Grassroots to the big stage, we all feel heat
Performing under pressure is part of the deal for sporting stars
ABOUT 15 years ago on a freezing night in Toowoomba, I was playing centre half-back for the Robina Roos in the AFL South Queensland Division 2 pre-season third-place playoff.
Our captain was lining up a set shot to win the game from about 30m out. I ran over to give him some encouragement and he whispered to me: “I’m gonna kick a left-foot barrel”.
Now “Spook” was not leftfooted, it was our fourth game of the day and leaving with even third place was all we wanted.
I pleaded with him to just kick a right-foot drop punt so we could get a medal. He ignored me and kicked the most perfect left-foot torpedo you’ve seen and we won the game.
You can’t compare that to the pressure of kicking a goal to win an AFL match but Spook kicked winning goals for the Roos all the time.
If my life depended on someone kicking a goal from 20m out directly in front to win a game, I’d give the ball to him.
He’d probably intentionally miss just to take the mickey, but still, he’d be my pick.
To give some perspective, the Roos played in the lowest division, about four below the state league and were once labelled by The Sunday Mail as Australia’s worst team.
Apart from the long-suffering wives, girlfriends and the occasional bloke wandering past with his mangy dog, public scrutiny was non-existent (except in the early days when the Roos were getting pumped by 200 points every week).
So if “Snake” the full-forward missed from 20m out directly in front, it was only really his teammates who’d know about it. But does that mean Snake, Spook or any other suburban sportsperson, doesn’t feel pressure? Of course not.
Anyone at any level in any sport who’s had the chance to win a game with the last shot will tell you the pressure was crushing. Some people overcome the pressure but that doesn’t mean they don’t feel the pressure.
So when Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn missed from 20m on Sunday to hand Geelong the game, the viewing public has every right to be upset.
If you have suburban players able to kick winning goals under pressure, what does that say about the mental fortitude of professional athletes who miss from directly in front?
People were quick to jump to Gawn’s defence, saying how horribly under pressure he must have been. The best suburban footballers I played with didn’t get paid a cent but gee they kicked crucial matchwinners from far worse positions.
Under pressure, the basics have to be automatic, and in light of that, Gawn’s miss was unforgivable.