By Jai Bednall, Adelaide Now
FOOTBALL was life for Simon Dean as a junior at West Adelaide until he realised how important life actually was.
Dean was a star midfielder who made his league debut under Shaun Rehn as a 16-year-old, but turned his back on a promising career when his father, Ken, was diagnosed with cancer during the 2005 season.
To that point Dean had played in two junior premierships and twice represented the state at under-16 level during a period he described as ``some of the best times of my life''.
But then came the moment that would change everything.
``I was sitting out in the back room (of his family's Clovelly Park home) playing PlayStation and my Dad's girlfriend came out screaming and knocked on my door,'' Dean said.
``My Dad was inside having a fit. I had to go in and call an ambulance and do all that.''
Ken returned from the hospital with the worst possible news he had cancer in his lungs and brain.
And his doctors didn't exactly mince their words when predicting how much longer he had to live.
``No one lied to us and said `he'll be all right','' Dean said.
``He got treatment but by the time he found out about it, it was too late.
``It was hard to watch some of the things that were going on losing weight rapidly, not being able to eat stuff, just everything that comes with it. It's not good.
``We got six months to spend time with him and say goodbye.''
Ken fought on past his son's 18th birthday before dying on December 9, 2005. ``I buried him in a Westies T-Shirt,'' Dean said.
A former country footballer with Red Hill, Ken had been a mainstay during Dean's early career, never missing a game his son was involved in.
But without his father on the sidelines, Dean struggled to find the motivation to play.
``Every game I played, he'd be there. When I went and played for the state under-16s in Perth, he flew over to watch,'' Dean said.
``But when my Dad passed away, life became less about footy and more about just life in general. Footy was second at that time.''
Dean joined Noarlunga where his uncle was coaching. He made a brief attempt to revive his SANFL career at
South Adelaide in 2009, but playing for one of West's rivals never felt right so he moved back to his junior club, Edwardstown, hoping it would be the beginning of a path back to the Bloods.
After a strong season in 2011 he was invited back ``home'' late last year.
``During those years off the one thing that kept pulling me back was Westies I want to play good footy for West Adelaide,'' Dean said.
``That was my dream always as a little kid. I needed to give myself some time away from footy to decide what I wanted out of life.
``Now I've gotten over that hurdle or that stage of my life and football is my life again. I'm ready to go. I'm here to make up for that lost time.''
Bloods coach Andrew Collins said Dean had impressed on the track since joining the club for preseason.
``It's been a wonderful personal journey that he's travelled to get back to our footy club,'' Collins said.
``He will be - and has been already - a wonderful addition to our group.''
West is best: Simon Dean is at home playing for the club he supported as a boy.
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