Dukes of depth - Saturday 12 August 2000
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Albury is the silk department of football. Check the champions produced by
this city in southern New South Wales. Stars that shone like Gucci shoes
among the steel capped work boots of player lists. Arguably the greatest
of all time triple Brownlow Medallist Haydn Bunton senior came from
Albury. So did former Sydney captain Dennis Carroll, a class product. His
glorious field kicking resembled a tailor made Armani rig out by
comparison with low tariff imports and imperfect lines of disposal you
sometimes see at AFL level. But with a bit of luck an Albury player that
could have been at the Paris end of the clothes rack was Leigh Newton.
The bloke had quality street co-ordination for someone 198 centimetres and around 105 kilograms. A lot of clubs saw the youngster as a centre half forward who could take boundary throw ins in the front half. Something similar to Burberry Barry Stoneham. Melbourne secured Newton with 1997 pre-season selection 3. The Demons were pleased to pick up a fella who was athletic velvet. The club presented their tall youngster with the number 14 jumper. Names on his locker door included Rodney Grinter and Barry Bourke. LN was nicknamed the Juice or Juicer in reference to the American country and western singer. He had his first senior game in 1997. Showed enough to suggest a designer label player. The Newt was strong, he was competitive and he ran straight at the ball. The other thing that impressed like a Versace double breaster was his instinctive unselfishness. The guy put the team above himself. A valuable quality in a 21 year old. The big fella proved he was genuine ermine in the 1997 round 3 Friday night grapple with the Swans at the SCG. Early in the third term, he took a tarzans gripper in the middle of a monstrous pack. The Leigh man went back and slotted a long goal. Unfortunately the Dees lost narrowly 14.7 to 15.9. Round 9 against Port under candlepower at Football Park. A disaster for the red and the blue but a personal triumph for number 14. In conditions better suited to water polo, the Power notched 10.18. Newton scored 2 goals in a team total of 3.9. His second major was a treat. Spun away from a lunging Stephen Paxman, dodged the speedy Fabian Francis and snapped on his left running away from goal. The class of a catwalk in Milan. The brocade boy put in other good games during his debut year. Starred in the round 15 win over Carlton at headquarters. Pulled down some great marks. Through clever use of his body he gave Melbourne first use of the ball at boundary throw ins on the forward line. He didn't kick goals but set them up for Neitz and Glenn Lovett. Demons home 18.11 to 15.10. The young bloke might have played 13 games in his debut season but he copped a lower back injury. The problem needed careful management. He tried coming back during 1998 via the reserves. Could perform alright but the sciatic curse and a drop in confidence troubled the natural athlete. The condition persisted through 1999. The club was forced to delist him at the end of the year. He played 13 senior games and 10 in the twos over three seasons. Leigh Newton had the style and individuality of a sharkskin suit. |
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