McSweeney and Doggett: The bond of brothers that transcended borders

"Dogga, I'm, going to open the batting for Australia."

Brendan Doggett's first reaction was that of concern when he heard his phone ringing last week at 11 pm and saw Nathan McSweeney's name pop up. It was of course quite late. But according to Doggett, it was also probably a case of him not being able to stop the inherent elder brotherly instincts towards his former housemate kicking in.

"Buddha, is everything alright?" was his worried response only to find out that the young man he'd moved states with a few years ago had made the biggest move yet, to become the next Test opener for Australia.

Doggett reveals to have been immediately overcome with emotion along with a feeling of immense pride. Even if he knew, McSweeney would, true to his nature, try to underplay it.

"He's a special kid and I have always wanted the best for him. I've rarely seen anyone work harder or have a better work ethic than he does. So, when he told me about becoming the next Test opener, my first thought was he totally deserves this. He won't like me saying this but there was also a lot of emotion, from both of us," Doggett tells Cricbuzz.

How could there not have been when you hear about the lovely relationship between the two former Queensland teammates turned South Australians and the bond they've managed to build in the last few years. Though at different stages of their respective careers and lives, Doggett and McSweeney had made an unofficial pact that if they were to leave Queensland, they'd do it together.

McSweeney had made a start to his first-class career but not got going in a handful of matches while Doggett had peaked to an extent, having even come close to a Test debut a couple of years prior. So, when South Australia came calling in the middle of 2021, the younger of the two was moving to enhance his chances of making it as a first-class cricketer while the seasoned fast bowler was keener on a change of scenery.

"And a change of pace in life," Doggett explains, "I was 27, while he was 21-22 but we'd hit it off from the moment we met. So, our pact included us moving states together but also then moving in together once we got there."

And having found a plush house to rent near West Beach, plans were put in place to do a three-day road trip in separate cars. Only for the borders to be shut again owing to a Covid outbreak.

"We had our cars packed and were all set to leave. Nath had even gone and got us a pair of two-way radios so that we could communicate with each other. But then the outbreak happened. I had some things to sort out at home, but he was very eager to leave and flew out. It meant that he had to move in by himself a month earlier," reveals Doggett. "We did end up using the radios at home by the way, since it was two-storeyed, and we each had our own floor."

And here's where the big contrast in their backgrounds came to the fore, though at times in comical fashion. McSweeney had largely lived with his parents and never left home before the interstate transfer. Doggett, meanwhile, had spent a large part of his early years as a cricketer balancing life as a full-time carpenter. It also meant that he was tasked with being the 'adult' in their relationship and sort everything out for the move.

"Well, to be honest he was a bit of a pain in the arse about that," Doggett says with a chuckle when asked about what role McSweeney had played in finding the house. "All he did was constantly call me with the same question. 'Dogga have we found a house yet?' I had to sort everything out but he moved in first. I had to kick him out for two weeks when I came and had to quarantine. But it was so much fun once we started living together. I did teach him a lot of life lessons, including paying the rent and maintaining your own house, and he was so quick to pick it up."

Though it was a quick learning curve, Doggett does attribute McSweeney's maturity to his upbringing and the lessons he'd learnt from his father and grandfather, both of whom have played a big role in the young right-hander's life. What proved to be a bigger challenge however was adjusting to life in Adelaide for the true-maroon Queenslander.

"Oh, his first mistake was bringing his surfboard with him and then realising there was nowhere to surf in Adelaide. So he had to send that back. He tried so hard to fit into the lifestyle here, but it took him a while. He even went and bought fishing rods but again never got the time to use them. Our garage in there was filled with hobby items of Nathan's which would just be lying there," Doggett says with a giggle.

It didn't end there though. For all his calmness on the field, Doggett reveals that his former housemate is extremely hyperactive off it and someone who simply cannot sit still.

"Oh mate, he's all over the place. My idea of a good day is putting my feet up at home and just relaxing while Buddha would want to do a million things. 'Dogga, can we do this or go there' Let's go get a ping-pong table, which led to him getting a ping-pong table. Or he'd want to go to the driving range or go play tennis. He also loves to socialise, a lot more than I do," he reveals.

On the topic of socialising, Doggett recalls the period of time where McSweeney was turning a lot of heads wherever he went with his thick and lustrous mop of hair, which he sported pretty proudly even in his early days in the BBL.

"Oh he got a lot of attention for his hair, and quietly enjoyed it too. However, he didn't get any love from his teammates in Queensland, who said they couldn't take him seriously with that hair. He stuck with it for a while. I remember its evolution from an Afro to what it would become. He was proud of it and well, the first sponsor he got in his career was a shampoo brand," Doggett says. "I can't see it coming back. But I was probably the only person around him that liked it."

The now 30-year-old fast bowler, who recently finished with a six-fer against India A, does admit that McSweeney's natural eagerness to get better at his craft and to make it to the next level may have impacted his development on the field in the early days of his move.

"He wasn't getting a regular run in the SA playing XI. It was a tough move for him overall, to be away from is family, being as close to them as he is, And I guess the learning for him with his cricket was that it's tough and not everything will come easily to you. You have to be patient and he just worked is backside off from that point on," he adds.

Doggett does recall the many batting sessions that McSweeney would share with his other close mate, Marnus Labuschagne, when they were all together in Queensland. The Marnus connection, though well-publicised now, is even stronger than most people imagine in the McSweeney story, according to the mutual friend.

"People have started to notice similarities in their batting techniques. There's more to it though. I am friends with both and I've seen the amount of work they both put into their games. They are both cricket tragics. They are always talking batting or thinking about their batting or discussing it with each other. Marnus and Buddha have the same amount of hunger to succeed too," he says.

While Doggett is not surprised with why the national selectors see a future leader in McSweeney, whether it's due to his ability to bring out the best in those around him or the keenness to take up responsibility, the youngster's progress as a batter in South Australia is a journey the paceman has enjoyed observing from up close.

"His 99 not out against NSW when SA won their first Shield game in two years was a turning point. Over the three years here, he's become more calculated. He's problem solved and planned a lot. His batting has become very organised. He's backed his game, how he wants to score and where he wants to score. What percentage is in his favour against a bowler. He now knows what he needs to do to score runs in all conditions," he says.

Doggett does count his contribution of 1 not out in 42 balls while helping McSweeney get to his century against Tasmania as being one of his favourite on-field experiences with his former housemate. You tell him about how 5 out of McSweeney's 6 first-class centuries have come in wins for South Australia, and he uses that stat to further emphasize the burgeoning maturity of Australia's latest Test opener.

Former Test captain, Tim Paine, had recently spoken about how impressed he was with McSweeney during his time as assistant coach with the Australia A team, highlighting how often he heard him use, "thank you" as part of it. You relay that to Doggett and he isn't surprised at all.

"That's just Buddha. He's polite and respects everyone and just wants the best for everyone," Doggett says before recalling a story that illustrates the human qualities of the man who'll partner Usman Khawaja to the middle at the Optus Stadium in Perth later this week.

"He was so close to us that he stayed with us even after my fiancee had moved in and was 8 months pregnant. One day, Nathan said that he didn't want to be a hindrance and that he'd move out even if we never had a problem with him being around. Anyway, he moved into a tiny unit in Grange, and it was so small that he couldn't even fit his refrigerator inside and would leave it outside the house. To compromise his own standard of living for our convenience. That's who Nathan McSweeney is," he says.

You mention the chat to McSweeney on the sidelines of training at the WACA on what is his first day as an official member of an Australian Test squad, and he goes, "Dogga was the best housemate anyone could ask for," while blushing.

In a few days' time, Doggett will be watching on keenly as McSweeney, who survived a high-profile challenge from the likes of Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc and Nathan Lyon on Monday (November 18), faces up to Jasprit Bumrah. And the fast bowler is confident that the man he considers his younger brother will take it in his stride and face it head-on.

Much like he does his other two beloved pursuits. His impressive talents on the golf course, which is by now well known, but also the other one that Doggett says McSweeney keeps private but won't be able to for too long.

"He's a great dancer. He loves to dance and has had issues with his knees, but he can really tear it up," he says.

"Next stop, Dancing with the Stars?" you ask.

"You bet," says Doggett with the same confidence with which he foresees McSweeney dance in his first foray with the biggest stars of the cricket planet come Friday.