From North of the Line of Lode

A young Isaac Cumming in action for his beloved North Broken Hill against rivals West Broken Hill

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By Paul Stephen

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Isaac Cumming wants to add to his premiership tattoo.

Sure, he’d love a Giant adorning his ankle. But the tatt he wants to embellish is the North Broken Hill Bulldog he inked on his left ankle after winning the 2016 Broken Hill flag as an 18-year-old.

He’s moved on since then. As his former GIANTS coach, Leon Cameron, put it, Cumming had a “decent apprenticeship” at the Giants, taking five years to establish himself as an AFL player after being drafted following that 2016 triumph in Broken Hill.

After playing 10 games in his first four years at the GIANTS, he appreciates the hard work that turned him into a permanent fixture at the Giants and earned him another 65 games in the next three seasons.

Injuries this year kept the wingman out until round 16, but he’s made the most of his return in the past two games, kicking a couple of goals in the win over Carlton last week, which he said restored the GIANTS’ “identity”.

Identity is important to Cumming and he appreciates where he comes from. “The North Broken Hill footy club is just about my favourite place in the world, some of the best people I’ve ever met were in the four walls of that club,” Cumming said.

“Some of my fondest memories are of the footy club on Saturday nights. I played with my best mates who are still my best mates.”

He played with North Broken Hill all his junior life, making his first grade debut for the club at 15. And when his AFL career is over, he’ll be back to the Silver City for more. Like another North Broken Hill old boy, Adelaide forward Tex Walker, he would love to return home to his beloved Bulldogs.

“Absolutely it’s on the cards. I just keep telling my mates they’ve got to stay fit enough when we’re in our early 30s so I can still play with them, I want to add another year to my tattoo.

“Not sure Tex will be still playing though, he might be in the nursing home by then.”

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Nine years his senior, Walker was a big influence on a young Cumming growing up in the red dirt mining town on NSW’s far west edge closer to Adelaide than it is to Sydney.

“Tex has been huge to me throughout my career, he’s been a massive mentor for me,” Cumming said.

“I used to train in the off season with him when I was 15-16 when he was back in town, he showed me the ropes early and what was needed. I was very, very lucky to have someone like him.”

Even though it’s produced around a dozen VFL/AFL players, being 1100km from Sydney and 500km from Adelaide, Broken Hill can be a little overlooked as a footy breeding ground.

“At times I think we’re a bit disadvantaged, but Broken Hill is under the GIANTS academy, so from the under 14s we get some exposure through that,” Cumming said.

And then there’s men like Dale Tonkin. Walker credits Tonkin – junior coach, coordinator, mentor, chief cook and bottle washer – as a major influence on his footy career and so does Cumming.

“I don’t think I’d be where I am today if I didn’t have Dale helping me develop my footy,” Cumming said.

Tonkin saw Cumming’s promise as an 11-year-old and he joined the academy at 14, but “I wasn’t really any good until I turned 18, I blossomed at the right time.”

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When he blossomed, he spent 2016 playing for the academy, for NSW Under 18s, the Allies, a couple of games at North Adelaide and, best of all, enough games for North Broken Hill to qualify for the finals and win that flag with his mates.

Mathematically, you’ve got one in four chance of winning a premiership at Broken Hill in a league that consists of four clubs – Norths, Souths, Wests and Centrals.

“You get to know your opposition pretty well,” Cumming said.

“Some of my mates from school played for Souths, you’d hang out with them Monday to Friday but on Saturday you’d pretend to hate them. You had to do it to get that rivalry going.

“It was a small comp in terms of numbers, it doesn’t mean the passion wasn’t there, we just loved playing for North Broken Hill.

“It’s still a strong league, there’s lots of really good kids coming through who can go somewhere with their footy. There’s a few 17-18 year-olds and a few 40-year-olds. It’s country footy at its best. I have to remind people Broken Hill is in NSW, not SA. I’m very proud to come from where I come from and to represent Broken Hill, in a good way I hope.”

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On the board in the Bill Mohr Medal

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His pair of goals against Carlton put him on the board in the Bill Mohr medal for the leading NSW goalkicker in the AFL, while Walker’s brace kept him at the top on 23 goals, alongside Sydney’s Isaac Heeney.

Heeney picked up three coaches’ votes in the Swans’ loss to St Kilda to extend his lead in the Carey-Bunton medal for the best NSW player in the AFL on 92 votes, well clear of Sydney teammate, Errol Guden, on 62.

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CAREY BUNTON MEDAL  – Coaches Votes for the Best NSW Player in the AFL – Round 17

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92    Isaac Heeney (Sydney Swans/ Cardiff)                                3

62    Errol Gulden (Sydney Swans / UNSW-Eastern Suburbs)    

29    Nick Blakey (Sydney Swans/ UNSW-Eastern Suburbs)      

15     Jarrod Witts (Gold Coast Suns/ Sydney University)    

13    Jack Buckley (GWS Giants / UNSW-Eastern Suburbs)      4

12    Kieren Briggs (GWS Giants / Pennant Hills)                        4

10    Harry Himmelberg (GWS Giants/ Mangoplah- Cookardina Eastlakes)    

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BILL MOHR MEDAL – NSW player Leading Goalkicker in the AFL – Round 17

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23    Isaac Heeney (Sydney Swans/ Cardiff)                                      2

23    Taylor Walker (Adelaide/ North Broken Hill)                                  2

20    Todd Marshall (Port Adelaide/ Deniliquin) 

19    Lachlan Schultz (Collingwood/ Moama)                                     1

14    Tom Hawkins (Geelong/ Finley)  14    Zac Williams (Carlton – Narrandera)    

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