It’s no secret Ben Cunnington isn’t comfortable in the media spotlight, but in a rare interview, the hard-nosed midfielder has opened up like never before.
“This is outside my comfort zone. I don’t love attention and do struggle with it, so I do try and keep it as minimal as possible,” he penned in a ‘My Story’ column for The Sunday Herald Sun.
“Just the idea of 'My Story' being in The Sunday Herald Sun makes me nervous.
“I'm uncomfortable talking about footy because I play to earn the respect of teammates, internal recognition means the most to me.
“I'm happy playing, let them (the footy media) do the talking.
“Anytime I can dodge an interview, I do. I know who I am.”
RELATED: What makes Cunnington tick | North's perfect tens
It’s an insight that will capture the attention of many North supporters who would argue they don’t see or hear enough from the shy, country product.
“I loved it [footy media], growing up on a dairy farm in Princetown, south-west Victoria, reading all the articles I could get my hands on, the stats, watching all the shows, you name it, I saw it,” Cunnington continued.
“After the draft and moving to Melbourne, which was so foreign I hardly knew it existed, I struggled with my own name being in print, the scrutiny and expectation.”
Cunnington believes the pressure he was feeling in the media, caused him to overcomplicate things.
“Former coach Brad Scott helped me out a lot, he sent me back to the VFL a few times and said to simplify it, play footy and enjoy the game I always loved,” he admitted.
“It started to work out, I learned to relax and enjoy every session and every game.
“Shutting out the football media was part of it, I just do what the coaches tell me.
“I could be getting ragged by the media but it's not going to affect me, I live under a rock.”
Shutting out the media also extends to watching other games.
“Family. Fishing. Farming. That keeps me busy, I won’t even watch a game the whole year, the only footy I get is when I train and play, and it works for me,” Cunnington admitted.
RELATED: What makes Cunnington tick | North's perfect tens
