Under the Surface: Brodie Riach

As a young boy growing up in Perth, I loved my footy. From as young I can remember, it’s all I wanted to do. My local club was the Warwick Greenwood Knights, where I started as an Auskicker and would go on to play all of my juniors. Along with my dad, I would often go to watch the West Coast Eagles play at the old Subiaco Oval. It was there I would watch guys like Phil Matera, Rowan Jones and David Wirrpanda and idolise what they could do on the football field. I wanted to be just like them. My dad would remind me regularly that one day I could be just like my heroes, and I too could play for the Eagles. It was his dream for me.  

At the age of 10, and at the peak of my enjoyment playing football, my dad unfortunately lost his long and hard-fought battle with mental health and addiction. He had taken his own life. Being a naive 10-year-old, I was aware of what took place at home, but oblivious to what it all meant. The substance abuse, domestic violence and instability that occurred in my personal life allowed football to become my outlet. After Dad’s passing, I would try for years to find that same passion for the game I once had. It just didn’t feel the same. I continued to play for four more years with a hope that the fire inside would one day reignite. As I began to go down the junior talent pathway, I went on to play in both the under 14’s and 15’s Subiaco Lions development squads. It was then that I realised it was time for a change. Footy became a chore and a struggle, it was no longer the escape I once had. So, I stopped playing at the age of 14.  

Basketball was always a sport of interest, I just never had the opportunity to pursue it. Once I stopped playing football, I decided to give it a crack. I was really excited by the possibilities basketball could create. Going to college in the United States was probably unrealistic at the time given I was years behind those I was competing with, but it gave me something to work towards. Given my financial situation, I had to rely on getting a full scholarship. I worked my tail off to try and turn this new goal into a reality and played WABL for the Perry Lakes Hawks until I graduated high school at 17. I then decided to move across to Victoria to play in the Big V competition, where I wanted to train and play against the best players in the country in order to better myself. Moving to Melbourne provided me with better exposure to American coaches and networks that weren’t available in Perth. It was these newly formed networks that provided me with the opportunity to travel to the United States to compete in what is called AAU. AAU consists of tournaments being played right across America with some of the best players in the country being evaluated by college scouts in pursuit of a scholarship. I played in two tournaments across Los Angeles and Vegas, and from there my interest started to build. In February of 2018, I eventually received a full athletic scholarship to attend a small school in Wyoming called Sheridan College.

Given that my freshman year did not commence until August, I had 5 months between then and my departure date to work, train and prepare whilst living back in Perth. I was working as a floorer during the day and training with my old club during the night, when things started to take a turn.  

A previous network that I made through basketball, was well connected in the AFL industry. This person explained that if I was interested, I could potentially go onto an AFL list as a category B Rookie, given I had not played any football for more than the required 3 years. I entertained the idea and before I knew it, I was on a plane to Sydney to meet with GWS and the list manager Jason McCartney. Leading into my trial with the Giants, I had not touched a footy for 6 years. I had a basketballers body but felt my size and athleticism could translate well from basketball to AFL. After initially testing the waters, I grew fondly of the idea and was eager to prove to myself that this was a real possibility. Playing sport for a living was always something of interest. I was realistic about the fact that if I wanted to be a professional athlete, it probably wouldn’t be as a basketballer. I wanted to use sport as a vehicle to create change and provide my future family with stability, giving them the opportunities, I was unable to have. So, I continued to meet with different AFL clubs, still with a departure date set to go off to college. I was later in contact with both West Coast and Geelong, and trialled at both clubs before being offered a contract with the Eagles. As a result, I was released by Sheridan College. What started off as a one-day trial, led to a week spent with the club eventuating into a one-year contract for 2019. Given that the Eagles were at the midway point of the 2018 season, I was able to join the team 6 months prior to my contract, to allow sufficient time to prepare my body for the transition from basketball back to football.  

2019 was when I would play my first game of football in 7 years. I spent the year playing in the club’s inaugural WAFL side before sustaining a fracture in my tibia which would see my season end in late July. In September of 2019, I was delisted by the club and was told I would not be offered a new contract for the following season. The reality had hit me that I had just gambled away four years of free education in the US to pursue an AFL career all to be let go after one season. At the time, it was fair to say I was confused. I was unemployed, and unsure of my next move. Lucky enough, I found a home at the Sharks. Although only lasting a year in the system, it definitely wasn’t an opportunity wasted. I took many valuable lessons from the experience. I was able to train along-side some of the AFL’s most dominant players and understand what it takes at the professional level. Looking back on my time at the Eagles, I certainly don’t have any regrets, at the end of the day I did all I could on a one-year contract after seven years away from the game. My desire to play AFL has not gone away and I hope to take what I learnt from the experience and apply it to the upcoming WAFL season with East Fremantle. Landing at the Sharks for 2020 and beyond has confirmed my desire to get back to the highest level. The Sharks have provided me with an opportunity to continue my development and for that, I am forever grateful.