After drafting David Mundy at no.19 in 2003, the decision to move him from half back into the midfield would be up there with one of the more important decisions in Fremantle history.
And while Mundy has a close relationship with Peter German, Fremantle’s midfield coach at the time he made the switch, he also recalled the most ferocious spray he ever received when he played under German for Subiaco in 2004.
It came when two future Fremantle greats went head-to-head in the WAFL – Michael Johnson at centre half forward for Perth and Mundy at centre half back for Subiaco.
Between them, they combine for 593 AFL games experience, with Mundy currently second and Johnson equal fourth on the all-time list for Freo.
But on the day, Johnson had Mundy’s number.
“We had a game up north, a country game against Perth. We were pretty good side as Subi had made the grand final and lost in 2003,” Mundy said on Old Bull, Young Buck.
“Michael Johnson was at Fremantle as well, we were drafted at the same time. I like to say he had the game of his life, but he absolutely dominated me.
“He was taking one hand grabs, selling candy and kicking snags and I was like 'this bloke's Wayne Carey, how do you stop this fella?’”
Mundy bore the brunt of the blame for Johnson’s heroics post-game.
“After we got beaten, we go back into the rooms and Peter German, like he often did, was going around and just singling blokes out,” Mundy said.
“He got to me and the toned down version of it was, 'I don't know why Fremantle even drafted you mate'.
“He worked me pretty hard. I felt like it was a half hour spray but (it was closer to) a minute.
“What he didn't know at that time was, I'd gone back to Victoria that week for my Grandfather's funeral. I’d flown back in the day before then flown north and played this game, so I had really poor prep, but got absolutely destroyed.”
Despite the low-point, Subiaco and Mundy would go on to win the 2004 flag and German would also coach the Lions in their 2006 flag before joining Fremantle as a midfield coach for the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
In that time, Mundy began to establish himself in the midfield.
“He became a midfield assistant coach when I was moving into the midfield,” Mundy said.
“Off the back of our time at Subi and off the back of that, we formed a pretty close relationship.”
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