Rarely — probably never — has a number one draft pick created as much publicity as Harley did going into his first AFL season.
For more than 40 successive days or more the Tongala Tornado featured on the back page of The West Australian, the heavyweight of daily newspapers in Western Australia with a focus on its two AFL clubs.
How times have changed.
Initially Harley could do no wrong in nearly every footy fan’s opinion even if you didn’t follow the battling West Coast Eagles, the club that drafted him.
Harley backed up all the initial unprecedented hype and enthusiasm of fans with his barnstorming on-field performances.
A new AFL superstar was emerging.
A year on and Harley is still making the headlines.
This time for all the wrong reasons.
A finger gesture to a Brisbane Lions fan who was offering him a tissue in West Coast’s recent clash with Brisbane earned him a $1000 fine from the AFL — and a lot more outside criticism.
Admittedly his body language has also come under close scrutiny from the negative people in the AFL media who put sensationalism before the facts.
It’s a ploy supposed to sell papers and draw in a bigger TV and radio audience, but I don’t wear that.
I have never met Harley personally, but those who have and are good friends of his will tell you he is a fine young man and not just a prodigious footy talent.
Admittedly some of his on-field actions have been questionable of late, but it must be considered Harley is a 19-year-old with less than 20 AFL games under his belt.
Some of his critics obviously don’t compare their own experiences at that same tender age as Harley’s or they have been either budding ministers of religion or straight out liars.
I’m sure Harley is well aware he has a few shortcomings that have to be addressed that I’m confident he will and spatter a lot of egg on a lot of faces in the years to come.
And all your fans, particularly those from your home town of Tongala, will be with you all the way Harley.
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Here’s another two sportsmen who have a winning habit when it comes to premierships.
Recently I mentioned how Echuca’s Simon Maddox and Curtis Townrow had been in seven consecutive flag wins — three with Echuca Football Club and four with Echuca Cricket Club.
It's not quite as good as that, but when minnow Waaia won Cricket Shepparton’s Haisman Shield final two weeks ago for the first time it was the fourth premiership flag in a row two Waaia players — skipper Mitch Cleeland and Jesse Trower — have celebrated.
They have also been in the Waaia teams which have won three successive Picola District Football League flags.
Naturally they are hoping their winning streak of footy flags will continue this season.
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