NEW ST KILDA cult figure Matty Parker is determined his baby son doesn't have to go through what he experienced before the penny dropped.
Parker has been an instant fan favourite since making his AFL debut at the start of this season.
As his many tattoos suggest, Parker is a rough diamond whose life was probably at the crossroads in WA a few years ago.
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After he played two seasons at South Fremantle in the WAFL, St Kilda recruited the 23-year-old in last November's draft.
Saints great and fellow indigenous player Nicky Winmar presented Parker's guernsey before his AFL debut.
Parker said his partner Sharday and son Matty Jnr are the key reasons why he has turned his life around.
"She's my rock, you know, and he's my little king," he said.
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"Me doing silly things, I don't blame anyone but myself.
"My motivation was my partner Sharday and my son. I looked at them and thought, 'I don't want to bring my son up to that childhood, the childhood I had'.
"But that's what I had to do – make a bigger and better future for him and I'm lucky enough to be here and do that."
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Another massive influence is Geelong star Tim Kelly, another late AFL bloomer.
They were teammates at South Fremantle before Kelly was drafted to the Cats.
"Down at Souths he helped me a lot, ins and outs .... he got overlooked for six years," Parker said.
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"That gave me a bit of motivation – why can't I do it?
"Luckily enough the Saints gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. I've just got to give it all, 110 per cent to the Saints."
As the Saints launched their club reconciliation action plan on Monday, Parker still was pinching himself that Winmar presented his guernsey.
"You feel so proud, like words can't explain it," he said.
"You know, what he's done for the game and how much of a person he is – he loves his culture."
