Rory Hilton
richmondfc.com.au
27 March, 2003
Matthew Rogers grew up in South Australia and got drafted from a place called Happy Valley. As the name suggests, it was a fantastic place to grow up and Matthew still speaks very fondly of his time in the Valley.
I guess it is fair to say that Matthew has a desire to go back to the Valley one day and settle down. It is such a great place, with a superb climate that really appeals to -- and actually suits -- Matthew.
With the Valley being 200 feet below sea level, it doesn't generally get too hot and there is always a lot of mist in the air. This lack of heat is a real bonus for Matthew as he is prone to sweating profusely. It has become such a problem for him that at stages through the pre-season we nearly lost him due to dehydration. Thanks to some quick work from the medicos, he survived the hot summer and is looking forward to a nice, long, cold winter. Fortunately, this is an ailment that nobody else at the club suffers from . . .
Matthew made his debut almost 10 years ago and has been a very consistent, solid performer along the way. However, it is probably fair to say that if Matt wasn't playing football, he would be on some type of benefit from the government -- maybe a disability benefit.
You see, the problem is that Matt has very small hands and is actually unable to hold things in one hand that are any bigger than a golf ball! As a kid he grew up having normal-sized hands and everything was going along well. Then, at the tender age of four, his hands stopped growing. Only after years of perseverance was Matthew able to pick up a football.
The fact that he has played almost 200 games of AFL football is amazing when you consider that he didn't actually pick up a football until the age of 17! If you ever get the chance to take a look at these amazing creations, please do yourself a favor -- unless, of course, you have a weak stomach.
They say that things happen in three's, and in Matthew's case I guess this is true. Apart from his profuse sweating and his 'mini hands', Matthew also suffers from a severe lack of a voice box. This is the same disease that newly-appointed Tiger assistant coach Paul Spargo also suffers from, although Matthew is not quite in the same category as Paul.
Matthew's voice problem is nothing serious, just more of a hindrance -- especially to his teammates. When Matthew tries to yell or scream something out, nothing happens . . . it's like he is miming. It is very frustrating for us normal people, but I guess it is something that he has learned to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps a reason for Matt's deteriorating voice is due to him speaking so much.
Putting all these problems aside, you would not know that anything was wrong with Matt. He has great character and is a top person -- even though he has mini hands.
richmondfc.com.au
27 March, 2003
Matthew Rogers grew up in South Australia and got drafted from a place called Happy Valley. As the name suggests, it was a fantastic place to grow up and Matthew still speaks very fondly of his time in the Valley.
I guess it is fair to say that Matthew has a desire to go back to the Valley one day and settle down. It is such a great place, with a superb climate that really appeals to -- and actually suits -- Matthew.
With the Valley being 200 feet below sea level, it doesn't generally get too hot and there is always a lot of mist in the air. This lack of heat is a real bonus for Matthew as he is prone to sweating profusely. It has become such a problem for him that at stages through the pre-season we nearly lost him due to dehydration. Thanks to some quick work from the medicos, he survived the hot summer and is looking forward to a nice, long, cold winter. Fortunately, this is an ailment that nobody else at the club suffers from . . .
Matthew made his debut almost 10 years ago and has been a very consistent, solid performer along the way. However, it is probably fair to say that if Matt wasn't playing football, he would be on some type of benefit from the government -- maybe a disability benefit.
You see, the problem is that Matt has very small hands and is actually unable to hold things in one hand that are any bigger than a golf ball! As a kid he grew up having normal-sized hands and everything was going along well. Then, at the tender age of four, his hands stopped growing. Only after years of perseverance was Matthew able to pick up a football.
The fact that he has played almost 200 games of AFL football is amazing when you consider that he didn't actually pick up a football until the age of 17! If you ever get the chance to take a look at these amazing creations, please do yourself a favor -- unless, of course, you have a weak stomach.
They say that things happen in three's, and in Matthew's case I guess this is true. Apart from his profuse sweating and his 'mini hands', Matthew also suffers from a severe lack of a voice box. This is the same disease that newly-appointed Tiger assistant coach Paul Spargo also suffers from, although Matthew is not quite in the same category as Paul.
Matthew's voice problem is nothing serious, just more of a hindrance -- especially to his teammates. When Matthew tries to yell or scream something out, nothing happens . . . it's like he is miming. It is very frustrating for us normal people, but I guess it is something that he has learned to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps a reason for Matt's deteriorating voice is due to him speaking so much.
Putting all these problems aside, you would not know that anything was wrong with Matt. He has great character and is a top person -- even though he has mini hands.
