McGrath finishes with a medal

by LES EVERETT

SOUTH Fremantle midfielder Toby McGrath dropped a bombshell in his acceptance speech after winning the WJ Hughes Medal as his team's fairest and best player for 2004.

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2004 Hughes Medal winner Toby McGrath (left) with his brothers Brad (centre) & Ashley. Photo by Les Everett

After gaining his highest footballing honour the 24-year-old announced his retirement. After years of trying make a career in the game he had decided to look further into the future and joined the army.

While he never made it onto an AFL list, no one could accuse McGrath of not giving it his best shot. He spent time on the rookie list at both West Coast and Essendon, trained with Fremantle and played with Essendon in the VFL.

"There were no what-ifs for me," McGrath said, describing his time in Melbourne as a highlight. "I loved it over there," he said, "footy is bigger and with not everyone concentrating on one or two teams the players don't get put on a pedestal.

"When I first met James Hird he just said 'how ya goin' mate' and treated me the same as anyone else and made me feel comfortable. It makes you want to impress them with the way you play and train."

McGrath returned to WA this year and said he didn't even consider going anywhere but back to South Fremantle.

"I played nearly 100 games for South, played in a couple of losing grand finals and played with blokes like Peter Sumich and Scotty Watters," he said.

McGrath is part of one of WA's most remarkable football families. His brothers Cory (Carlton) and Ashley (Brisbane) are current AFL players as is his cousin Dion Woods (Fremantle). Another cousin Martin McGrath played for Richmond. The fourth McGrath brother Brad currently works at the South Fremantle Football Club.

If things go to plan South's losing first semi final last month will have been McGrath's last for the Bulldogs. He was clearly his team's best player despite a blow that flattened him moments before the half time siren and led to a push-and-shove involving most players on the field. "I got a few whacks that day but just tried to get up and keep going," he said, "I was trying to get the boys fired up but it just didn't work."

And as for winning the Hughes Medal in his last season. "That was perfect," he said.

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