Player Profile 2010

Player Profile Hits New Heights !!

After a Summer sabbatical the ever popular `Player in Focas` returns to captivate and titillate, and what better way to continue in to the finals than with Ashley Eames as this weeks featured Guest….. interviewed once again by Rocky.

You could really claim without fear of rebuke, that Ashley Eames was a very, very, late starter in the field of Australian Rules Football. So late in fact, that he almost retired before he got started !!

The first sport Ashley Eames played was golf; as a teenager, he played off a handicap of three. Then, while working in security at an Albury nightclub, he met (ejected some say !!) Derek Boyer, “Australia’s strongest man”, who competed on the international strongman circuit and played “Thunder” in Channel 10s “Gladiators” series.

 

Derek Boyer in action with one of the disiplines in the “Strongest Man” list of tortures !!!

The pair began training together, and Ash, who was raised on a farm, discovered some natural strength and before long was competing in Australian Strongman Competitions, winning two Australian championships and a pair of Trans-Tasman Strongman titles in 2000.

The Australian Trans Tasman Strongman Team at the completion of the Challenge in 2000, Ash being 2nd from left, the only one with a neck !!.

He got there lugging trucks, lifting up 150-kilograms boulders and loading sacks onto trucks, among other things.

At his most powerful, Ash could run carrying two 120-kilogram cylinders. Competing at about 130kg, he came up against men closer to 170kg, but found he had more endurance.

 

Helping to kick start a stalled  Scania Firetruck in 2000, no help from the crew !!!

The next step would have been a move to Europe, but no drug code was enforced there and Ash had tired of training alone, competing for himself, preferring instead the camaraderie of football.

Ash’s’ football days began late, because he was raised a Seventh Day Adventist and spent Saturdays at church until he was old enough to decide he would rather do other things. He played his first football game as a 19-year-old.

He played in a local team at Rand in the Coreen and District league in 1999, his first season of football, and as a strongman competitor one could tell he had more power than anyone else, but his skills were quite ordinary. However when a fight broke out in a match against Oaklands, Ash came in, grabbed two Oakland players – one in each hand- put them on the ground and sat on them to break it up.

He won the CDFL award for most league best and fairest votes for a player under 21 in 2000, played for Barnawartha in the Tallangatta league in 2001-02 and won the 2002 premiership.

Then in 2003, age 23, realising that he wanted to play a higher standard of football, he decided he had better get a move on, gave away the Truck pulling and shed more than 20 kilograms, going on to play with North Albury in the Ovens & Murray Football League as their No 1 Ruckman

He took the competition by storm and quickly became one of the best ruckmen in the competition, being a key player in getting North Alburyto the grand finals in 2003 and 2004.

Ash won his club’s 2004 best and fairest award. However, at the end of 2004, he moved to Melbourne, joining the Victoria Police Academy and the St Kilda-aligned, Springvale Scorpions side.

There, the 26-year-old played as Coach Peter Banfield’s No. 1 ruck option, ahead of Barry Brooks and against the likes of David Hille, Matthew Allan, Peter Street and Mark Blake. He finished runner-up in the best and fairest and was picked in the VFL state squad, but did not get a game.

Banfield was disappointed “To be honest, I thought he was the best ruckman in the VFL, and that he should have played state footy,” “He’s got a mature body and he’s strong andhe was our second-quickest player over 400 metres at the club, so from an athletic point of view, he’s very good. He’s really dedicated, Ash, and he’s very loyal.”

Such was his form and bodily presence, that many AFL sides looking for a ready made ruckman, began to notice this gentle giant, and St Kilda and Essendon expressed interest in drafting him in the 2005 National Draft, with Essendon inviting him to do a preseason with the Club.  

Ash spent the month leading up to the 2005 National Draft training with Essendon, but the draft hopeful was 26 and expected to feel slightly nervous come draft morning.

But if an AFL club looked past the tall, thin and teenage ruck prospects on offer at the 2005 national draft and chose a more completed work, Ash hoped he would be considered. “I feel like I’m ready to go, like I could step straight in,” he said at the time. “Hopefully, that might appeal to someone”

 ”I’m not really holding my breath. “I won’t be disappointed if I don’t get picked up, but, if I do, I’ll be rapt. I think I’ve come a long way in the last few years but I’ve still got a long way to go until I reach my potential.”

Unfortunately, in the National Draft of that year (which included Scott Pendlebury at pick 5), Essendon went for youth, picking Paddy Ryder age 17 (197cm,88kg) at No 7, for the Ruck position, and Jay Neagle, Sam Lonergen and Heath Hocking with their other picks. Age killed his chances unfortunately, being at nearly 27, one of the oldest players to put their names down for the National Draft, and in Essendons case, having a choice of picking future star Patty Ryder as their Ruckman, it must be said they made the right decision.

After missing out on a Draft pickup, Ash was lured to Frankston Dolphins for the 2006 Season as their go to man. He had a good Season in 2007, being picked in the VFL side to play West Australia on 26^th May, but then had a knee injury and resultant reconstruction, which put him out for most of the year.

Coming back in 2008, he played solidly in the first half of the season and then suffered a self inflicted arch fracture which required major reconstruction, and tore a major chunk out of his season. As it threatened to do the same for his 2009 season, he decided to step away from the VFL, call it a day in the big smoke, and return to the therapeutic calm of the North Albury Football Club… once more.

It was there while he was convalescing, that wise sages from YCW decided that he would fit strait in to our side, in the position that had been our Achilles’ heel for the last 5 years, and provide that certain something that would help win us that long overdue flag.

Whip, snip and we had our Ruckman…….and I hope the rest is History, as they say !!!!!!!

 Ashley Eames: ……….Rocky takes it to an even higher, and bigger level, by going head to head with an ex Australia Strongest Man and he isn’t saying Boo !!……..in this, his 7th confrontation of the Season!! 
 

Age: 31

Resides:  Melbourne ……..

Height:  200 cm...Hegar’s would be up to your knee cap ??.

Position :  Ruck….and a good job U do , how would U go against Clayton. ??

Player Sponsor:  Glass Options....I can see thru that !!  

 Biggest Influence on Career:      Corey Lambert, Coach of North  Albury 2003-04. Massive influence while I was learning the game and developing.……. you and Clay really do have a lot in common !!... 

Prior Clubs: Rand, Barnawartha, North Albury, Springvale, Dolphins.…..That’s a long road hoed ..?!

AFL Team:  The Mighty Hawks !!!…… it takes all sorts !!

 

Fav`Food:  Steak….you would have it raw of course  ??!! ?

Fav`Drink:  Water……….with Ice and a good Malt Whisky perchance ?? !!

Fav`Player:   Luke Hodge…….. My grandson had his signed footy jumper but Clayton bought it……$50 !!

Fav`Trainer :  Couldn’t live without any of them..……..Midge likes U

Fav`Record:  Kings of Leon-”Only by the Night” …………??!

Fav`Movie:  Butterfly Effect……..that gives me a “quantum of solice”? 

Job: Policeman …… thats a weight just lifted off my mind ??. 

Last Book Read:  Newspaper !!…..????. 

 Other 1/2 :     married to Ally

Best opponent:     David Hille.

Best Played with:    To many to count, could name 10…  plus youre too nice to offend?? 

Football Hilite:         2002 Premiership with Barnawatha, and doing a preseason with Essendon in 2005 …….??

Football Lolite:     Loosing 2003 Grand Final with North Albury and not getting drafted in 2005` .….!!.

 4 invitees for Dinner

Greg Norman        …….anyone for Tennis. ??

Arnold Schwarzenegger       ………he would certainly lift the party.  ??

Miranda Kerr         .………  nice !!

Gisele Bundchen    ………… !!

Wh0m from the past (living or dead) would U most like to talk to:      Arnold Schwarzenegger……..The Guys a Legend, he can do anything…..except reduce crime in LA??.

What would U ask:   Whats your motivation ??? ……….Money perhaps ??

Thanks for laying your soul bare and for your help, I really enjoyed this….