Blank Canvas

If the name Darren Mead doesn't ring any bells, let me remind you of who he is. The man was a member of the most recent team to debut in the AFL back in 1997, Port Adelaide Power. He was their inaugural best and fairest winner, and first player to reach 100 games for the club.
As the Gold Coast Suns make their AFL debut tonight, Darren can look on, knowing what it's like to be part of a new franchise. Only, he now has memories, not the blank canvas the Gold Coast paint from tonight. 
How exciting must it be for all involved with the Suns? To start from scratch, and build a club and culture from nothing, is extremely unique. 
Look back in VFL/AFL history, and you see only 20 sides have had that opportunity. Carlton did it back in 1897, and are the team to run out against the Suns tonight. Nervous? They'd have to be, no one wants to go in the record books as the first team to lose to GCFC.
As they say first impressions last, so its set to be a cracking match with the likes of Campbell Brown and Gary Ablett leading the charge. Add to that the inclusion of ex NRL star Karmichael Hunt, we have a degree of intrigue never witnessed before in our game.
For the Suns, It's time to shoot for the stars, and good luck to them!
But from a couch eye view, the opportunity to work from a blank canvas should not be lost on all of us. I can't help but think of Brendan Fevola, or even Ricky Nixon for that matter. Do these guys deserve a chance to re-create themselves? 
On the blank canvas of life, definitely yes. In AFL terms though, they may never be given a brush to paint with again. Ben Cousins got one, and it was an inspiring story, but once you've gained a reputation, the hardest part is changing it. So time will tell.
In AFL, players reputations are made in one action, one mark, one kick, one tackle, and the fan can be brutal and unforgiving. For us on the outside, in the "real world" we get a lifetime to work on ourselves.  With that in mind, maybe its us who are the lucky ones, living outside of the bubble?
What we can be sure of though, is that as the Suns enter that bubble tonight, hundreds of thousands of people will be cheering on, watching history be made. You'd have to think one of them, will be Darren Mead.