Former Carlton small forward and cult hero, Dennis Armfield, has opened up on his 145 game career with the Blues on The Jim Session podcast, as well as his work post football.
Armfield was taken by the Blues with pick 46 in the 2007 AFL draft, and was known for his intense nature and attack on the footy, which would see him become adored within the four walls of Princes Park and admired by the club's fans.
As the 34-year-old was born in Canberra, but moved to Perth as a child, he developed a love for rugby union that he still has to this current day.
"I love rugby, I probably still love rugby more to this day, it sounds weird to say that and I probably watch more rugby now than I do football," Armfield told The Jim Session podcast.
It wasn't until the age of 17 that Armfield took up football at the Swan Districts Football Club. With a skillset that included pace and a hard tackling ability, Armfield caught the eyes of recruiters and was eventually picked up by the 16-time premiers.
Despite the 'Baggers' calling his name, the speedster thought he had been drafted by Geelong after one of his teammates jokingly yelled out to him at training. However, it wasn't until he got a phone call from the Blues' brass that he realised that Carlton was his new club.
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"I had three missed calls, but I picked up the fourth one and it was Greg Swann, the CEO of Carlton welcoming me to the club and I thought wow this is actually real," Armfield said.
"Two hours later I was on a flight and here I am still in Melbourne to this day."
Armfield arrived at the club at the same time as superstar Chris Judd, who had just come across from West Coast, and could sense that the culture was very strong at the Blues.
"You just knew you were at a place where the expectations are pretty high, they want to push you and you should be privileged to be in this place," Armfield explained.
During his nine year career at the Blues, Armfield and his team did not taste team success, and was hurt by close finals losses to West Coast in 2011 and Sydney in 2010 - a contest in which he was tackled by Trent Dennis-Lane which sealed the game for the Swans.
"A few hurt...I cost us with holding the ball and that one hurts a little bit. You hold onto that for a long, long time," Armfield expounded.
Despite the lack of success that Carlton had during Armfield's tenure, the crafty small forward was grateful for the opportunities that he got from the club.
"If I'm honest, every game that I played meant the world to me," the 145-gamer stated.
Armfield labelled Mick Malthouse as the coach that had the most influence on him during his career.
"I think Mick's black and whiteness really worked well with me. He'd tell me when you were no good and he'd tell you when you were good, and you knew where you stood exactly and I think that's something that I really thrived on," he stated bluntly.
Interestingly, Armfield's former teammate Nick Graham told the Real Talk with Beno podcast that Malthouse had "set the club back five or six years" in his mind.
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Since Armfield's retirement in 2017, he has taken up a role as Head of Sports Academy at Heathmont College in Victoria, and is enjoying it thoroughly.
"I've picked up a role now as the head of sports academy at Heathmont College, and being able to pass on my knowledge onto these young kids that want to aspire to be top of their sports is something that is very exciting," Armfield said enthusiastically.
When Armfield isn't on campus in Melbourne's east, he's playing and coaching at Park Orchards in the Eastern Football and Netball League [EFNL].
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"Playing and coaching at Park Orchards in the EFNL is something that I've really enjoyed," he pronounced.
"I'm learning so much about myself and my coaching philosophies, and my good and bad things.
"I've always had a philosophy in life to push yourself to be at the best level you can be, and from a coaching perspective its that as well."
Armfield has also experienced coaching at AFLW level as a development coach for both Carlton and at North Melbourne as a senior assistant coach, and would love to return to the Blues if the opportunity becomes available.
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"I'd always love to get back to the faithful blue baggers but I know that there's a bigger world out there," Armfield declared.
"It's just about when the opportunity comes you jump in all guns blazing ready to go."
The man that wore a variety of interesting hair-dos in his time with the Blues will forever be a cult figure at the Carlton Football Club and credits his inner network for their support throughout his career and beyond it as well.
"The world's a place where the bigger the team, the better the team you can have around you, I think puts you in a stronger position, and I'm very lucky to have some great people around me with mentors, my wife, family and friends that push me but also put there arms around me when I need it," Armfield remarked.
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"I'm very lucky for where I've come from and what I've done and I'm very grateful for the amount of supporters I had along the way, most of them blue-baggers, and you don't forget where you come from that's for sure."
Armfield's former side will take on the Cats this Saturday afternoon at the MCG, and if there isn't a game of rugby that has caught his attention, you can be sure that he'll be tuned in.
