Not even as a young kid running around my parents' backyard, pretending I was a football star, kicking that winning goal and destroying their beloved plants did I think I would last this long.
Now, looking back over my journey, here are six things I believe have got me to where I am today:
1. A supportive family
I didn’t know that I was going to be an AFL footballer as a kid but I knew that, if playing football was what I chose to do, my family would support me the whole way.
From an early age, my mum, dad and my older brother offered me great support and encouragement.They were always around to do those little things, like take me to training.
Growing up, my brother was my toughest opponent. In the backyard, he pushed me as most older brothers do. He taught me a few good lessons about playing against bigger bodies and how getting beaten up turns you into a better player.
Now, I also have the support of my own family though my wife, Rachael, and our children. The continued support I get from them has helped me enormously over the years.
2. Determination (and fitness gurus)
Having the want and determination to succeed has been one of the biggest things for me.
It comes from wanting to be the best you can be and extracting everything you can out of yourself to maximise what you have.
It also involves a lot of hard work. I’ve had a lot of injuries, but I still haven’t missed too many games over the years and our fitness guru Stephen Schwerdt has played a big role in that.
I also owe a lot to Charlie Walsh. Charlie and Schwerdty have probably added years to by career.
3. Quality coaching
All the coaches that I’ve had over the journey– from my first coach as a junior to my current coach– have given me something.
My dad was always on about doing things with a purpose and that means learning from your coaches. It’s something I still do to this day.
Even at 32 years of age, I think there’s a lot about footy that I’m still learning and I think that’s a key to having a long career.
4. Fiercely competitive teammates
I’ve been lucky enough to have some very driven teammates, like Roo (Mark Ricciuto), Goody (Simon Goodwin), Benny Hart and Mark Bickley, who have
helped to get the best out of me while also getting the best out of themselves.
That internal competition is something that I’ve thrived on. It’s a friendly competition, but being around fiercely competitive people can give you an edge because they want to be the best.
5. Personal sacrifices
I’ve made a lot of them throughout my career. People probably take for granted some of the things that we, as footballers, don’t get to do.
For example, I haven’t had an Easter with my family in six years. You miss out on Mother’s Day because you’re playing and you miss birthdays, your kids’ sports and dance recitals.
Even just through moving away from home at an early age, you lose contact with a lot of people and family.
I don’t really have an active role in the lives of my nephews and my niece. I’d love to, but that’s just the way it is with footy. Sure, we get paid well and footy is what we do, but some people don’t realise that we’re normal too and we like to spend those special times with our families.
You don’t like to miss anything, but you have to and it’s tough. Hopefully one day, we get that time back.
6. Being traded to Adelaide
I’ve never really sat back and thought about how different things would’ve been if I stayed at Freo because I’ve been very lucky to be part of some special times here.
I’ll always be indebted to Adelaide for giving me the opportunity to come and play for the club I love, or I’ve grown to love (I was a Bombers supporter when I first started out).
I believe I’ve got the best job in the world. At times, it can be tough and challenging, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or the clubs.
