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VELOCITY SPORTS NEWS

No stage fright for Dayne Beams

Tuesday, 28 July, 2009

Velocity Sports posts a special feature on Dayne Beams to mark his nomination for the 2009 NAB AFL Rising Star Award.

It's lucky Dayne Beams doesn't suffer from stage fright. Otherwise, his fairytale rise to AFL prominence might have been a little daunting because in 11 matches the Gold Coast teenager turned Collingwood favorite has played in front of no less than 668,647 people.

The Rivalry Round blockbuster against Carlton at the MCG last Friday night was the biggest of all at 84,938, and saw such a stellar Beams performance that he was rewarded with the Round 17 nomination for the NAB AFL Rising Star Award.

It was third time his live audience has topped 80,000 in a debut season which six months ago even his smallest crowd of 34,912 against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba in Round 4 would have seemed out of this world. But nothing, it seems, phases Beams.

Snared by the Magpies at No.29 in the NAB AFL Draft, Beams has been one of the success stories of the Draft. Only five other first-time draftees from November/December have played more senior football through the first 17 rounds Brisbane's Daniel Rich (17), Fremantle's Steven Hill and Nick Suban (17), Melbourne's Jamie Bennell (14) and Richmond's Robin Nahas (14).

And only Nahas, a rookie draft pick-up, has kicked more goals he's got 14. Melbourne's Liam Jurrah has kicked 11.

If there was a market for second place in the award for the AFL's official 'Rookie of the Year' award behind unbackable favorite Rich then Beams would be right in the picture.

He had an endorsement contract from Collingwood apparel supplier adidas even before he'd played an AFL game, and this week he is the subject of a three-page training feature in 'Alpha' magazine.

He'll certainly never forget the day he won his Rising Star nomination it was the same day the return to Collingwood of ex-captain Nathan Buckley to the club in an historic coaching combination with Mick Malthouse was announced.

All this and more has been part of an extraordinary introduction to AFL football for a young man who late last season, when offered the certainty of a three-year contract with the fledgling Gold Coast AFL franchise, decided he didn't want to wait until 2011 for the chance to test himself for the best.

Instead he backed himself and took on the uncertainty of the draft. And he's enjoyed the fruits of his confidence of an unquestioned football package every day since.

He debuted in Round 2 and played five games in a row before missing Round 7 through injury. He went straight back into the side in Round 8 but lost his spot in Round 9. After four weeks out he won a recall in Round 13 and hasn't looked back.

Since returning he says he has tried to hold his spot simply by concentrating on the role he's been asked to play, and has found himself understanding more about his teammates as he goes.

"It's hard when you get thrown into a senior team and you haven't played with the boys apart from a few NAB Cup games and a couple of intra-club games. But I'm starting to know my teammates a bit better now and know how they thin," he said.

In the last five rounds Beams has averaged 21 possessions a game and kicked eight goals, and with the exception of the brilliant Rich, there hasn't been a first-year player who has had more of a profound impact.

As Beams told the AFL website's Russell Holmesby this week, he's having the time of his life proudly wearing the No.17 jumper worn previously by Magpies skipper and favorite son Scott Burns.

"It's been a little bit of an adjustment in terms of the weather and traffic but I'm loving it here. I actually like it a lot better than the Gold Coast," Beams told afl.com.au.

"I've always loved my footy and in Melbourne that's all it is. Everyone talks about footy. I'm really enjoying my time here. All my teammates are fantastic and I really enjoy being around them. It's good and hopefully we can have some success towards the end of the year."

According to the website report, headlined with the words 'Great Dayne' across an action picture of the in-and-under midfielder (above right), Beams is reluctant to talk about the prospect of returning home to the Gold Coast.

But he says his new club has done everything right by him. "I haven't even thought about it at the moment. I'm just concentrating on playing consistent footy and keeping my spot in the team.
All that stuff will take care of itself next year or whenever the time comes. I'm really enjoying Collingwood and we're playing some good footy."

Beams suffered a nasty cut early in the final quarter of the Magpies' big win over Carlton when a tooth was accidentally knocked back into his lip but quickly returned to the action.

It's all part of the learning process, he says. "Recovery's become a pretty big part of it for me. With a young body, I've copped a few big hits and it might take me a couple of years to adjust to that more than the other blokes who've been used to it for a few years."

Coach Malthouse said Beams was a worthy rising star nominee. "It's outstanding . Dayne's a terrific young kid who thoroughly deserves it," he said. "He's been able to not only get into the side but stay in and stand up in a team that's currently in the eight.

"I think it's a testament to his durability, and the fact he's been able to mix it with senior players so early in his career is fantastic," said Malthouse.

As good as he's been, and as quickly as he seems to have settled into the AFL, Beams admits surprise at the amount of dedication required to play the game at the highest level.

"The hours that go in to it and the preparation you need for a game of footy it's a lot different to what I'm used to," he said. "Things like eating the right stuff and the things you have to cut out - and also the tempo of the game.

"I played a couple of years of senior footy at Southport. Body-wise it hasn't been too different, just the speed and tempo of the game. Running out in front of 80,000 people is a lot different to 100 people."