A second Port Headland

by LES EVERETT

FREMANTLE'S successful, if expensive, snaring of exciting midfielder Des Headland brings to mind an early piece of Docker recruiting.

The new club used its third pick (42 overall) at the 1994 AFL draft to choose talented youngster Doug Headland who lasted just a few weeks in the big time. He was dropped from the Fremantle list before most were even aware he was on it.

Headland didn't just come from nowhere. He played alongside Jeff Farmer and Ben Cousins in the 1994 WA 18s team and attended the AFL draft camp where he rubbed shoulders with Matthew Lloyd and Jason Akermanis among others.

Originally from Brookton, he went to school in Narrogin and played senior football as a 17-year-old in Williams.

Doug Headland had followed a near perfect career path to the big time but when I spoke to him a few years ago he admitted he'd blown his chance. "I was young and in the city for the first time and I just wanted to stuff around with my mates," he said, "If I could turn back to that time now I certainly wouldn't do the things I did."

Despite falling through the AFL cracks Headland, a cousin of Des, wasn't lost to football. He played colts for Perth in 1995 and reserves for East Perth in 1996 before moving to the Sunday Football League.

Doug Headland was a Docker just long enough for this photo to be taken.

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