Been a bit absent from Mantel for a while with a few pursuits keeping me busy, but have just returned to Australia for a little while, which allows me to return to my primary passion: AFL Cards.

I am part of the Select AFL Collectors Club which allows me guaranteed access to every release, & have purchased each one over the last 18 months I have been away, which have just built up at my parents place.

SO, without further ado, I present to you...

... one of the all-time GREAT MAIL DAYS 😍

Sneaking in a PC Tuesday post late after a long day of podcast editing (& then seeing a live podcast - Paul Giamatti’s Chinwag, recommend!)

Just love this card for a variety of reasons. 1) Port Adelaide of course. 2) The refractor finish is really nice 3) Just how good is that mullet & mustache on a kid just getting drafted. Finally starting to make a bit of a name for himself now as well, though unfortunate with a recent injury - can’t wait to see how this man mountain continues to develop as his career carries on.

One of the first years I really heavily bought in to the higher end of AFL product upon release, the Headliners set was one of my favourites out of it. Since then Zak has gone on to become one of the most prodigious & unique talents in the league today, & still just 23 years old.


Hadn't looked at this card in a while but came across it today, & just had to snip some photos from my Insta to show it off here!


Card Grading Australia slab, CGA 10.

Select Footy decided to drop a surprise announcement on us a couple days ago, announcing a premium offering with all boxes containing just one framed card with a checklist of premium superstars past & present. "Base" cards are gold framed numbered to /35, there's a selection of Premiership Captain/Coach duel signature cards numbered /50, & a set of Palladium cards featuring a young star from each side numbered /25.
One of the more popular offerings every couple of years from Select! As a Select Collector Club member I am entitled to 2 x boxes, so I'll be getting them on order very soon. General sale 12th May which will likely sell out very quick, only 2,500 boxes total available which SCC will likely take up a fair amount of those if all members (I believe there's around 1,000 of them? But I'm not super sure)
Anyway, excited to rip a couple boxes & then try and chase my Port boys!
https://selectaustralia.com.au/pages/2024-afl-brilliance

Some more Aussie Rules content coming at ya for your PC Tuesday - one of my favourite players in my teens and 20's, Port Adelaide's (& Fremantle's for a few years) Josh Carr. Picked this card up as part of my initial run of searching for players I loved when I got back in to the hobby! (Also featuring an unopened case of our special Premiership Beer from 2004 in the background - I had to get my mum to buy it for me since I was 16 at the time!)
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An incredibly talented midfielder often tasked with a 'tagging' role, he was an integral part of our 2004 Premiership - kicked the first goal of the game, as well as getting under the skin of the opponents the entire game. Indeed, he was well known as much for his "chirping" as he was his talent, many opponents saying he did not shut up for entire games.
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As a Port Adelaide fan, there is many reasons to be proud of his career - however one of his proudest achievements is in the intense 'Showdown' rivalry between Port Adelaide, and our bitter rivals the Adelaide Crows - he never lost. Incredibly, every Showdown he played in was a Port Adelaide win, having a 10-0 record in those games. His final game was a Showdown in 2010, in which he retired after a distinguished 209 game career.
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Also, part of Adelaide city folklore as an integral part of the infamous 'Ramsgate' incident - in which Port Adelaide & Adelaide players mingled at one of the pubs on our coastline, & a fight between the teams then began & spilled out onto the streets - apparently his chirping didn't remain confined to the field!
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He's had a very good career coaching since, currently an assistant coach at Port Adelaide & widely tipped to be the next senior coach.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2WEVTvqRsA