The tired group barely had a chance to catch their breath, let alone pump up their biceps, before they were summoned off the track and into the Magarey Room at AAMI Stadium.
The traditional team photo – the shot that will be reproduced on merchandise across the country in 2009 – was up first. The players ribbed each other like children preparing for a school photo as they attempted to line up from smallest to tallest.
Second-year defender Myke Cook was relegated from the back row, much to his disgust, as staff tried to figure out the best way to hide Brad Symes’ blue plaster-clad arms.
Coach Neil Craig and skipper Simon Goodwin shared a joke in the centre of the group as the players were instructed how to place their hands.
Patrick Dangerfield’s red boots attracted attention in the very front row, as did Irishman Brian Donnelly’s contrasting lily-white arms.
Finally, the players were assembled to the photographer’s satisfaction and the shooting of the 20-plus frames got underway.
Following the generic team photo, another chair was added in between the coach and Ben Rutten and various sponsors and members of the supporter group were ushered in one-by-one for their own photo with the squad.
The players remained in position for more than 45 minutes and were happy to stay put a little longer as Craig dragged members of the Crows staff in for a happy snap too.
After the last picture was taken, the younger players fell to the ground for a much-needed stretch, while the coaches and senior players got in quick to get their individual or portrait shots out of the way.
These photos will be used on player badges, website profiles and publications throughout the year.
Goodwin, Brett Burton and Andrew McLeod breezed through their respective shoots with minimum fuss, but it was a different story with the younger guys.
Midfielder Chris Knights tried to force Ivan Maric into an even cheesier grin by dancing next to the photographer and part-time model Brad Moran endured constant taunts from his teammates.
The photographer repeated the instructions, “sit-up straight”, “lift your head” and “smile” over and over as the players filed through.
Symes, who fell off the back of a car while hitching a ride from Max Basheer Reserve to the western side of AAMI Stadium last week, still managed a smile as he reflected on the irony of breaking bones in both hands just one day before the old training facility (a mere 200m from Max Basheer) was re-opened.
“I only would’ve had to walk around one more time,” he said with a wry grin.
Aaron Kite, who fooled everyone by coming back after Christmas with brown hair, was quizzed as to why he’d dyed his hair back to blonde. But the photographer was more concerned about ‘photo-shopping’ out the brand new shiner on the defender’s cheek.
Ex-rookie Jared Petrenko rounded out the group. He smiled politely for the camera, but that smile faded when he realised his shoes had been stolen (hidden, actually) by a teammate for the second time in two weeks.
Petrenko, still in his football boots, headed outside with the five other first-year Crows, Phil Davis, Shaun McKernan, Rory Sloane, Will Young and Tom Lee, for a separate photo.
Meanwhile, the senior players were whisked into the ‘blue room’ in the training facility, where they were met by a Channel 7 cameraman and giant green screen.
This is how the television networks shoot the vision to accompany player highlights, promotional material, and the like, for the upcoming season.
One by one, the players took up position in front of the screen, where they were asked to strike various poses.
Scott Thompson did his best ‘serious’ face and managed to look imposing with his arms folded across his chest. He was then instructed to smile, turn on the spot and repeat several phrases to be used on Fox Sports.
Brent Reilly and Nathan van Berlo were up next. Reilly cruised through his five minutes of footage, but van Berlo was distracted by housemate Bernie Vince, who appeared from behind the curtain.
Vince laughed as van Berlo mixed up one of the phrases, but the cameraman soothed the situation by telling the duo that the group was “doing better than Geelong did”.
The video shoot took the best part of the afternoon. Some of the youngsters revelled in the temporary spotlight, but soon enough the lights faded and the hard yakka resumed.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
