By Marcus Uhe
Aaron Mullett has seen plenty in his time in football but – up until Saturday – premiership success had eluded him
A sense of relief mixed with satisfaction emanated from the former North Melbourne and Carlton defender after Wandin’s grand final win, with a premiership medallion finally resting against his chest.
Last season was as close as he had come, but a brutal thrashing at the hands of East Ringwood, playing for Mooroolbark, in the Eastern Football Netball League left that box on his career resume unchecked.
Joining a side in need of an extra piece or two to put them ‘over the top’ and bolster their premiership credentials, Mullett fit the bill like a hand in a glove.
Despite a nasty hamstring injury in round five ruling him out of much of the season, he was as dynamic and influential as anyone in the competition when he took to the park, with bags of nine, six (twice), five and four on his way to 43 goals for the season.
With fellow recruit Jordan Jaworski (40 goals), Mullett, Clint Johnson (52), Tom Merlino (20) and Patrick Hodgett (14) quickly formed the nucleus of an explosive forward mix that left defenders helpless, on the receiving end of sumptuous delivery from the classy midfielders.
His 50-metre bomb with time ticking down in Saturday’s grand final, to put the finishing touches on the grand final win, a performance in which he kicked six, was the perfect crescendo on a difficult but ultimately rewarding season.
“I had a bad loss last year with Mooroolbark and I was really keen to finish my career with a flag,” Mullett said.
“I was pretty much done after we lost that flag last year, so I thought, why not? Give it one more chance, hopefully enjoy my footy, and it just stemmed from there.
“I knew we were close, knew it was a great group, and they definitely impressed me as a football club.
“It’s a great culture and I just loved being a part of it.”
To return to action was a feat in itself for the 31-year-old, as setbacks kept him off the field for 13 weeks.
There were times where he doubted whether he would be able to contribute to the Bulldogs as he battled his way back to full-fitness, and as a result, whether his football career was being snatched away from him without his approval.
For someone whose relationship to the game that has given him so much had become frayed, it would have been a cruel twist of fate, not only for the man himself, but the Bulldog community, who embraced him early in his tenure at Wandin, and made him and his family feel welcome.
“For me (there were) moments 10 weeks ago where I thought, ‘this is never going to happen for me’,” Mullett said.
“I thought my hamstring was done, I was only one or two little setbacks away from missing finals.
“I had times where I thought, that was it, or I thought I was miles off, and then, all of a sudden, in the last four/five weeks, everything started to turn a little bit.
“I put in a heap of work, so to get back, probably the last couple of weeks was the only time it started to feel really good.
“There was a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes, a lot of money spent on my body.
“Financially, it’s cost me a shitload to try and get myself up, so it’s all made it worthwhile now.
“I’ve had a lot of injuries along the way but it’s times like this where you think ‘I can’t give it up now, these moments are too special.’”
To watch him in the finals series, without knowing what it took to get back on the park, you would be none the wiser.
He didn’t lack speed, his trademark long bombs didn’t lose any distance and his reflexes were cat-like; multiple occasions forced him to collect the ball at ground level at speed, turn and kick, all in the one motion, leaving his defenders gobsmacked and spectators in awe.
For someone that admitted to fighting mental battles before games, he credited the support of the football club in healing the wounds left by the brutal life at the top level.
“I found it really hard, and still do find it really hard to get myself up for games,” he explained.
“A lot of the enjoyment got pulled away from football.
“It’s a ruthless environment, AFL football, so I’ve got to always bring it back to players, supporters and why you play local footy, and why it’s so important to, not just the players, but the community.
“They get so much enjoyment out of us playing well and me kicking goals, so it’s those moments you’ve got to reflect on.
“It’s a bloody hard game and to play it at the highest level for a while, it does take the fun out of it.
“It ends up being a job, and it’s a hard balance to flip that and say “I play for fun now’.
“It’s just a balance but I do enjoy it.
“I couldn’t have asked for much more, it’s a massive reward for effort with our boys, and we’ve got to enjoy every moment of it.”
Whether he goes around again next year is a decision to be made in the coming months, but the results of Saturday’s triumph have certainly influenced his mindset from the beginning of the year.
Whatever he decides, the Wandin community will be forever indebted to him for his 10 sensational games that delivered the ultimate reward.
“I did say that if I win a flag, I’ll be done, but the group of people here and the community, just draws me in, we’ll see how it goes.”
