Hird mentality serves Heppell well
BEING recruited in a tent at a Burleigh Heads caravan park is one of the great AFL draft tales.
Dyson Heppell was starstruck when his hero James Hird walked into the family‘s lodgings the night before the 2010 National Draft.
It was the first time he’d spoken to Essendon and 24 hours later, they selected the Morrish medallist in the first round at No.8.
Now Heppell sits alongside Hird on the club’s honour board as a captain and will join him as a 200-game player when he leads the Bombers on to the SCG on Saturday night to face Sydney. “I’m humbled by the whole journey and experiences I have been fortunate enough to have over the last 12 years,” Heppell said.
“To be all at Essendon, the team I grew up barracking for, is pretty cool.”
He‘s been through a lot over the journey, including Hird’s dismissal during the infamous drugs scandal and is on to his sixth coach (if you include interims) in Ben Rutten.
Injuries have cruelled him in recent times while he’s lost three elimination finals. But in his laconic country way, the kid from Leongatha shrugs it off and moves on to the next challenge.
“Footy can be a tough caper at times, it certainly has its ups and downs and you build a hell of a lot of resilience,” the 29year-old Heppell said.
“Part of me thinks I’d rather a journey of going through hard times.
“I think some of my proudest moments are getting through adversity and coming out the other side stronger. I have loved every minute of it.”