Just Rewards for Parsons

by LES EVERETT

SOUTH FREMANTLE fairest and best winner Zane Parsons is a richly talented footballer but success has certainly not come easily.

Parsons moved to the Bulldogs from Wagin in 1995 as an 18-year-old but it took him until 2002 to enjoy an injury free season.

First it was the game that dished it out - shoulder dislocations, ankle operations and knee injuries were endured, sometimes simultaneously. And then in 2001 just as Parsons looked set for a full season he cut his thumb at work and was forced to miss eight weeks of footy.

Work commitments have also conspired to make things interesting in other ways for the Bulldogs full forward. As meat manager at Coles in North Perth, Parsons worked from 5am to 11am every second Saturday during the 2002 season.

The butcher has no complaints about his unusual routine, in fact he believes it might have done him some good: "Sometimes I felt that getting out of bed and going to work and doing something was better for me than sitting at home waiting for the game and thinking about it," he said.

For the first time since arriving at Fremantle Oval Parsons played every game for the season and as an added bonus kicked six goals for WA against Queensland.

"Playing for WA is the highest level anyone in the WAFL can aim to play at during the year," he said, "It was good to play with blokes who are enemy one week and then your team mates."

Parsons was awarded the Bernie Naylor Medal as the WAFL's leading goal scorer after scoring 65 goals for the season but his Hughes Medal win showed he's the kind of full forward who does more than just kick goals.

And after the novelty of playing every game in 2002, Parsons has been enjoying another new experience - an early pre-season. "It's the earliest I've ever started training," he said, "I'm looking forward to being in really good condition next year, kicking a few more goals and hopefully playing in a premiership."

Parsons put his name down for this year's AFL draft. Port Adelaide showed a bit of interest but he was not picked up.

Zane Parsons made the most of his first injury free season by winning the Hughes and Bernie Naylor medals. Photo by Les Everett

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