On the eve of his 50^th AFL match, Col Garland speaks to melbournefc.com.au editor Matt Burgan

You’re about to reach an impressive milestone. What does it mean for you?
CG: It actually means a lot. Coming over from Tassie, I probably didn’t have any expectations of playing even one game, considering how from how far I came back, being a late developer. It means a lot - players I was drafted with such as James Frawley and Ricky Petterd are still at the club, and James has played his 50th game, and Ricky is pretty close as well. It’s a good feeling that I’ve got to play 50 games for the Melbourne Footy Club.

So, you honestly didn’t think you would even play one game?
CG: Yes, I came to the club with pretty low confidence. I had never done a pre-season at any level, so I’d only really had a year and a half of consistent footy under my belt. I hadn’t been involved in any program until halfway through my last year with the Tassie Mariners. I hadn’t been involved in a professional environment, and it came as a bit of a shock when I came over. I probably struggled for my first couple of months. I didn’t know how I was going to go staying over here, but the club was fantastic and really supportive.

When you consider that, you must be really proud. It’s a real feather in your cap, considering what you’ve just said.
CG: Definitely. With me being a late developer, my family didn’t know much about the drafting system, and it was a bit of a shock to Mum when I pretty much left two days later. I owe a fair bit to my family and my girlfriend, and I’m just really happy to be playing week in, week out for the Melbourne Footy Club. It’s a great club, and I really respect the history of the place. 

What was it like moving from Tasmania to the mainland for you?
CG: It was pretty tough. Obviously, I lived at home my whole life, and I was probably a bit naive to the whole drafting system. You get drafted on the Saturday, and on the Monday you’re with a different family and being a full-time athlete straightaway. I struggled with that at the start, but that’s where Melbourne and players I was drafted with really helped out. Where I was then to where I am now is a total shift. Obviously, the Melbourne Footy Club has helped me in more ways than with the footy - with the personal confidence I have now, and life skills.

You played two games in your first season, and by the end of 2008, you were one of Melbourne’s most important players. Your match on Buddy Franklin that year lifted your rating from an external point of view. Then you had your foot injury before coming back to play good football last year and this season. How do you assess the highs and lows in your first few years in a nutshell?
CG: The first year was great. I was new, and I played most of my games down at Sandringham. I enjoyed it - we played finals footy at VFL level, and I really enjoyed that year. I learned a lot under Mark Williams, who’s now our ball movement coach, and I got a bit of a taste with a couple of senior games. One was against Sydney, and the other was when we played in Brisbane and we got belted, which wasn’t great. Then I had a really good pre-season going into my second year. I probably struggled pre-season playing up forward, and Kelly O’Donnell and Mark Williams suggested that I go into the back line for a pre-season game. From that time, I think I’ve been there ever since. It worked out really well that year. I had a good year, played 17 games, and was growing and feeling more comfortable. Then I had a good pre-season - I was flying and mentally looking forward to the season ahead. Then I had the pain in my foot and it was all over. Looking back, I guess having a serious injury like that - I’d rather have had it sooner than later. It probably improved me more as a footballer than if I’d played 20 or so games that year. It gave me a chance to step back and look at how I was preparing. It made me look more at my recovery and so on, which I was probably taking for granted a little bit. Obviously it got me putting more work into the opposition - I went and watched a lot of games of footy. I think it helped my footy immensely that year. It was definitely a challenging year for the whole group.

As you reach your 50th game, you’re now a genuine AFL player - how do you reflect on that status?
CG: This year I’ve taken a big step forward in the group - things like talking up in meetings and giving my opinion, either on or off the track. I found it hard at first, giving my opinion, but now I’m comfortable in the group. I have some good information that I can teach the other players, so I guess there’s been a total change in that sense. I guess it gives you a bit more understanding with some blokes who may be a bit quiet in the group that it does take time. Not everybody can come in straight away and feel totally comfortable in the group.

You’re talked about as a guy with a great footy brain, and someone who could potentially coach one day. That’s a long way off, but do you see yourself as a leader, and do you have aspirations to be in the leadership group? 
CG: I’m not really sure. At the moment, I’m just concentrating on my career, but I’ve got great mentors at the club, like Kelly O’Donnell, and Brian Royal. All the guys who have been around the club and the game for many years, and you can grab information off them. It’s definitely something I may be interested in, but I’m really not sure at the moment. With the knowledge of the opposition, it’s probably more a hobby that I’ve got - even if I wasn’t playing, I’d probably do it anyway. I like reading up on stats and stuff like that, so it’s more of a hobby of mine - maybe more in the future.

Do you pride yourself on being a student of the game - does that come naturally to you, or is it something you’ve really worked on?
CG: I really like watching footy anyway, and going to games. I think the more information I can gather is obviously going to help the group, but, as I said, I just love footy, and I just watch and read about footy as much as I can. 

This week, do you think you’ll feel much different going into the game? 
CG: I don’t think so - reaching 50 games is great, but I’m looking forward to playing a fair few more, so it’s probably no different to any other week. I’ll have some family over, so that will be a bit different. Apart from that, nothing much will change.