Growing up in Werribee, former Australian fast bowler Merv Hughes only really had two choices which football team to barrack for, the Bulldogs or Geelong.
That he chose the Bulldogs is now on the historical record, and some of the credit can go to former Footscray captain Laurie Sandliands, who kicked 228 goals for the Club between 1966-1977, who Hughes grew up idolising.
“He was a ripper”, he told the Freedom in a Cage podcast this week.
“I had my first game at Werribee in the VFA and I had a choice of number 57, which was long-sleeve, or number 9. Please, there's no option.”
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Not the goal kicker that his hero Sandliands was, Hughes plied his trade as a burly backman for a period of time before cricket took over and he became one of cricket’s most beloved characters.
Know as much for his fearsome glare down pitch and a moustache of incredible proportions, “Big Merv” as he was known played 53 Tests and 33 One Day Internationals for Australia between 1985-1994.
Though Hughes himself would make a career of striking fear in the heart of batsmen everywhere, it was West Indian Malcolm Marshall that he found the most intimidating.
“His nickname, aptly, was 'Mako', the Mako Shark is just crazy,” he said. He'd run in, and if he wanted to hit you, then he'd hit you, just for fun.”
“Really quick action, in-swing, out-swing, did it off the wicket. For a bloke not that tall he got genuine bounce and you're not used to a bloke that tall getting that sort of bounce.”
But cricket, like football, is full of nicknames and not even Hughes was immune, labelled ‘fruit fly’ by former Australian skipper Alan Border.
“I was the biggest pest in Australia,” he said.
“Allan Border was the king of nicknames, so first Test Match I got Fruit Fly - I reckon it was my second training session I got Fruit Fly.
“Then I got 'Pirate' because he said I had a sunken chest. He just threw nicknames out and occasionally they stuck.”
It’s not the first time cricket has come up on the Freedom in a Cage podcast, with Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains citing West Indian batsman Viv Richards as a boyhood idol.
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