Stuart Dew comeback?

[tedbullpit]

I saw Dew at a pub in Melbourne when I was on my footy trip recently and he was considerably overweight. Would have been nudging 110kg and that is no exaggeration. There is no way that a club would pick him up in the preseason draft. He wouldnt even be fit enough to play a season of SANFL.

[Punk Rooster]

I saw Dew at a pub in Melbourne when I was on my footy trip recently and he was considerably overweight. Would have been nudging 110kg and that is no exaggeration. There is no way that a club would pick him up in the preseason draft. He wouldnt even be fit enough to play a season of SANFL.

Yet in spite of this, we're constantly subjected to fresh rumours regarding him playing footy again...

[spiderblu]

Stewie Dew comeback ROFLMFAO comeback??? what in a pie eating contest ?

[bulldogs]

Stewie Dew comeback ROFLMFAO comeback??? what in a pie eating contest ?

I reckon he would run 2nd to Rick Jumbo Davies

[spiderblu]

Stewie Dew comeback ROFLMFAO comeback??? what in a pie eating contest ?

I reckon he would run 2nd to Rick Jumbo Davies

Jumbo would squash him with one cheek..
not very nice to even mention the two in the same breath, Dews a mini league player compared to the King..

[Dogwatcher]

It's good you admit that The Jumbo is fatter than Stuey

[spiderblu]

It's good you admit that The Jumbo is fatter than Stuey

could hardly deny it

[locky801]

Looks like Hawthorn may well be in with a huge chance of getting his services. According to media reports Dew is working hard to get himself fit for ther pre season draft and Hawthorn are said to be keen to pick him if he can get his fitness up to scratch

[Hondo]

When he as on 5AA a couple of weeks ago I got the impression it was all systems go for a comeback

I assumed it was SANFL tho TBH

[blink]

The article in today's Advertiser suggests that Stuey is more than likely going to re-join the Doggies.

[the joker]

This is the article from the paper for those people who dont read it

FORMER Port Adelaide superboot Stuart Dew is contemplating a shock comeback to AFL football.

But Hawthorn - not the Power - is understood to be leading the race for his prized signature.

Dew, who sensationally retired at age 27 at the end of the 2006 AFL season saying he had lost his love of the game, has been tempted to resume his AFL career after some interest from the Hawks.

It is believed Hawthorn - which has a strong Power influence and is coached by former Port assistant Alastair Clarkson - has told Dew it will consider drafting him at the national or pre-season drafts if he can get himself fit.

Dew, who at 28 should have at least two more years of top-level football in him, has been training privately for the past month in an attempt to get his heavy-set body in shape again.

A star of the Power's 2004 premiership side, Dew did not return phone calls from The Advertiser yesterday but those close to him say that after a year off he has rediscovered his football passion and might extend his 180-game AFL career.

Hawthorn player personnel and strategy manager Chris Pelchen said he had not spoken to Dew about a comeback but that Clarkson might have.

"That's a possibility because they have a relationship and know each other well from their days together at Port and Central (District)," Pelchen, a former Power recruiting agent, said.

"I will have to talk to the coach about that and see whether he has spoken to Stuey and where he wants to go with it."

Dew also has strong relationships with Hawthorn assistant coach Damien Hardwick and head fitness coach Andrew Russell. Both were at Port - Hardwick as a player and Russell as fitness coach - when the Power won the 2004 flag.

Port, which no longer has any hold on utility Dew - the club's second-highest goalkicker with 245 - after delisting him last year, said it would be interested in re-drafting him if he wanted to play again.

"But we'd need to be convinced that he wants to do that," football operations manager Peter Rohde said.

"I know he has spoken to a few people about coming back and playing at Central but I'm not sure he'll be making a comeback to the AFL."

The biggest obstacle for Dew - who can break games open with his long left-foot kicking - is weight. He battled weight problems for much of his 10-year career at the Power and has ballooned further in his year away from the game.

Rohde said Port would hold no hard feelings if Dew wanted to join an AFL rival.

"When he left us it was because he felt he was mentally drained and was having trouble getting himself fit," he said.

"He's perfectly entitled to change his mind, I suppose, and he could be in a better frame of mind now. But it's very hard to miss a year and come back."

Dew has until November 21 to nominate for the November 24 national draft and until December 7 to nominate for the pre-season draft, which will be held on December 11.

If he quashes thoughts of an AFL comeback, Dew is expected to play with his former club Central in the SANFL next season. Bulldogs chief executive Kris Grant said he already had spoken to Dew about playing again for the Dogs who have won six premierships in the past eight years.

"We've had a casual talk and he expressed some interest in playing with us next year and I think he and (coach) Roy Laird are probably going to have a bit of chat over the next few weeks to work out where it might be at," Grant said.

"I'm not sure what his AFL aims are but we'd love to have him back. Obviously it's all about his fitness and I think that's what he and Roy are going to talk about."

Beyond football, Dew seems destined for a career in the media - he was a revelation calling footy on ABC television and radio this year - or as an NFL punter.

A magnificent kick, he could join the likes of former AFL stars Daren Bennett, Ben Graham and Saverio Rocca who have made the successful transition from the AFL to NFL.

[brod]

vertical stripes might be just what hes looking for..
plus in all seriousness he does have strong ties with personel at the Hawks, Clarkson, Hardwick, Russell

[brod]

Looks like from the story in the Messenger this week that he is quoted as saying if he returns to footy in 2008 it will be with Centrals

[stan]

Looks like from the story in the Messenger this week that he is quoted as saying if he returns to footy in 2008 it will be with Centrals

Well I hope he has already started pre-season training because its going to be a hard season for him is he comes back an plays.