Sentiment is for Sissies

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy seeing some sentiment in footy as much as the next bloke. I loved watching Jack Silvagni continue the Carlton dynasty, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to getting a tad teary as Bob Murphy held up the premiership cup.

But, the recent discussions revolving around Josh Daicos, son of Peter, not being able to wear his father’s no. 35, is all a bit too much.

Since 2010, it has been a tradition at Collingwood to honour the no. 35, worn by Peter Daicos and Simon Prestigiacomo, by awarding it to their first draft pick. So, it seems, to the disgust of many Collingwood diehards, that potential 2016 father-son pick, Josh Daicos, will not be able to wear his father’s number.

And who cares?!

It seems like the footy community is becoming more and more blinded by romanticism and forgetting about the footy itself.

Not wearing their famous father’s numbers hasn’t seemed to stop Brownlow Medallist’s Gary Ablett and Jobe Watson from forging successful careers. Nor did it stop former father-son players, Dustin Fletcher and Jonathan Brown.

In all honesty, numbers in football are as pointless as a bible at a strip club. And our enchantment with a father and son identified by the same numerical digit’s is simply futile fascination.

A ‘good’ number is not going to make you a good football player. Take a look at Adam Goodes; wearing the no. 37 didn’t stop him. Cameron Ling and Anthony Koutoufides, both wore guernseys in the forties, yet both are considered as part of the greats at their respective clubs.

In fact, a ‘good’ number can actually be detrimental to the career of an AFL player. Carlton’s Clem Smith for instance. Drafted in the 2014, Smith was bestowed with the responsibility of wearing the number 25, worn by club champions Alex Jesaulenko and Brendan Fevola. However, instead of living up to the standards of the players before him, Smith managed just 7 games and was delisted this year.

The non-existent influence of a number won’t be any different for young Daicos.

I’m not sure if it’s the end of season lull in footy news, or the insane speculation, about players yet to even play around draft time, but all this talk about a number is completely worthless.

It’s time for the football community to take off their rose-tinted glasses, and view footy for what it is; footy.

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About Ben Reid

An aspiring journalist, with a love of sport.

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