Dukes of depth - Saturday 13 May 2000
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Certain footballers are recognised not for refined skills or road runner
pace. They might be acknowledged for providing a contest or for blocking
and shepherding. They are on hand to supply strength. Such a player is
former Port Power centre half forward Daryl Poole.
The man was like the Colossus of Rhodes and the Coliseum rolled into one. Yet he moved better than both monuments. He was 195 centimetres tall and the gauge on the bathroom scales whizzed around to 110 kilograms. DP had a blood stream of black and white corpuscles. At Alberton he progressed through the juniors and seconds. He became an established player in the firsts. The big fella played in Port premiership sides in the SANFL. Coach John Cahill was an admirer of the man chiselled out of stone. When Jack became inaugural Power potentate sure as the sun rises in the east he insisted on Daryl Poole joining the list. Daz spread out the number 30 jumper in his debut year. He was competitive right from the start. A general across half forward. Not the hotel on Mayfair type, more the Angel Islington - the classic Port pedigree. Poole caught some opposition teams napping. He was strong in the air and could take a pack clamp. If spoiled he could bring the ball to ground for a smaller team-mate and hold off a pack to give that crumber room to manoeuvre in peace and quiet. The key feature of the Poole game was his being super physical. When the pony tailed powerhouse came steaming out straight at the ball opponents got out of his Old Kent Road. During 1997 Port's first season, Big Pond proved his value at centre half forward. In the Round 3 game against Geelong at Footy Park, Daryl ran to every contest in his area. The scene resembled a brontosaurus on the hoof as he created opportunities for Peter Burgoyne and David Brown. Plus Dasher took a pair of towering catches and scored long goals. He set up 3 majors for Cummings. The Poole kicking style was far from the old Teddy Whitten poster of freeze frame photos on how to kick properly. But the guy got distance without a whole lot of elevation. Of that EJ would have approved. Anyway Port home in a canter over the Cats. The win was soured by an umpire reporting number 30 for re-allocating the facial features of Leigh Colbert. At the tribunal hearing it emerged in evidence that due to a childhood accident Poole was blind in one eye and therefore peripheral vision was lacking on one side. Amazing that a bloke could play at the highest level with that limitation. The judiciary was sympathetic. He still copped 2 weeks though. The Port v Kangaroos Round 8 game at Optus. Classic Razza Dazza. Held back a pack for Brown to score a simple goal. Halfway through the second quarter the gargantuan guy stood his ground in the middle of a bone crusher and marked one grab. Long kick goal. Port lost 15.10 to 19.14. Poole set a pattern. Although troubled by a chronic groin injury, he was able to intimidate the opposition physically the way Plugger and Dermie and Millane used to. DP kicked a goal himself and set up 3 others for Brent Heaver, Brayden Lyle and Shayne Breuer in the course of the Round 16 win over the Magpies at Westlakes. Round 11 1998. Queen's Birthday game against West Coast under lights at Football Park. It was a close contest all the way. Poole distinguished himself by taking 3 strong marks under pressure and moving the ball quickly to gift majors to Cummings. Crash Dash also found time to offload Peter Matera. Alas the Power lost by 2 points 7.13 to 8.9. As Port gravitated towards Tredrea at centre half forward so did Daryl Poole's star begin to wane. He still had his supporters. People stuck up for him saying the big bloke was important for the Power because of his presence. Presence. I mean the guy was more than just charismatic. Poole went back to Port Adelaide in the SANFL after 23 games in three seasons. He's bobbed up and played an important role in another Port premiership. You see, the man didn't stop stop stop till he was top top top. |
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