a wonderful story, an interesting story, and no doubt plenty is going to be written about it.“
Mumford had battled a navicular issue in late 2017 that forced his retirement but as he worked as a ruck coach and boxed professionally he believed he could again withstand football’s rigours.
Cameron said the club’s medical assessments on Mumford were optimistic enough for them to take a chance.
“We’re willing to take a calculated risk because we’ve done all the research on him,” he said.