FOOTBALL is a family affair for Coburg co-captain Ryan Exon.
“Dad would never miss a game,” Exon, 28, said.
“He’d even come to every training session through Under-18s and even some of VFL as well, he loved it that much.”
With his father now ailing with Parkinson’s disease, it is a great source of comfort he had the interest and opportunity to see Exon’s formative football years – albeit with the usual teenage emotions.
“I thought it was a bit much (when in high school),” Exon laughed ahead of his 100th VFL match in the Lions’ clash with Gold Coast at Piranha Park on Sunday.
“I think most people (are) embarrassed by (their) parents at a certain age, and then when you get over that, you realise you’re lucky to have that much support from them.”
Exon’s mother is also a key to the Coburg defender’s weekly preparation, ensuring he gets his weekly spaghetti bolognese the night before a game.
Growing up in Doncaster as a Hawthorn supporter, Exon joined Warrandyte in the Yarra Junior Football League after Auskick before heading to the Oakleigh Chargers in the TAC Cup (now NAB League).
His leadership credentials were on show early – he captained the Chargers’ 2012 premiership team, winning the Grand Final when future Western Bulldogs star Jack Macrae – who ironically plays his 200th AFL game on Thursday night – kicked a behind in the briefly trialled “golden point” extra time era.
Whilst there was some interest from clubs that went disappointingly unfulfilled, Exon was realistic about his NAB AFL National and Rookie Draft prospects in late 2012.
“I thought it was a possibility, but definitely not an expectation,” he said.
As Exon was assessing his potential of a career in football after missing out in the draft, his older sister and backyard rival Nat was forging her own footballing story.
Nat Exon started a promising career at Darebin Falcons before playing five AFLW games for Carlton in 2017 and 14 for Brisbane Lions in the following two seasons before becoming a regular in the St Kilda AFLW midfield in 2020.
“Nat loves footy as much as I do, but there weren’t any pathways (to higher level football) so she left and started playing other sports,” Exon said.
“Once the AFLW got announced she jumped straight back in.
“It’s pretty well known that I am the second-best footballer in the family.”
But Ryan Exon did not give up on his dream of playing AFL, focusing his attention on impressing in the VFL.
With Box Hill Hawks not far from his Doncaster home, he couldn’t turn down the chance to join his boyhood team.
“I was a Hawthorn fan (and) I thought it would be cool to play there,” he said.
One of Exon’s five games for Box Hill was the 2013 VFL Grand Final win over Geelong, but he managed just seven more in the following two seasons as he was hampered by collarbone injuries.
“As much I loved being there, and playing in a grand final too, in hindsight I might have served myself better by going to a standalone team where I would have had more opportunities early,” he said.
But he believed the experience had paid off in the long term.
“I learnt a lot about how AFL teams run and how footy is played these days, which has probably benefitted my footy a lot now,” he said.
The urge to play more games was irresistible though, and Exon joined his former Hawks assistant coach Patrick Hill at Frankston, where he had won the top job at the end of 2014.
He made an instant impact on the wing for the Dolphins, playing 17 games in 2016, but Frankston was forced out of the VFL the following year.
“I really loved my year in Frankston and made some good friends,” he said.
“I definitely wouldn’t have left (if not for the imposed exit from the league).
“(But) it was probably a blessing because Coburg is somewhere I have enjoyed even more.”
Exon considered returning to Box Hill but was worried about whether he would receive consistent playing time.
“With the AFL aligned teams, it doesn’t matter if you’re playing well or not,” he said.
“If that position is not needed, then you’re just not going to play.”
Landing at Piranha Park has been a match made in heaven – often the true measure of a person is how their teammates view them rather than just what they do on matchday.
He came close to winning the Lions’ best-and-fairest in his first two seasons in 2017-18, but it is clear how highly he is rated by his teammates – he won the Spirit Award in 2017, Players’ Player in 2018, Most Courageous in 2018 and 2021 and has been co-captain since 2019.
“We are just so proud of Ryan,” Coburg CEO Seb Spagnuolo said.
“(He) plays a very physical brand of football so to reach 100 (VFL) games is testament to his commitment to his football, our club and his teammates.”
“Culturally, Ryan has brought a lot to the table – he’s witty, clever, but most of all friendly and caring with all teammates, staff, sponsors and members.”
Exon, meanwhile, deferred to his family again as to how he modelled his behaviour around the club and had accepted his AFL chance would likely not come.
“It’s how my mum and dad taught me to play footy and to be as a person, like prioritising team first stuff, which has flowed into my footy,” he said.
“It (no AFL) meant I could just make it my club and prioritise winning games and developing a culture rather than chasing an individual accolade.
“I think (the awards came) because I was focused on whatever the team needed, which often means playing in the back pocket and getting less than 10 possessions.”
Exon is a secondary school maths and PE teacher at Mooroolbark College, switching after completing a radiation therapy (cancer treatment) degree but finding it too dispiriting.
He was also thankful for his partner, Elyshia, who is from Cairns but has come to appreciate the role footy plays in his life.
“She didn’t grow up with football, so I think she still thinks it’s all a bit silly, but she’s realised how important it is to people in Melbourne,” he said.
Exon appreciated how football had shaped him.
“It’s made me a better leader,” he said.
“(It’s important to) be yourself – sometimes it is easy to come into a footy club and fit into a mould (but) that is something we’re trying to teach at Coburg – just be yourself and be happy with who you are (and) don’t try to be someone you’re not.”
Exon said the Lions’ culture could not have been built without the efforts of all, but especially his co-captain Peter McEvoy, Jesse Corigliano and Jack Sandric.
He said a difficult start to the 2022 season, including a broken arm early on, should not be an excuse for lowered expectations.
“It’s been a bit of a story over the last couple of years that we can’t seem to finish games off,” he said.
“Last year we lost four games by under four points and this year we have lost a couple of close ones too.”
“We have a young and talented list but I think we have been falling on the crux that we’ve been developing for a little bit long,” he said.
“We need to grow up and start winning games.”
Spagnuolo said Sunday’s 2.15pm game would mean more than a usual Round 15 match.
“Ryan is loved by his teammates and we all know they’ll be doing everything they can to get the win on Sunday to celebrate hi 100th game,” he said.
RYAN EXON
Box Hill Hawks (2013-15): 12 matches, 3 goals
Frankston (2016): 17 matches, 3 goals
Coburg (2017-22): 70 matches, 5 goals
VFL career: 99 matches, 11 goals
ALSO
Oakleigh Chargers (2011-12): 26 matches, 11 goals
