OF ALL the stats to leap off the page from a wild weekend of football, Deven Robertson surging from 11,000 followers on Instagram to more than 40,000 – and counting – in the space of three days had to be the most unforeseen, inconsequential and widely circulated of them all.
This is what happens when your guernsey is ripped off your body on the Friday night stage and you remain on the ground for more than three minutes before a replacement can be found.
Robertson was left in a state of undress in front of 38,350 people inside Marvel Stadium and hundreds of thousands at home while he waited for Brisbane’s doctor Sherwin Goh to retrieve his GPS from the torn jumper, squeeze it in the new one and fit the jumper back on the West Australian, much to the amusement of the public and teammates.
"I was mostly getting heckled by my own teammates," Robertson told AFL.com.au on Friday night after the 24-point win over Collingwood. "That's when you know you're in trouble. Cam Rayner was the main one giving it to me.
"I was just trying to get a replacement, to be honest. I was a bit worried. It came off pretty easy. It was like a wet paper towel. It was just yanked off."
The viral moment sent social media into a frenzy that is only just starting to recede. Breakfast television stables Sunrise and Today have submitted requests to interview Robertson. Triple M, SEN and almost every radio station across the country also want to speak to him. But if the demure, softly spoken midfielder has his way, he won't speak about the matter any time soon.
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has been involved in the game for the best part of four decades and seen almost everything, but even the 62-year-old couldn't help but let a smirk spread across his face post game when asked about the incident.
"I haven't seen that before," Fagan said. "I suppose if I had the build Deven Robertson's got, I would be pretty happy running around for a couple of minutes with no top on. I'm sure that those who like that sort of thing in the audience would have liked it, too."
Friday night was the most important home and away game of Fagan's seven seasons in Queensland. The equation was simple: beat Collingwood and take a huge step towards hosting two home finals at the Gabba. The Lions returned home on Saturday with that mission accomplished.
"We came down here with a clear goal in mind: to win and solidify a top-two spot, which we are gunning for. We definitely came down here for business and we got it done," Robertson said.
"It gives us a lot of confidence going into a finals series. There have been times throughout the year where we've learnt some tough lessons in close games. I feel like tonight we really showed we're learning these lessons on the go, which is really pleasing and something 'Fages' will be pleased with. We're ready to go now come finals."
Robertson's profile has exploded in recent days, but the focus on him is set to amplify at the end of the season. West Coast has been pursuing the out-of-contract West Australian for more than 12 months and hopes to lure him home in October with the prospect of greater midfield opportunity.
Brisbane has an offer on the table and are desperate to retain the highly rated midfielder. The 22-year-old managed only three appearances in the first three months of the season but has played nine of the past 11 – two as the sub – taking him to 37 across his first four seasons since being selected with the first pick of the second round in 2019.
"I'm still trying to get a game every week. I've been pretty versatile and open-minded about playing different roles. I'm trying to do everything I can to keep my spot. Wherever the team needs me, I'm happy to go," he said.
"It is tough (on the fringe). You do ride a rollercoaster a little bit with the ups and downs. A good win like this and being a part of a win like that definitely outweighs some of the downside of it."
West Coast great Darren Glass has been part of Roberton's journey well before Brisbane picked him nearly four years ago. The four-time All-Australian defender and three-time best and fairest winner is Robertson's uncle and has served as a confidante.
"He has been really influential on me," Robertson said. "He has been quite involved in my career.
"He was a big inspiration going up watching him play, he has really driven me to get to where I am in the AFL system. He has been a big helping hand as life as a footballer now."
After a weekend that saw an unexpected – and unwanted – spike in profile, Robertson's star will continue to soar if he can play a role in guiding Brisbane to its first premiership in two decades.
