Essendon Life Member Robert Shaw is a teacher at Brighton Grammar and also happens to have coached Andrew McGrath in the school's 1st XVIII for the past three years. In that time, they've shared in three APS premierships.
Andrew enrolled in Brighton Grammar Junior school eight years ago and has just completed his 2016 VCE exams. His background is well documented having migrated to Australia from Canada at the age of five. He happens to be Essendon’s first round draft pick in 2016 and this is his story.
He started playing football at the East Brighton Vampires just to play with his mates and over the years he combined this with an outstanding athletics career and his school football through the year levels. He developed into an outstanding 400m hurdler and Essendon people will see this as he has developed enormous power in his legs. He is also an outstanding high jumper allowing him to use his power to outjump taller opponents. Through Years 7, 8 and 9 Andrew was an athlete first regularly winning national titles, but his development teachers at school started to notice his great capacity to run and surge out of traffic in school games. Football though, was still something Andrew just did with his mates.
At the end of Year 9 Andrew was entering the senior school and at the same time Melbourne FC had drafted Brighton Grammar student Jayden Hunt straight out of school football. As coach of the 1st XVIII, I was looking for a rebounding half back to replace Hunt for the 2014 season. Our Middle School football coordinator, Tim Marshall, immediately recommended Andrew to fill the difficult back pocket position in Brighton’s 1st XVIII. ‘ Pick McGrath…he’ll also play 200 AFL games.’ That’s some call when the kid was in Year 9.
Andrew went on to play 27 out of a possible 30 APS games, for one loss and three APS premierships in a row (one of only two boys in the 135-year history of our school to do this). He was runner up in the Best and Fairest in Year 11 and Best and Fairest in Year 12. He represented Vic Metro at Under 16 level and despite playing a very good carnival he was not considered good enough for the high profile AIS Academy Squad. Just try telling Andrew he’s not good enough. It strengthened his resolve and determination.
His development in school football continued through half back and wing before moving into the centre and up forward in his year 12 year. In the premiership decider against Haileybury College on a wet heavy ground, Brighton trailed by two goals deep into the third term. McGrath pushed forward, kicking two goals and setting up another in a low scoring tough affair.
Without doubt he has a great mental and physical capacity to lift those around him by his actions. He picked up our school team and pushed them over the line. He’s mentally and physically tough and this notion about his height is ridiculous. He is also a brilliant tackler. TAC Cup plays without taggers and has to have four players inside 50m. It allows players like Andrew to thrive in space with his run. School football offers no such complications. Pure football, one on one. Andrew is tagged heavily and hammered in contested ball situations. The balance has been great for his development. He thrives in the physical contest. He is also tactically astute and will understand complex game structures at AFL level.
But Andrew leaves a far greater legacy at Brighton Grammar than just football. He was school captain, captain of the athletics team and footy vice-captain. But he is a shocking singer. So why did he volunteer for the school choir? Well that’s Andrew. He wants to ‘be part of the story’ of Brighton Grammar involving himself, being with his mates and providing inspiration to those that follow.
There is not an elitist bone in his body. Even when involved in Vic metro training Andrew never missed a school session. Filling water bottles, moving witches’ hats and assisting with drills. He is much loved and highly respected by teachers and students. He also had a great role model in Brighton Grammar GWS player in Josh Kelly (a number two draft pick four years ahead of Andrew at school).
Fiercely determined, a fighter, mentally tough, inwardly determined and will never ever give up. But quiet, reserved, even shy. Humble and respectful. But, by Christ he plays to win.
My lasting memory of Andrew follows the football season. His TAC Cup and Vic Metro performances are well documented. But 2016 was a taxing year and at the end of the season he was fatigued. A week later the APS Athletics season started and on no rest Andrew again put his hand up for the school. He was captain of Athletics and he led Brighton Grammar to a highly respectable 3rd in a powerful competition. In his last ever run for his school, Andrew competed in the 100m Hurdles final. At the half way mark he was three metres behind. He won it by five metres, powering home on the back of obvious skill, but even more than that, a deep will to win and a passion to compete for his school. He had every right to ‘rest up’ and prepare for the taxing Draft Combine. That’s not in his makeup.
I call him Andrew when its serious or ‘game on’. At more relaxing times its Andy around the school yard. And so it begins.
If Essendon players have a great pre-season, the returning players strike form and developing players continue to develop, positions in the starting 22 will be tough. It may in fact be good for Andrew to start off in the VFL. Nothing wrong with that. However, he will thrive at Essendon, he will train as well as any of them and in his quiet determined style he will wait his chance and take it. Andrew won’t ask for respect; he will earn it. He can play across half back, wing, needs a little more weight training (and natural growth) for inside mid and will push forward and kick goals.
Brighton Grammar will find it easier to replace Andrew in the school footy team than it will to fill the void of a leader, a young man of strength, character and humility. Who knows where the future will take Essendon and Andrew, but I just think that Adrian Dodoro and his team have landed something very special on and off the field.
Andrew can be summed up within our school football theme for 2016:
Be Gallant: Be Great: Be Gracious
And don’t forget to call him Andrew. He will know what you mean.
