By Russell Bennett
TOM Papley is no stranger to grand finals involving the Bulldogs.
He played in two of them as a teenager for his beloved Bunyip Bulldogs in the Ellinbank and District Football League in 2012 and 2013 – the first of those a premiership win as a 16-year-old.
On Saturday, the now 20-year-old will stride out on to the MCG for his first AFL Grand Final for Sydney – the team he adored as a kid, and the same club both of his grandfathers played for.
Papley’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric since being selected with pick 14 in the Rookie Draft prior to this season.
But instead of being overawed, the forward pocket plumber has excelled as one of the brightest young guns of a truly star-studded line-up.
He’s earned the praise of some of the biggest names in the business, with retiring legendary commentator Dennis Cometti saying of Papley in his final ever Friday night AFL call last week: “It’s like finding a 50 in an old coat”.
He truly is one of the finds of the season – booting 29 goals in his 19 career games so far, including three majors on Friday night in the Swans’ 37-point preliminary final win over Geelong – 15.7(97) to 8.12(60).
One of the AFL’s most respected analysts, former North Melbourne dual premiership-winner David King said of Papley on Fox Footy after the grand final qualifier: “He’s done a fantastic job. He’s actually a rock-solid set shot at goal – that’s what I like about him. He’s kicked nine goals (in the finals so far), yeah that’s fantastic, but even tonight when they needed one he went back and converted and didn’t allow his team to get the wobbles. It was a fantastic sign.”
One of the most highly-regarded coaches in the AFL, Ross Lyon, also weighed in.
“He’s as hard as nails, has a sound technique and we’ve just spoken about (Isaac) Heeney – the ordained one out of the Academy – and now you’ve got this kid off a rookie list who’s worked his backside off and he’s going to a grand final. He’ll be pinching himself tonight,” he said.
Tom’s grandfather on his dad David’s side, Max Papley, played 59 games for South Melbourne and was named club champion in 1966, while his mum Susie’s dad – the late Jeff Bray – also played 34 games for the club after a distinguished career at West Adelaide.
And to think Tom could have easily been lost to footy altogether if he pursued cricket instead. He was even supposed to go to the West Indies with the schoolboys’ side when he was 17.
Instead, he’ll be marching out on to the MCG this Saturday in front of 100,000 people to face former Narre Warren players Matthew Boyd and Toby McLean, and former Beaconsfield local and Noble Park alum Tory Dickson.
