Sam Newman leaves a lasting impression in under 2.45.

 

 

Melbourne ex-footballer, TV celebrity and man of some interest, Sam Newman, performs ‘Begin the Beguine’ at the annual AFL, P.J O’Rourke Dinner. The bar opens at seven and fights start at half-past.

 

 

In Melbourne they have ‘The Footy Show’, a generally sunny, sometimes nerve wracking and peculiar, analysis and antic filled TV program dedicated to all things footy more or less. I turned it on as Sam Newman, the mysterious to me and wonderfully loud footballer and more, gestured for those so inclined to follow him out of the studio to the yard. There was from dodgy memory, a hoop about one and a half tennis courts away.

Sam carried a football and standing with his back to the hoop that was at the opposite end to him, he said something like “I’m going to knock this ball three times into that ring”. And he did. It was a moment, fantastic and kind of hilariously impressive all at once. I dug it. Everyone was duly damn impressed and I could see that even his peers, who have known him a long time, were buzzing too. It was really something.

It wasn’t just that he did it, and that was enough, but it was his demeanour before, during and after he did it. It was more than mere nonchalance or a casual tone. It was for him it seemed, like breathing, except Newman could breathe better than anyone else, making mere civilians appear like dying fish sucking air on a pier. And it hinted at a lot more beneath this swingin’ free sample I witnessed.

I’ve never forgotten it and I wonder what effect it may have had on me if I saw such surprising and local men when I was a kid. He’s a funny guy, eh? There’s something more to young Samuel than meets the eye, though you never can tell with such ah, off handedness. But there’s gotta be, Mister!

And there is….Continue Reading >>