Dukes of depth - Saturday 6 May 2000
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Some players are remembered for sinking their teeth into their League
careers. For example the recently retired champion Chris Lewis closing the
choppers on Todd Viney's finger. Then there are the gappers. Damian
Monkhorst is in a class of his own. Other notable enamel vacancies include
Plugger and Brad Sholl and Tony Shaw who wisely had a trainer rush out
with the front fangs when the final siren blew for the 1990 Grand Final.
But the most famous ivories of all belong or belonged to Ben Doolan when he was playing for the Sydney Swans. During Round 3 of 1992 at Vic Park, Benny had the bad luck of running into a sharp edge of Craig Kelly. Lively claret flowed from the Blood's mouth on to his opera house. Sydney trainers and water boys fossicked around in the grass for the elusive incisors. We recall a newly crowned gapper being assisted from the field. As a postcript, Kelly was reported by replay and fronted the tribunal. The tough Magpie got a two week holiday. As for Doolan, he was one of the best fill in players during his seven years at Essendon. But the tale of Ben started in Albury. He had the star quality as a junior and teenage player. It was crystal clear that Sydney officials were going to beat a path to his door. The D man was presented with the Swans number 4 guernsey later taken over by another very useful player - Dean McRae. Beno played his first game in 1991. He proved a strong and courageous midfielder half back. Wasn't over endowed with pace but Doolan had that straight ahead hacksaw approach. His skill was drilling through packs and denting opposition backlines. Plus he had an ability to rebound quickly from the defensive 50. It was Vesuvian news when BD nominated for the 1993 draft following 25 games in two seasons. A galaxy of clubs showed interest in the tough Swan but were frightened off by allegations of his asking price. Essendon stepped forward and secured Benny the Jet with 1993 pre season selection 20. With all the quality midfielders and defenders at Bomberland, a lot saw Doolan as perhaps a top drawer back up. He was given the number 22 previously worn by no less than Bill Duckworth. Ben fought injury during his first season wearing the red sash. The team was settled and firing. It would go on to win the Grand Final with the style of a designer label from Paris. Doolan failed to play a senior game. Yet he performed with dash in the Ressies when a nagging foot injury allowed. Sometimes he ran forward and booted goals. The guy showed some real grit through 1995. In the Ones, his tackling gave the Bomber defence real bite. He had a talent for pushing the ball into space. This skill set up lots of goal scoring opportunities such as his game against Carlton in Round 22. 1996 was class itself for the Essendon defender. Early in the third quarter of the Round 3 game against the Eagles at Waverley, he thundered down the ground, burst through two tackles and crowned off the effort with a great goal. The Dons easy winners 16.13 to 6.14. Another brilliant running goal in the Round 6 drawn game v. the Swans at the SCG. And who can ever forget that pulsating 1996 Preliminary Final Swans against Bombers under lights in Sydney? Half a dozen times at critical stages Doolan rebounded brilliantly. That game was won with Plugger's long kick for the winning point. Bendy played a stack of seconds football over the next three years. In that time he got the odd cross shaped tat on his upper left arm. He had some senior football as a competent interchange player and solid replacement when depth was needed. But somehow there was a bad moon rising, a colliding of planets somewhere out in the universe. Doolan was delisted at the end of 1999. He played 100 games in the Unos from '91 to '99. His career included almost a ton in the Magoos. A spectacular bridge between seniors and sub seniors. |
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