It would be difficult to find a size adjective that hasn’t been used with Aaron Sandilands’ name over the course of the ‘giant’ ruckman’s distinguished career.
From the day he ducked his head and walked through the door into Fremantle headquarters, words such as ‘massive’, ‘huge’, ‘gigantic’ and ‘colossal’ have been synonymous with ‘Spider’, a nickname reserved for those of prodigious height in the AFL.
While he admits he’s “different” by virtue of being taller than most, the person inside Sandilands’ 211cm frame prefers to be an ordinary man, not the, pardon the phrasal adjective, ‘larger-than-life’ football celebrity.
“I still see myself as a normal person,” he says.
“I’ve got a beautiful wife, a beautiful daughter and a great family in the background.
“I don’t see myself any different to a normal person.”
Sandilands and wife Jenny are expecting their second child in late October.
He’s never been completely comfortable with the labels associated with his stature, but he’s learned to live with them.
“I suppose there’s not much you can do about it when you’re the height I am, there’s not too many people around that tall,” Sandilands says.
It didn’t take long for the opposition to notice Sandilands when he started out in the AFL. He recalls a game in his early years when he was warming up along the boundary line.
“Back then you didn’t get a lot of game time so you had to do a heap of running up and down the side of the boundary,” he says.
“An opposition player told me to go back to The Addams Family.
“I actually had a bit of a chuckle about that, it was pretty funny.”
Aside from being called ‘Lurch’, he’s also copped plenty of attention from the Fremantle fans over the years, but ‘Sandi’ doesn’t mind.
“Our fans are very passionate and very loyal,” he says.
“Ninety-nine per cent of the time they’re just coming up to say hello. They support us so well so when they come up for a chat, you’re more than happy to do it because of what the club means to them and how much we love the club ourselves.”
Sandilands has every right to walk metaphorically taller than most. No one would begrudge him for having even the faintest hint of self-assurance.
But there’s no strut in ‘Sandi’s’ stride. It’s not in his nature. Instead, he walks with a slight, unassuming stoop.
The old saying ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’ might have something to do with that.
“It’s just the way I’ve been brought up,” Sandilands says.
Gary and Trudi Sandilands raised Aaron and siblings, Chad and Nikki, on a farm in Mount Barker, 359km south of Perth.
“My parents are both humble people and I’ve always been taught to respect everyone and respect your elders,” Sandilands says.
“I always thought I was very fortunate just to get the opportunity to be on an AFL list, let alone play.”
Sandilands’ father, who was also a ruckman in his day, is also one of his best mates.
“He’s a very humble, honest guy and he’s a huge family man,” ‘Sandi’ says.
“We have a very tight family. He loves seeing all of his kids succeed in whatever we do and he’s been a big part of my football career.”
The Freo ruckman looks forward to the AFL off-seasons when he spends some quality time with dad. He even works for him.
“Before Freo, I was a lawn mowing contractor with dad for three years,” ‘Sandi’ says.
“I just love getting back on the lawnmower and helping him out. It’s an enjoyment thing as much as anything.”
Pushing the mower gives ‘Sandi’ some of the normality he craves and he plans to one day get back into the business with his dad.
Gary says it’s just his son’s nature that brings him back to his grassroots.
“Football has never changed him at all,” he says.
“He’s always remembered where he comes from and he’s always been very humble and appreciative of what he’s got.”
Sandilands was drafted to the Fremantle Dockers in the 2002 Rookie Draft.
The early days were difficult because he needed time to find his feet and put some meat onto his ‘skinny’ 110kg frame.
But he maximised his chances of making it in the AFL by adopting a professional mindset.
“I wanted to make the most of it, and to do that I had to tick every box,” he says.
“I was never the most skilful player or the best runner, so I had a huge amount of work to do when I arrived at the footy club.
“I knew if I didn’t improve, I wasn’t going to be here for very long.”
‘Sandi’ ticked boxes, lots of them. He became one of the AFL’s elite ruckmen, a three-time All Australian and Doig Medallist.
He has dominated many games over his career. The great Geelong teams of the past eight years can account for what Sandilands is capable of.
One of his greatest efforts came against the seemingly unbeatable Cats in 2008, when ‘Sandi’ picked up his young Freo teammates and almost carried them to an Anzac Day boilover against the reigning premiers.
Geelong was again victim to Sandilands in the 2013 Qualifying Final when his ruck master class catapulted Freo into a home Preliminary Final and ultimately a maiden Grand Final.
But in these stunning performances and throughout his career, you’ll never see ‘Sandi’ celebrate excessively. There’s no Hayden Ballantyne scream, Matthew Pavlich fist-pump or Michael Walters leap.
If he kicks a goal, it’s straight back to business.
“Half the time I’m that worn out I just focus on getting back to the centre bounce and trying to win the ball for the midfield again,” he says.
“I just think it’s part of my personality, I am happy but I don’t need to show it on the outside as much.”
It could also be because ‘Sandi’ is a shy guy.
“I think my personality is the shy type,” he says.
“It takes me a fair amount of time to get to know someone, but that’s the person I am, when I get to know someone I open up a bit more.”
Sandilands regularly opens up his heart for children, particular those in need of a smile.
He’s been an ambassador for the club’s principal charity partner, the Starlight Children’s Foundation, since 2003. His genuineness is matched only by the look of awe in kids’ faces when he walks into a room.
“I’ve been so fortunate to be involved with Starlight,” Sandilands says.
“It just puts everything in perspective. It makes you realise how fortunate you are when you’ve got a fit and healthy 18-month-old daughter.”
So after more than 200 AFL games banging bodies with some of the biggest and toughest opponents the sport has to offer, you’d think there’d be nothing left that could shake Sandilands.
Wrong.
“I actually get a lot more nervous having to do a press conference than playing AFL,” he says.
“I feel more comfortable running out and playing a game than fronting the media. It’s something that doesn’t come very natural to me.
“A lot of the time you get asked questions about yourself that sometimes are hard to answer.”
While cameras and interviews aren’t his thing, it doesn’t mean that ‘Sandi’ doesn’t appreciate some of the benefits that come with celebrity status.
“The feeling when you run out on the oval, especially at our home ground, and you’ve got 40-odd-thousand Fremantle people all wearing purple and cheering you on, it definitely makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and it makes you feel alive,” he says.
“The adrenalin rush that you get out of that is pretty special.”
So, where does Sandilands see himself in 10 years time, long after his AFL career has finished?
“That’s a good question,” he says.
Safe to say, a media career is in the ‘extremely unlikely’ basket.
“Probably back on a lawn mower alongside the old man, watching the Fremantle boys run around,” Sandilands says.
“You love this footy club that much, it’s been that big a part of your life, you always want to be a part of it for as long as you can.”
Aaron Sandilands will forever be a giant part of the Fremantle Dockers Football Club.
