Daniel Connors is back in the selection frame after an eight-week club-imposed suspension. He sat down with richmondfc.com.au's Adrian Ceddia recently to talk about the incident in Sydney earlier this year, his absence from the club, the support he has received, and his desire to turn it all around.
richmondfc.com.au: You’ve completed your eight-week ban and are up for selection this week. What is it like to be back at the Club?
Daniel Connors: I spoke to the boys when I got back and explained what I have been doing over my suspension and they welcomed me back with open arms. They have all been great and I have just slipped back in again as if I never left. It’s a credit to the boys for being so welcoming.
I have a lot to prove. I have to earn the respect back that I lost, and that doesn’t just happen straight away. I think some of it will happen on game day, but a fair bit of it is going to be doing the right thing around the Club.
RFC: Did the first six weeks of your suspension help you more by being away from the Club?
Connors: I think I needed to go away and see how lucky I am to be in the position I am in. It made me miss the club, and it gave me the hunger to want to come back. I am fitter, stronger and refreshed and now I will come back and not take anything for granted. Every day you know how good it is to be an AFL footballer, to get better and improve. It certainly helped me not being allowed at the club and having that desire to come back.
RFC: At the start of the year, what were your goals for the 2010 season?
Connors: I was pretty confident coming into the year. I had a full pre-season, my body was feeling good, I had no injuries for the first time and I was just looking to have a big year. I was pretty happy going down back again. I was recruited as a half back flanker/wingman, so I knew the role well. It was good to train in that position and then go out and execute it.
RFC: Directly after the Sydney incident, were you able to reflect on what happened?
Connors: It took a while to sink in and for me to realise what I had actually done, and how big the situation actually was. But then I realised I had stuffed up and embarrassed not only myself, but the footy club and my teammates. Once it had sunk in, I realised the significance of my actions and I wanted to do everything possible to make it better and try to earn the respect back that I had lost.
RFC: The decision to suspend you came very quickly. Did you accept it?
Connors: I took it on the chin. It was a fairly lengthy suspension, but I could see what the club was trying to do. They had to make a stand to say what I did was unacceptable, so I had to cop the punishment and I think I took it pretty well. It’s given me a lot of time to think about what I want out of my footy and the opportunity I have at this footy club. I think I will come out the other side of it a better person and player.
RFC: What was going through your head at that time?
Connors: It was actually pretty scary. At first I thought I was going to get the sack, so it was a massive wake-up call to know that my football career can be taken away like that. Going through something like this has made me a stronger person. Mentally, you have to get through the hard times. As soon as I got the punishment, I was asking, “where to from here?” I could either let it fall by the wayside and let everything get too much and get carried away and lose the plot, or I could think, I stuffed up, I have to cop it on the chin, I want to do everything right to prove to the club that I want to come back a better and stronger person and redeem myself.
RFC: How did Damien Hardwick react?
Connors: Damien was probably the one that was the most disappointed because he stuck his neck out on the line for me. He told me what the punishment was, then I needed to think about what I had done. During the six-week suspension, Damien would ring me after every Richmond game and before every Coburg game. He was terrific and I got a lot of support from him.
RFC: Have you had to discuss alcohol issues with people outside the Club?
Connors: I have seen a counsellor about my alcohol issues. The bottom line is I can’t get away with what I tried to get away with, so I have to cut that out and that means no drinking during the season. You have to realise there is more to life then just having beers with the boys, because I want to be a successful footballer and the two don’t mix.
RFC: How did your team-mates react, and how were they during your suspension?
Connors: At the start I could tell that I had let down a lot of the boys, and they were very disappointed in me, especially after seeing how much improvement I had made on and off the field. Once the suspension had been handed out, my good mates at the club were fantastic. They kept in touch with me every day.
RFC: Have you had a chance to talk to Luke McGuane, Dean Polo and Ben Cousins about the incident?
Connors: Luke and Dean were amazing. They were there for me, telling me I can get through it. Ben rang me every day after it happened. As soon as the suspension was handed out he made sure I was alright. He has obviously been through a lot in his career and knows what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a suspension like this, so his support was great. I will never forget it.
RFC: Where else has your support come from?
Connors: My family has been great. My dad came down to Melbourne and stayed with me when it first happened. I live with my older sister, and she has been really good, too. My mum took it pretty hard, but she has been great, and she makes contact with me every day to make sure I am okay. I think they’re all pretty proud of how I have come out on the other side of this.
RFC: Can it be easy for an AFL player to take their responsibility in the game for granted?
Connors: Yes, you can get comfortable with AFL. You think you're doing really well, and then one slip up and it can all be taken away from you. You have to stop and think every single day about how lucky you are to be in the position you’re in, because there are 1000 people trying to be where you are, so you have to make sure you do everything right.
RFC: Did you set yourself any goals that you wanted to reach while you were suspended?
Connors: I sat down with a few guys, including Steve Johnson (Geelong forward who was suspended for drunken behaviour in 2007) to see what he went through. We set a few goals about what I wanted to do, and I decided to play high-intensity AFL football at VFL level, and just to try and play the best footy I can.
RFC: How has it been playing at Coburg and fitting in with their structures?
Connors: The Coburg Footy Club has been fantastic. I was training with them two or three nights a week and the boys down there have been great. I had no trouble settling in down there, and I’ve really appreciated their support.
RFC: You have been doing plenty of work for St Mary’s House of Welcome, a charity partner of the Club.
Connors: The St Mary’s House of Welcome program feeds and looks after homeless people. The Club thought it would be good for me to go down there and do a bit of work four days a week. They thought it would be a good eye-opener to see what other people have to go through, and how lucky I am to be in the position I am in. They were fantastic. Everyone there was great and we got along well. I will continue to visit them throughout the year.
RFC: What do you want to get out of the rest of this season and beyond?
Connors: It’s a big chance to come back into the team when they’re starting to play some good footy. Just to come back in, play a part in the team and pick up where I left off would be nice. Hopefully, we can get a few more wins and carry that into next year.
