I was asked recently about submitting a piece for the website, and I decided that I’d do it on the proviso that I’d be able to choose my own subject. So I went out and purchased myself a theasaurus and before you know it I’m using words like ‘proviso’ in a sentence. I wanted to stray away from the usual topics (e.g. form, milestone games, or how many sausages Shane Mumford ate in one sitting) and decided I’d attempt to write on a subject that fans might know little of, yet have an interest in it nonetheless.
Sure, I could write on Ed Barlow’s wardrobe and get a few easy laughs, but I’ll save that for a later stage, when my material is wearing thin. For this piece, I’ve decided to write on something a bit more relevant to football, that being the topic of nick-names.
I guess my inspiration for this piece is drawn from a deep-down love of making up nick-names. At the Swans, similar to any group of Australian mates, we become easily bored with identifying each other by our given names, so we get creative and give titles to each other. These can derive from a variety of sources, such as someone’s famous father, or someone’s hatred on opening up their wallet to buy things. In the example of Kieren Jack, both of those examples could be applicable.
Kieren has many nick-names, but my piece today is not going to be about him. Rest assured Kieren… your time will come. It’s going to be on this week’s Rising Star nominee, Dan Hannebery, and the nicknames he has.
Dan arrived at the club last year, and had an immediate impact both on and off the field. However, Dan got himself into a bit of strife over the off-season in two incidents, one involving an egg, the other involving a fence. This unique combination of events got me thinking about someone else who found himself in strife involving a wall and an egg. From these events, Dan quickly became known as “Humpty Dumpty”.
Dan “Humpty Dumpty” Hannebery also loves a chat, and would love to discuss with you, or anyone else, any matter you’d like. Not suprisingly his nickname quickly turned into “Chit Chat”. However, Dan’s love of talking isn’t just a pre or post training occurrence, as Dan doesn’t stop talking on the field either. As a young player in senior football this is a great quality to have.
Talking is an under-rated attribute for a footballer as it draws the ball carrier’s attention to you. Either you use your voice and speak up to get a touch, or the ball won’t go your way and will be passed to a team mate who wants it more than you.
Over my time at Essendon I was lucky enough to play alongside James Hird (did I mention I like to name drop?). Hird is a fairly quiet guy off the field, but he didn’t stop talking on the field. When playing along side him at Essendon I always knew where he was even though I might not be able to see him. When you’re in traffic, with opposition players all around, you’d hear his voice and automatically look in his direction for an option.
Adam Goodes is no different. He constantly talks and directs on the field. You can hear when he’s around you, but due to his massive frame you can usually see him too.
“Chit Chat” Hannebery’s voice on the field is sensational, and I’ve got no doubt his football benefits from it, and we as a team benefit from it too.
More articles on nicknames to come. Stay tuned.
Ted “Vidic” Richards
