LIFE as a red head can be interesting.

 

Just ask Kyle Cheney, Sam Blease, Michael Newton or Colin Sylvia. Ok, not the last two, but they were named in last year’s Zoo Weekly red heads team of the year, so I’m going to claim them.

 

It’s interesting because for some reason the colour red on top of someone’s noggin is fascinating to people.

 

I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s our fiery nature or how much we stand out in a crowd or the fact that the red head gene is dying out? Maybe, it’s because we’re just different.

 

For my entire life I have been on the receiving end of nearly every red head joke in the book, so when I arrived at the Demons, I thought I would be prepared for the amount of attention my hair might get.

 

I wasn’t.

 

From day one, the boys were amazed that the colour red could shine so brightly on top of someone’s noggin, and so the jokes began rolling in. I quickly began to lose belief in my Mum’s old cliché that everyone was just jealous!

 

But even the slightest tinges of red in Cam Bruce’s beard are not missed by the boys.

 

The good thing about being a red head is that coaches seem to take a liking to you.

 

Dean Bailey’s kids are as red as they come and I think coaches like us to stay red.

 

Once when I put blonde tips in my hair Neale Daniher pulled me out in front of the group and said, ‘Bater, what’s this? It’d better be gone by round one!’

 

Ever since, a number of teammates have attempted to make me change my colour - some have been successful.

 

On a post-season trip to Thailand four years ago, Daniel Bell convinced me that I would look better with peroxide blonde hair.

 

I believed him, and went ahead with it.

 

Once completed, he instantly nicknamed me - between fits of laughter - ‘starburst’ due to my new, extremely bright, orange/blonde look.

 

The general public seems to take a liking to us as well.

 

I’m not sure if anyone is even aware of Julia Gillard’s new election campaign policies, but her popularity, due to her red head has gone through the roof!

 

Cameron Ling is known as the mayor of Geelong and while Todd Banfield has received praise for his impressive football ability, has the brightness of his hair received more?

 

Being a red head is something I’ve learned to embrace. And I tell myself that every comment and joke is just a compliment to our uniqueness.

 

Am I right?

 

Nah, probably not!