Ash: I was supposed to be coming out there but there’s been some juggling of the roster due to different blokes being required for the Hall of Fame game. I’ve got a Friday night gig now, and I’ll either be going to the Redland Bombers for a function or to Wilston Grange for their game against Mayne. You’ve got big Scotty Clouston headed your way.
G’day Ash. The MCG looked a lot different with 75,000 people there the other day compared to 20,000 for Melbourne-Freo. My question is, do you notice much difference there when the ground is full to half full? – Rob from Nambour, Qld
Ash: Yeah, you sure notice the differences. When we play Collingwood there we always know we’re going to cop some flak. It’s great when all the old Fitzroy people come in because the ‘G’ is the home of football and you get it really loud when both clubs have big slabs of supporters in the place. I remember a game against Hawthorn there in 2005 when it rained all day and was freezing cold. I think that was the same day some of the Fremantle players went to hospital to get treated for hypothermia at Geelong. It was the coldest day at the footy I have experienced and it seemed like there was no-one in the crowd. It was easy to hear your teammates that day.
Hi Ash. I wanted to know, what is the longest goal you have ever kicked? – Bradley from Wavell Heights, Qld
Ash: That would pretty much have to be the one against Sydney in the preliminary final at the Olympic Stadium in 2003. I was well inside the centre square and just chucked the ball on my boot. I was lucky enough that it had a good roll on it and stopped about half a metre over the goalline. I thought Lynchy might be lurking somewhere in the forward 50 and I didn’t look, but he was up with me. Fortunately there was nobody else down there either.
Hey Ash. Studying the way the game is played now, it looks to me as though players are totally under the control of their coach’s orders. Is there any room for individuality left in our game? – James from St Lucia, Qld
Ash: No, there’s no room for being an individual, you pretty much have to stick to your own team structures. If you stray outside those, it is like breaking a link a in a chain and everything falls apart. I reckon someone like Chris Judd would probably have a licence to do whatever he likes though.
Hey Ash. Does your club ever complain to the umpires about decisions. I look at the free kicks a lot at the end of the TV game and we don’t finish in front much at games at the Gabba. It seems like you always keep quiet but. – Mitch from The Gap, Qld
Ash: We don’t go out of our way to do that personally or as a team. Leigh might give Jeff Gieschen a ring just to ask a question or get something clarified but it’s not anything more than that. We don’t go whingeing like some other clubs do.
