Few could imagine the emotion Brett Stewart carried to his comeback NRL season and now a grand final, writes Richard Hinds. Tomorrow, it will be precisely 12 months since Manly fullback Brett Stewart heard the verdict. A year since, in a formal sense, his personal ordeal came to an end.
Back then, overwhelmed by a torrent of emotion, you can only imagine how distant, even insignificant, the thought of playing in another NRL grand final would have seemed. After the humiliation Stewart had endured, and the toll injury and a long absence from the game had taken, how far-fetched it might have been to think he would appear again, so soon, in the far more glowing public spotlight of ANZ Stadium.
You can only imagine, because, for the most part, Stewart has maintained what seems - from afar - a brooding silence. Attempts to talk to Stewart, through his agent, have been rebuffed or met with no response at all. Stewart accumulated six-figure legal bills and his story is a tradeable commodity. It might well appear elsewhere.
But, other than for potential financial gain, Stewart's reluctance to talk is hardly surprising. Tried, judged and - in his own mind, at least - persecuted by the media since the day of his arrest, it is understandable he has withdrawn into a protective cocoon. Even more so at a club that famously holds the world at arm's length.
Yet, as he prepared to feature in what should be one of the feel-good stories of the NRL grand final, the heavy, almost oppressive atmosphere that has surrounded Stewart this season seems unfortunate. In the manner in which he has returned from the harrowing ordeal of the sexual assault trial and a series of serious knee injuries, Stewart deserves to be praised beyond his Brookvale backyard. To be re-embraced by the game he once - very briefly - publicly symbolised.
Instead, there remains a note of defiance, even bitterness, about Stewart's great comeback. Manly fans cheered when the fullback ''Galloped'' after scoring his 100th first grade try in May. But what should have been a crowning moment was again dominated by old wounds and unsettled scores.
Grand final week is usually replete with tales of redemption, near-death experiences and other entertaining back stories told to whet the appetite for the contest. Stewart's tale is awkward, unorthodox and difficult to define.
No doubt, many would begrudge Stewart any form of ''heroism'' on the grounds his supposedly heroic act is merely to have been found not guilty of a serious crime. But that fails to take into account the mental anguish he must have endured between his arrest in March last year and his trial. The public humiliation, the personal doubts and the effect on family and friends.
Perhaps that lingering bitterness and resentment drives Stewart. Perhaps, if he forgave and forgot his public vilification, he would not have found the motivation to return to the top so quickly. Maybe, if he was not playing angry, he would not be playing at all. Or does the smile, concealed from the public, appear the moment he reaches the sanctuary of the sheds? You would love to ask Stewart if he had found peace inside, and outside, the white lines.
No doubt, Stewart's looming happily-ever-after owes much to his handful of confidantes, particularly coach Des Hasler. Asked earlier this year, when was he convinced of Stewart's innocence, Hasler said it was when he saw him at the police station after his arrest and looked into his eyes.
To some, no doubt, such a seemingly superficial assessment would reek of partisanship, even disrespect for the alleged victim. Given what Hasler had to gain from his superstar fullback, it might even be considered rank opportunism.
Yet, with his faith and conviction vindicated by the jury's verdict, Hasler has created an unbreakable bond. Similar to the familial bond that made it not merely understandable but purely reflexive, that Stewart came to his brother's aid as the ''third man in'' during the Battle of Brookvale.
Almost as an afterthought, there is also an old-fashioned football element to Stewart's story.
The knee injuries that forced him from the park for most of last season, and which have been a lingering concern right up until the eve of these finals.
But, if Stewart has not quite reached the peak of his try-scoring powers, he has been a reasonable facsimile. Sound at the back, a threat near the line. Back in a place that was, just 12 months ago, unimaginable. It would be nice to speak to Stewart about what that all means. Then again, on Sunday, just trotting out to play another grand final will speak for itself.
rhinds@smh.com.au
SOURCE:
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/silence-speaks-volumes-about-the-pain-that-drives-stewart-20110927-1kvjo.html#ixzz1ZCuISXrv
