The Commentary Box: Region starts to tick again

SEAN: Sports have restarted across the region and others like Athletics and lifesaving are preparing to.

This is obviously a massive step forward, with some restrictions in place of course, for such a sport loving region as the south-west.

How important do you think sport's return is for the south-west?

NICK: It's absolutely massive, I reckon. Sport, particularly in our part of the world, makes things tick.

BRIAN: It has so many benefits. Writing stories about gym owners in recent months, they kept emphasising the importance of the mental health benefits of physical activity.

Sport can make you feel a spectrum of emotions - the pain of injury and the disappointment of losing right through to the euphoria of winning.

But at its core it offers us a challenge and a chance to be among people again. Looking around the community I see people back participating in team environments and relishing the opportunity.

Listen to this week's episode of The Main Break with Athletics coach Jeremy Dixon.

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This year many would have picked up new hobbies, which is great. And countless people were out walking and running the paths of the south-west.

Many people have done their best to keep busy. Sport's return offers many of us more purpose in a year where we've been hard-pressed to find things to do.

SEAN: Well said Brian! Couldn't agree more.

Another question. The trade period has come to an end. What are your thoughts on the value that is put on some players compared to others?

BRIAN: Oh it's so tough, isn't it? It's a brutal game. Two years ago North Melbourne's Ben Brown was probably among the best forwards in the AFL. His value was high.

There are various things that come into it but the majority of the talk this year was that his value had plummeted based on the back of one poor season. He might come out and have a ripper 2021.

There's also commentary about some players being valued higher than they should be. It's all based on potential. Some players thrive at a new club whereas other trades just don't work.

NICK: Brown is an interesting case study. He's a quality human being and a model professional who had some very tough off-field circumstances to navigate this season in that he and his partner Hester lost an unborn baby.

He'll be a massive asset to Melbourne. Will never put a foot wrong and will probably come out firing. Trades are just weird.

Jeremy Cameron had a poor season too but GWS Giants managed to get three first-round picks for him.

So much of it hinged on the fact Brown was out of contract. Not a free agent, like Cameron was, but just out of contract. That hurt his value even more.

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