THE SNUB THAT LAUNCHED ‘AIR NAUGHTON’

AARON Naughton grizzled at the question. Four years after Peel Thunder dropped him for the WAFL Grand Final the local press wanted to reopen an old wound.

“They didn’t pick me,” Naughton said. “There was about 18 Freo-listed players and so it was always going to be really tough to get a gig. But I thought my form was pretty good and playing in a WAFL Grand Final would’ve been an awesome way to finish my draft year.

“Unfortunately it didn’t end that way.”

Plenty felt the Naughton camp had every right to feel aggrieved. The man himself declared it was time to move on.

“It was four years ago, what’s it really matter?” Naughton said. “I’m playing in an AFL Grand Final this week – I think it’s worked out pretty well.”

It was a fair response.

On Saturday night Naughton will get his chance to claim a premiership in Perth, this time as a hulking full-forward charging out of the goalsquare. Good luck to anyone in his way. When “Air Naughton” and its reckless pilot take flight it can cause a trail of destruction.

A crash landing in Canberra this year cost Naughton’s housemate Tim English five weeks on the sidelines.

“Unfortunately I got Timmy pretty flush,” Naughton said.

Perhaps the biggest hit came when

Naughton and Docker Griffin Logue, who played in Peel’s 2017 premiership, collided at full steam in Round 12.

Naughton got up, but Logue was concussed. Naughton kicked 1.5 that night but was still named second-best by coaches Luke Beveridge and Justin Longmuir. It was purely based on his aerial efforts on a slippery night.

It felt like Wayne Carey was wearing red, white and blue as Naughton grabbed 13 marks (five contested).

Naughton hasn’t shied away from comparisons to the king, which started when Damien Hardwick said not even “Jesus Christ” could’ve stopped his 5.3 and 14 marks (nine contested).

In fact, a teammate whispered that Naughton wanders through the Whitten Oval gym saying: “The Duck’s feeling good today”.

How’s that for swagger? Naughton led the AFL for contested marks in 2019 … as a 19-year-old.

“I just love to attack the footy,” Naughton said. “I don’t try to worry too much about anyone around me and just focus on the ball. As long as I’m looking at that I know I’m pretty sweet.”

Naughton will kickstart a premiership party if the Bulldogs beat Melbourne in front of his home crowd.

He is the man in charge of the speaker that has turned locker rooms into dancefloors in Launceston, Brisbane and Adelaide this finals series.

“JBL Party Box 300,” Naughton said. You suspect it’ll be fully charged.