Mumford headed back to GWS roster
ADRIAN WARREN GWS coach Leon Cameron says there’s a calculated risk bringing Shane Mumford back, with the ruckman to return to the roster on Saturday.
The 2012 Sydney premiership-winning ruckman retired after the 2017 season following foot issues, but will rejoin the Giants when the supplemental selection period opens on Saturday.
Talks arose last month that 32-year-old Mumford could make a comeback, especially after Giants ruck stocks were bids for a Cairns-based team to enter Netball Queensland’s new Sapphire Series.
Cairns Netball confirmed yesterday they would enter a team into the inaugural Ruby League next year, but were unable to bid for a spot in the depleted by the trade of Rory Lobb to Fremantle.
In early November Mumford was fined $25,000 and, pending a possible comeback, suspended by the club for two games after footage of a 2015 video had emerged of him snorting white powder.
He helped out with the Giants’ ruckmen in 2018 and kept fit by boxing as a professional heavyweight, winning both his fights inside the distance.
The Giants are optimistic Mumford’s foot problem won’t be an issue.
“We’re really willing to take first-ever Sapphire Series due to a lack of required facilities.
Cairns Netball board member Vanessa Ramsey said Cairns High’s plans for a new multipurpose sports hall, which was scheduled for completion in late 2020, were in that calculated risk,” Cameron said on Friday.
“Because we’ve done all the research with him and lots of conversations and I’m confident it’s going to turn out to be a really good story for him.”
Mumford’s last game was a qualifying final in September 2017.
“Twelve months ago he was pretty spent,” Cameron said.
“He had a navicular issue that was pretty bad. We all know he’s had his knee issues for probably the last five or six years and it just got worse.
“When he played that last line with what Cairns Netball needed in the future.
“When we saw that Cairns High were building this magnificent, three-indoor-court facility, we saw it as an opportunity that, down the track, we may eventually be game in Adelaide in the first final in 2017, clearly his career came tumbling down.
“He had three or four months off and didn’t really do much and then got into boxing and he started to present himself pretty well throughout the year at the back end in terms of our training and taking the rucks for some coaching.
“We had a very good strong discussion and Mummy (Mumford) has presented himself really well on the back of some really good training in a different sport.
“We’ll look forward to the able to put in a licence bid for the Sapphire Series,” she said.
“We will definitely be able to use the facility for our weekly training and then, with the outlook of 2020, we will be able to host Sapphire Series games here.” journey, we know there will be some ups and downs but that’s like with any player.”
Cameron said Mumford had made a big mistake regarding his actions on the video, but was prepared to give him a second chance.
“One thing I know about him is that he’s determined to make the wrongs right and we’re there to make sure that we can help him,” he said.