Hard-nosed Sydney midfielder Luke Parker has received the ultimate compliment on grand final eve, with club legend Bob Skilton claiming this year's Brownlow Medal runner-up is a better player than he was.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Speaking from his hospital bed where he's recovering from complications due to recent back surgery, Skilton praised Parker for his stellar season which has led the Swans to the brink of a third AFL premiership in 11 years.
Three-time Brownlow winner Skilton is learning how to walk again after suffering nerve damage from a blood clot while recovering from a decompression infusion operation to his lower back.
He was forced to watch Monday's night's Brownlow count from hospital, and has a television in his room for Saturday's grand final between his beloved Swans and the Western Bulldogs.
Parker polled 26 votes in Monday's count, finishing nine points off Patrick Dangerfield who won the medal with a record points tally.
The 26 votes polled by Parker would have been enough for him to win the medal outright on 65 occasions in previous years under the 3-2-1 voting system, and he would have finished joint victor a further six times.
"Luke is terrific, his effort in running second is just great, you get out of his way if he's going at it," Skilton said.
"He's there, he's straight at it. His courage is tremendous.
"When you've got the courage of Parker, ability almost comes second."
Skilton will be watching Saturday's game with particular interest. He made his league debut against Footscray in 1956 at what is now the Whitten Oval, named in honour of Bulldogs legend and Skilton's good mate Ted Whitten.
The Bulldog great played in Footscray's only premiership, in 1954, and died of cancer in 1995 aged just 62.
Whitten's death cast a pall of sadness over the AFL community, and Skilton remains good friends with his old mate's son, Ted Whitten junior.
But for all the sentiment around the Bulldogs, Skilton is only interested in one outcome at the MCG on Saturday. Four years ago Skilton presented the 2012 Swans with their premiership cup and hopes former South Melbourne teammate Peter Bedford will be tasked with the same honour this weekend.
"I'm hoping like mad that we can win," Skilton said.
"If you're not in it you can't win it, we're there and we've done well over the last couple of games, we've been excellent.
"I see no reason why we can't.
"We've had a lot of first-year kids this year. I remember when we played the final the other week at the MCG, three blokes hadn't played at the MCG.
"We've got a lot of youth and the club is going great guns these days. We've got a good blending of experience and youth at the moment.
"When you get guys like [Josh] Kennedy and [Jarrad] McVeigh and such with the experience, and the younger blokes ... you still call Daniel Hannebery an experienced player these days but he's also a pretty young fella so we've got a good blending right through."
