“THAT’S the first thing you get to be able to do. Focus on what you have, rather than what you don’t.”
When he worked under Ken Hinkley at Port Adelaide, Michael Voss became well aware of the adage that football is the least important of the most important things in the world.
It’s why he’s asked his players to embrace all that comes with today’s Good Friday SuperClash. The hospital visits, the stories, putting smiles on faces.
That first line is attributable to Voss in his weekly press conference when talking to the significance of this game. It’s the Blues’ second such annual game, after making their Good Friday debut last year in front of over 49,000 people at Marvel Stadium.
It’s a timely reminder of what you have versus what you don’t. Carlton captain Patrick Cripps, who’s about to become a father in the coming weeks, said as much when speaking to AFL 360 earlier this week.
But for George Hewett, it’s a reminder of the position that he and his partner Alice found themselves in back in January of 2020 — when son Henry was born.
“My son Henry was born at the Royal Hospital for Women’s in Randwick. He was a premature baby,” Hewett told AFL.com.au.
“I don’t have a personal affiliation with the Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital, but we’ve seen first hand in the NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit) what they do.”
Arriving about 12 weeks premature, Henry’s birth all happened extremely quickly for George and Alice, but there are some details which he remembers vividly. Sydney coach John Longmire waiting at the hospital for the news was one, and the support and care provided by the nurses and doctors - both on the day and the weeks following - are among them.
To this day, with everything that’s gone on in his personal life and the wider world over the last four years, he still looks back on it with the utmost gratitude.
It all factors into why he views the Good Friday SuperClash against North Melbourne as not just an amazing game, but an amazing occasion to be part of.
“Whenever we can say thanks publicly to the nurses and doctors there, we’re forever grateful.
“We met a lot of families around that time as well, we were pretty lucky to have the nurses and doctors there. We’re very grateful for that.
“It was pretty tough. I’ll never forget that ‘Horse’ came in and was there the day Henry was born, waiting at the hospital with Dennis Carroll, the PDM. They’re the things you’ll never forget . . . the Swans were very good with letting me handle being at the hospital and at the club. I’ll always be grateful for that.
“At the time, it was difficult, but it’s all worked out well now. He was in hospital for nine or 10 weeks, he’s all healthy now, but it was a bit of a journey for a couple of weeks there in Sydney.”
“It’s such a great cause that the AFL does."
Over four years old now, Henry is a happy, healthy boy who - among everything - loves coming into work with Dad.
Just like a number of other babies that are growing more and more prominent at IKON Park and in the rooms post-match.
“It’s a growing army,” Hewett said.
“We’ve got the indoor field and the trampoline [at IKON Park], so he asks most days if he’s coming in. He gets in a couple of times — he loves it.”
