The footy season is about to start and he’s found some relative peace playing basketball with kids. Change is always possible, but changing to the 100% commitment which is needed to succeed playing AFL football is extremely unlikely.
We don’t have much information about Aaron’s specific case, but we are told he was not happy for a long time training and playing within the footy club, and he is now feeling better on the outside. Given there are so many highly talented draft picks who don’t get close to success, the inability to adjust to and enjoy the rigor of AFL at the elite level is probably a major cause of failure 2nd only to inability to get AFL fit due to constant injury. Aaron has had to deal with both.
FWIW I think he is still in Melbourne doing all of this. Which suggests that homesickness is not the be all and end all.
He will tackle his own battles, and if he ends up playing footy then good on him, if he ends up going completely away from an elite sporting lifestyle then so be it. The relentlessness of it is not for everyone, despite how much talent you may have.
Agree. It appears homesickness is not a major part of the issue, He has not gone running home to Adelaide as some in the media had implied last year. Fantastic that Hepp is keeping in touch.
