Heppell article from the Sun.

[little_ripper]

Would be nice if we got a hold of his younger brother Aaron as well....

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/i ... 6094856973
It's Heppy Hour at Essendon

Sam Edmund


SITTING down to interview Dyson Heppell it soon becomes clear the most obvious question is the one he can't answer.

How can it be that Essendon's star in the making was overlooked by four clubs in last November's national draft?

How can it be that in an era of psychological testing, countless physical examinations and interviews, he was not snapped up?

And how can it be that Gold Coast, with six of the first 10 picks, didn't tell the likable laid-back lad from Leongatha to pack his bags for the sunshine strip?

Essendon coach James Hird doesn't have the answer either. What he does have, though, is genuine excitement when asked about the 19-year-old who has stunned observers with an eye-catching debut season.

"That's the way the draft works I suppose," Hird said. "You're not sure exactly what you're getting, but we were very happy when he got through to us at pick eight and obviously we're even happier now that he's started his career so well. He's had a brilliant first 15 games.

"A week or two before the draft we didn't believe he'd still be there, but there were rumours a couple of other clubs were going to pass him up, so a few days out we thought there was a good chance he was going to slip through."

So what threw others off the scent? Heppell suffered osteitis pubis in 2008 and despite having only precautionary scans last October, it sent the rumour mill into overdrive. As it was, any talk he had suffered a recurrence proved wide of the mark.

But the debate over so-called draft "bargains" and "sliders" is for recruiters, coaches and draft boffins to fuss over. Heppell doesn't care. He's been that way since the rough-and-ready "passage footy" with his brothers that wrecked his parents' furniture, through the juniors at Leongatha and the Gippsland Power and Vic Country under-18s.

"I have always been a pretty confident kid. I suppose I just try to play my footy like that, without being arrogant, but just knowing my ability and knowing that I'm able to perform at the highest level I guess," Heppell said.

The smooth-moving left-footer has been a picture of poise for the Bombers across half-back. He plays beside 36-year-old teammate Dustin Fletcher, but half the time you'd swear the teenager was also in his 19th season in the AFL.

Heppell looks like he has an eternity of time when in possession. His coolness under pressure and decision-making have been first-class and he has won more disposals (322) and taken more marks (87) than any other Essendon player.

He is the bookies' favourite to win the Rising Star award, but growing speculation he could win the club's best-and-fairest in his first year embarrasses him.

In fact, he's got some shocking confessions to make. Contrary to popular opinion, he does get nervous and he does second-guess.

"I definitely did have my doubts, especially as a junior not knowing if I was good enough and things like that," he said.

"But one thing I learnt early on was goal-setting and sticking to my goals and if little doubts popped into my head or if I had a bad game, I was able to go back to those goals and just know where I'm heading and what I'm focused on.

"From the under-16 program, from that point on, it's really helped me."

Heppell would get the jitters when he pulled on the red and black jumper in the early rounds, but would try to conceal it around his more experienced teammates.

"I definitely get nervous, especially before the first few games I was very toey," he said. "The older blokes were always pretty laid-back so I would pretend I was all cruisy. Maybe it was more excitement than nerves, but I've learnt to control them a bit more now and being able to play on Anzac Day, the Call to Arms and Dreamtime games in front of big crowds has definitely helped."

Heppell and the "big-game player" tag are starting to make more and more sense. He was unlucky not to win the Anzac Medal, finishing three votes behind Scott Pendlebury, was brilliant against Richmond and starred in the Dons' Round 15 win over Geelong.

"I do pride myself on trying to play well in the big games," he said.

"I mean, I try to play well in every game, but yeah ... I suppose I've prided myself on performing well in finals throughout juniors and things like that, so playing the bigger games I try to focus on."

Heppell's competitive instincts were sharpened in the family home with his two brothers; older Jamin and younger Aaron, who is in the Vic Country under-16 squad.

A lost table tennis game to Aaron resulted in a wrestle and an interior fence railing being ripped off the wall. "We were scared because Dad (Paul) was having a 'kipper' in bed and we were like, 'We have to fix this' so we got little nails out and tried to put it back together and paint back over it, but Dad found it," he said.

Sessions of passage footy resulted in broken lamps, lightshades and mum Ann-Maree's favourite statue, which was hastily super-glued back together.

It was a childhood spent on mates' farms on motorbikes and on the water - surfing, skiing, swimming and fishing. There were family camping trips to Echuca during the school holidays.

Basketball was his first sporting love and the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan his obsession. Heppell played in various representative sides in his early teens, but the Bulls jersey was rarely off his back.

"I lived in it. I'd hardly let Mum wash it and when she did I'd go and get it out of the dirty clothes basket and put it on backwards," Heppell said.

Like Ann-Maree trying to find time to give her son's tired Bulls jersey a rest, so it is now with Hird and his young prodigy.

The convention is for first-year players to be given a breather as they adjust to senior football. Hird knows all this, of course, but the problem is Heppell doesn't appear to need one.

"We'll assess that as the season goes on, but he's showing no signs of fatigue at the moment," Hird said.

"His capacity to work through games is exceptional. I don't know whether he's exceeded expectations because we didn't put any expectations on him ... his consistency in performance has been excellent."

Heppell is in no mood to miss any of the action.

"Some days you feel flat," he said. "You wake up and you're just really tired. It's mental as well, but the club has been really good, the fitness staff have been managing my training loads since I've been here, especially the last few weeks where they've backed off my loads and I've refreshed my body a fair bit."

As the Bombers look to reverse a poor run of results at AAMI Stadium against Adelaide tonight, Hird knows what he'll get from his youngster.

'"He listens very well, takes information very well and he gives 100 per cent," Hird said.

"You know when he's playing you're going to get that."

[Rossoneri]

The kid sounds and talks like TD, country bogan. Love the kid!!!

[hop]

Sounds and Talks like T.D.

Looks like Daisy Thomas.

Plays like Mark Mercuri.

Pity he won't win the Rising Star

[Rover 7]

The accompanying photo tells everything you need to know.
Ball in control, sum up the scene ahead,put it to best advantage.
Just like his coach.
Budding champeen as old Jack would say.

[little_ripper]

The kid sounds and talks like TD, country bogan. Love the kid!!!

country kids rock.

[Jazz_84]

great bloke and even better footballer!

can't wait to see this kid bulk up and get in the middle from time to time

[j-mac31]

can't wait to see this kid ... get in the middle from time to time

Like the past month or so.

[Jazz_84]

can't wait to see this kid ... get in the middle from time to time

Like the past month or so.

OI don't edit what i wrote to make me look stupid

[BenDoolan]

He's a beauty!

[Megan]

can't wait to see this kid ... get in the middle from time to time

Like the past month or so.

OI don't edit what i wrote to make me look stupid

Yeah he's quite good at looking stupid without your help, thanks

[Sismis]

He is a gun, but it says something about where we are at that he is leading possessions and marks and probably the B & F as well.