Football's Unyielding Optimism vs Reality's Hard Knocks Tom Stewart's downplaying of his injury has become a familiar trope in Australian Rules football.
It reflects the sport's larger ethos: to soldier on, no matter what life throws at you. As the Cats' star put it, "just a corky and some old legs.
" But beneath this bravado lies a more nuanced truth – one that reveals the harsh realities of playing professional sports.