Jordan Clark - #238

Welcome to person number one podcast. You're listening to the Jamo and Dylan Show.

Yeah, yeah, we're on the way That dance bra a little Mad Trip with before is celeb gooday, guys, and welcome back to the jam Or and Dylan Show. Today we have a very special guest, one of my favorite AFL players. Welcome to the show, Jordan Clark.

Thanks, Hamy lad. It's a bit of a privilege.

Oh thanks for making the time, bro. We really appreciate it. We've had time on a Sunday come on the show.

Especially after a big game last night.

Yeah.

No, it was a decent game. Don't really like the web myself, but it's good to get through and have a nice win.

Sound. Team's going all right, great season, haven't you so far?

Yeah?

Yeah, well we've Yeah, we've had a few games.

We've been a little bit inconsistent and certainly reflected the scoreboard. I think against West Coast and the Doggie sort of stands out a little bit. But no, yeah, we're going pretty well and I think we're building nicely towards the back end of the year.

Dylan and I were actually in the car before talking about the season so far and I'm a Doctors supporter, deal with actually an Adelade supporter.

I'm a crazy man. So it's a pointing season this year majorly.

But we were talking about that West Coast game in particular, and obviously it would have been a tough game for you guys because you just shocked. Really, what were your thoughts on that game and how have you and the boys turned it around from that moment?

Only if you had a tough three weeks. You had the Carlton loss, the Port loss, then the West Coast loss, so that could derail the season pretty easily. What, yeah, what kept it together? How did you turn it around in the club?

I suppose going back to that, looking at the Port and the Carlton lost, there are probably two at the time, two of the best teams in the colm. Obviously would have had their struggles a bit of late, but they're still very very talented side and very good side and Carlton sort of speak for himselfs So you know, we challenged them right up until within one kick I suppose, and could have gone either way.

And yeah, West Coast game, we just got a lot wrong. And take no credit off there. I suppose that they have a very good team.

They had quite a lot of their players in from that flag they won, and you know, they have some very good experienced players around some really high talented young kids, so when they get it right, they're a very good team as well.

Definitely some exciting players too. Harley Reed's set the tournament on light.

Yeah. Yeah, he's been good so far this season for a first year as well, one of the most impressive and he's adapted really well, it seems to AFL.

Yeah. No, he's certainly a freak.

He tore us apart that night, and it's good to see a young kid like that going well. And I suppose it's quite a lot of pressure on him and it's good to see him performing and handling that.

Just on that.

So obviously you went to Geelong pick fifteen twenty eighteen. I just want to talk about your time over there and what pressure you felt being a top twenty pick, Like was there a bit of expectation or.

Was you along pretty good with how they treated you?

Yeah, well, there's not really any pressure. I suppose the biggest pressure is the pressure you put on yourself, true, and as a young fellow trying to work that out, I suppose there's the pressure of coming in you want to play straight away. You think that it just happened straight away, and it's probably the worst. One of the worst things that did happen to me is I come straight in. I didn't really have a pre season. I

Me because I'm.

I think once I got my head around that my family and my friends don't actually care that I play footy's I'm just Jordan I'm still my dad's son and my brother's brother and mum's son and that sort of thing, my sister's brother, and and that's all they see me as. And I made those little setbacks quite easy to handle.

That's awesome, that's sick.

Yeah.

We hear a lot of that, like separating footy from life, Like people make footy their whole life, and I guess that's not the way to go about it.

Yeah, yeah, I certainly have never been one to live and breathe it as such as particularly early in my AFL career, I've you know, I was pretty blase and didn't really value the preparation side of things and quite raw. Suppose not through ignorance or anything like that, it's.

Probably quite raw.

And played a lot of cricket, and you know that sort of culture of a cricketer is not lazy, but pretty laid back, and you can get away with a bit more of you can just yeah, I suppose back in your brought talent a bit more on the cricket over than you can on a footy over, because you know, you need to cover a lot more ground out on the oval, your body needs to be right or and that sort of thing, but and your weight and that

Me, definitely.

Yeah, I just want to touch on that cricket stuff in a bit more depth in a little bit, but let's go back to where you're born, growing up in alban and what your family dynamic is. And I know you've got a few brothers, so yeah, what's that being like and give us a little bit about your upbringing.

Yeah, so actually I was born in Mandra, Yeah, and I'm one of one of five, so I've got an older brother, two younger brothers and a younger sister.

Competitive household, I'm assuming growing up.

Yeah, we are competitive beasts in the household and it's very highly strung at times when the games come out.

But yeah, I sort of lived Inmandra right up.

Until I was thirteen, and footy had been a large part of my life. Dad worked at the Greyhounds when I was quite younger. So again, just sort of trying to pick winners against your brother and stuff like that at a very young age and always wanting to beat each other in running races and that sort of thing.

And yeah, it was in that period.

You know, I told Dad and AFL clubs, I'm just jumping a bit forty that I'd never play a game for free.

I'd never ever.

Wanted to go. Oh, so did you not go for them? Growing up?

I was a massive West Coast fan and yeah, so then did my time in Albany.

I did about two years there.

And what was the move down there due to just.

To change it up.

Dad Mum wanted to get out Amander or get out of Perth as such and go to a regional sort of town and Dad got a pretty nice job down there, and so we sort of moved down there for a

Did you enjoy your time in high school?

Do you have fun?

Was it fun being a footy prospect as well growing up?

Yeah, well it was funny.

Actually when I was in year ten at Albany Senior High School, I wasn't actually a footy Prospero's probably more of a creating prospect. And I missed I was in the State footage so that's a bit of a lie. I was in the state footage program that time too, but I missed like a significant amount of school. And obviously, for people that don't know, Album is about four hours away from Perth, and I to get to training at the Whacker some nights and I had to be there

To do that, but yeah, it was sort of sport for me.

But yeah, year eleven and twelve when I moved to Guildford on a scholarship with my mates in boarding that my mates now, but at the time I had no idea about anyone there, apart from my best mate, one of my best mates who I played a lot of cricket with. He was from Bustleton and we sort of connected through regional tours and that sort of thing, played in the state team and the Assie team together, and he said he's going to Guildford on an academic scholarship.

Didn't do a lot of school work.

But a lot of fun though.

Yeah, we always say the PSA schools look like a lot of fun, don't they. Even the way they treat sport is a sort of a next level to how our school did. It. Always kind of envious of that culture. We went to, like a low level private school. They focused more on like drama and arts our school. So this warding was a little bit on the on the back ped We.

Were playing year twelve footy and we played the same school twice.

That was our season. Yeah, that's all we got. It's not even like a regional school or anything. I expect that where they just didn't care to know.

Yeah, like the footy program was awful, if there even was one.

Yeah, liturgical dance was killer, wasn't it. Yeah, they love that.

Even though cricket we had a specialist cricket class. There was maybe like eight people in there. It was just so bad. I love my cricket and I played heaps growing up, but like at school, there was just no pathway. I guess on the weekends there's obviously district cricket and whatnot, but I didn't get very far.

I wouldn't have said Guildford really prioritize their sport as well. Amount of one hundred point beltings I played in at Guildford was yeah, it's probably more than ten.

So yeah.

But cricket, yeah, we actually were very good in our year twelve year we took that out and that was quite fun and it is quite competitive. There is a bit of an aura around PSA sport, yeah, I must say. But yeah, didn't say it's any different to cults for footy or district cricket.

Or anything like that.

It's just, yeah, I think the fact that you're a private school and they you know, it's sort of they just want to beat each other, the rivalries and.

Yeah, yeah probably makes it a little yeah.

Yeah, that's not putting any disrespect on the PSA schools or anything like that, but yeah, it is.

It is beat up a fair bit.

Okay.

I've seen that in YouTube on YouTube as well.

A lot of the Victorian PSA schools have all their videos filmed as they do here as well, but they've got highlight packages for every single player. It's shot like in four K really well, and it's like this real tribal feeling around sport. In like year eleven and twelve whereas ours was just more casualty that was around like liturgical dance. Yeah yeah, yeah, just crazy different.

I guess that's the way it goes.

And we always say.

Like if we could turn back time, like not that we have regrets because obviously we didn't pick where we wanted to go to school, but like we would like to have gone to like a Pso.

The culture, I think, yeah, yeah, I guess the Bondsi mate. This seems like good makeship happens as well, which is cool.

Because I've got a few mates from Guildford and they love their time.

So where the you above you at school?

So yeah, a couple of those boys you'd probably know, but yeah, they had a great time and I've heard a lot of stories and yeah they love their sport.

So when did it click for you that I could probably be an AFL player?

Yeah, sort of didn't click for me for a while. Probably cricket clicked for me first. And I loved my sport growing up. And I was never like super quick bowl or anything when I was young, And there is like a moment where I just decided bowl fast, Like it was like I remember the moment clear as day.

Just put me wherever he wanted to.

Is it a name we'd know, No, not really okay yet nobody.

Talented at the time.

Yeah, and sort of hitting me to all parts and not letting me know, but just you know, a bit cocky about I just got this like competitive.

Edge about me.

I hate getting beaten. It's like you know, and you just try harder and harder and harder, just thinking it's going to be faster. It was one of those moments. So I just went right, I'm going to run in as fast as I can and I'm just going to try and knock.

His head off. And then I let it rip, and I was like, I can actually felt pretty.

Quick if I try, so you'd never tried that.

I just sort of wandered in and just rolled it over.

And you know, I always wanted to be a wicked keeper in a batter, and I was not quite a batter and not quite a wicked keeper, And yeah, it's sort of happened. Quite quickly and then footy back to the footy one. It didn't really click for me.

I was you're always.

There thereabouts, like you know, but you're making the squads in Albany and Country and stuff, and it's not quite the same as you're in Perth. You don't really know the pull of talent up he is so much bigger and more depth and that sort of thing. And probably wasn't until I played State sixteens, but I was probably average, probably in the bottom six players I suppose.

And what position were you playing in State sixteen It's like.

A wing, yeah, wing, high, half forward, not really getting near it to be fair.

So no defense time as a junior.

No. My first defense game was at Clemont, my first Colts game. I told Dad they Clemont sort of said, oh, we want you to come and try and play in.

The Colts when you get a chance.

So I did that and got my first game and got told us playing at half back, and I remember getting in the car to Dad and got on the phone or too. Daddy might have picked me up and said, I don't even want to play. I'm playing in the

Who were some of their players in that.

Drunken, lacocious rosy Like okay, Frederick's like, yeah they were handed.

That's a pretty stacked team.

Yeah, And.

Yeah, got belted, played on the wing, didn't see it, and I actually thought my career is done. Yeah, like I thought I was spoken to an AFL club, So I thought, you know, I'm probably I really want to push.

My case it might be a rookie chance. Yeah this stage.

And then the next game we had an injury or something in the back line and I got moved back and I was like, this is good and the confidence in me just sort of come out because I've played here for the last two years.

This is ideal spot.

And then it all started.

Yeah, without being a standout gamer, and I think it was a solid game and didn't get a heap of the ball, but it was all right.

And then the next two games I just sort of came into.

My own where I was just like so confident and I'm not trying to put myself up here. It's just like that was probably the moment for me where I thought, oh, I can actually, you know, match it with some of these kids, because I did fear a lot of kids at that age where you know how they beat up Victorian players.

You're coming up against Sam.

Walsh, Yeah, yeah, yeah, so you've got Bailey Smith and there's kind of Rosie and you're just like, I've never heard of these kids and they're talking like Gary, yeah, yeah.

Very good players.

And so at the time I sort of feared that, like and then there was probably those moments when you start getting your hands on the ball and getting involved and just like maybe I am quite up to the level. I don't know, And yeah, it sort of took a couple of games, I suppose.

To really realize the moment.

It's actually funny asked that question. I was thinking about it on the way here to got a bit off track in the car. I was thinking about It's funny how you always have a moment, But like, what if you missed that moment?

Yeah, how quick it came out, how different you laugh at it? Yeah, like if you you said what it was an injury? Did I imagine if that never happened, you know what happens? Do you get rookie drafted? You don't you go to different clubs or you never know what could happen?

Right, Yeah, So it's actually funny because I was thinking literally about that in the car, like if that injury never happened.

Yeah, probably knows right time and place.

Yeah, what about the choice.

Was it like a conscious choice for you to go, I'm going to go, I've got more opportunity in the AFL path pathway or was it like you weren't getting selected for cricket teams or did the love die or what happened with cricket?

Yeah, cricket was sort of a weird one. I was always going to play footy. I always loved footy. Dad obviously pill Thunder grew up around footy, my brothers and that we always played footy. And I'm a terrible basketballer. And I played one year of basketball and it was the worst year of I.

Just hate basketball of your life? Do you reckon?

I didn't enjoy it. I don't find the fun in basketball. Thankfully, halfway through that season, my brother tackled me out the over at pill thunder broke arm. So I missed the last half of basketball, and I.

Was like, thank God, thankful, how good? And I am terrible. I'm not trying to say, oh I'm shocking.

Like, oh, yeah, I've never And then unfortunately, and so I just.

Was like I needed to play a summer sport, and I wanted to play cricket.

And I don't know why. As a little kid, I had an obsession with the helmets.

I just always wanted a helmet. While you're wearing a helmet, go to the Jim Kidd.

Or revel sport, and I just wanted the cricket.

Yeah, yeah, because I was more of like I wanted the bat, but he wanted to help helmet.

Yeah, And I don't know, there's something about it. And that got me into cricket. And yeah, I just sort of played it as a summer sport. I was always knowing that I was going to give footy crack if it sort of not fell my way, but if I could make it happen sort of thing.

And then with cricket, did that take you to a Junior World Cup?

No?

So I didn't quite play in the World Cup stuff. We just had a one off series Pakistani to buy and I played three one days and three twenty twenties.

There was a hat trick there.

Yeah, there was a.

Hat trick in the game there. Yeah, I got quite lucky that day. But other than that, there wasn't too much charave of home about that.

I remember what I remember when you got drafted, Like I did a bit of background research, as I do most a bit of a sicko when it comes to footage, and I saw that you're taking a hat trick in cricket, and I was like, what a pretty talented bloke here.

Yeah, I didn't get quite lucky that day.

Like I said, the Pakistani boys were next level. The funny story is that the same shar that sixteen year old he was playing against us back then in under sixteen.

So that was like for me, it's probably at.

The time he debuted in Test cricket as a sixteen year old and we're going hang on out.

So yeah, it was just weird. Like as I faced one ball, it was a fastball, I over faced.

One was that from him?

From him?

I never even at the time fastball overface and just like wow, that's quick and never thought much of it, you know, and sort of kept an eye out on those boys to see that, you know, if any of them would go on progression to make it, and he was the only one.

Oh really Yeah, So.

But yeah, I think good on him. He's yeah, he's obviously was a lot younger than we thought at the time.

Just a yeah. I guess some people just have the natural ability and the talent freak out and the hard work too.

So were there any boys that you played with that have gone on to play the even state cricket.

Yeah, no, there's quite a few, like Mackenzie Harvey, Liam Scott, Ollie Davies, played a bit with Toddy Murphy.

He actually missed out in that.

Team, really didn't make it, played cricket.

On further and all of us. And then there was like.

The kids below that we played a bit with McGirk, those types of players.

TV Sanger's going to make a lot of money, isn't he.

He's going to make a lot of money. He's a very good cricket of that kid. Definitely good on him too. The way he's sort of gone about it, I suppose stuck stuck fat with his his mindset and how he plays a game, and a lot of people probably frown upon that, but.

He go to one hundred real.

Quick when he gets going. It's pretty impressive. I just want to talk about your draft year again. So obviously you named a few of those essay boys that were really good. I was just having a look at like the top twenty five. There's some superstars in the draft, wasn't it?

Yeah?

It was?

Yeah.

I think it was crazy. We talked of it.

I don't know why it came up, but Sam Sturt and myself were taking a couple of picks apart. We're talking about our top ten the other day, and I was just saying, how is the top ten in our draft probably one of the best top tens ever probably going around?

Yeah, because most.

Of them are also playing regular footy, and you know a lot of there's some other top tens where there's obvious stars in one, but then you know some pick sixes or sevens might not be playing anymore, like a Dan Orange.

Yep. Yeah, so yeah, I think what did it go? It went Walsh Lacosis rankin or vice versa.

I'm not sure that way.

Walshchus Rankin, King, Rosie Ben King, Bailey Smith, Taron Thomas, Chase Shows, Nick Blakey and he got Butters at.

Twelve like that.

Whole Top fifteen is pretty much playing every week.

You always get like Bobby Hill was twenty four. He's come really good. I really love the stories like a Locky Neil who was picked quite late who's gone on to do great things. I love those stories too.

Yeah, he's been awesome. I love Luke Ryan's story to be fair.

Yeah, yeah, how good's happened.

He played VFL footage, he mumbled him a dog and he wanted a dog and then sort of turned himself into a really really good player.

And what a player is in a great season.

Speaking of great seasons, you yourself have definitely taken it to the next level this season. What do you think has contributed to your individual performances coming together as they have in the consistency as well.

Yeah, that was probably always been a big one. My consistency had sort of been a little bit of an issue, I suppose, and sometimes can muddle up the valuing the right things in my role in that. And you know, j L's and body at the club been really good and helped me base my game off a couple of key pillars in the contests and starting positions for me and then bring my strengths sort of comes into it.

I suppose, definitely.

And one thing that I wanted to ask was the mental side of the game is obviously something that you know, it's getting talked about a lot more now, I guess. Yeah, even in the nineties, like it wouldn't have been discussed that much about where people are out mentally.

Two thousands even, I've noticed a change in the way that AFL sort of treats, you know, maybe players who have some issues, issues like sort of the way Ben Cousins has treated versus House It's treated these days. It seems a bit more support in that aspect as well, and a mental health of players being more aware as well.

And one thing I wanted to ask was what is the a mental health person at the club that can help it.

Was it like a counselor or something like that.

No, the resources, You're right, there is like a wealth of resources at the club and in the AFL that you can use, and I think that it is such an important area at the moment, mental health stuff. But the mental side of the game is admittedly I probably still don't do enough of it seemingly, you know, when you look at some of the blokes who do get it right in the clubs for wrongs that five so and look what, it sort of holds them, Yeah, instead

We've got everything there. Yeah.

Yeah, it's sort of just it's not ever forced upon you though, it's on the individual.

Yeah, that's awesome.

Nice, just on that. I wanted to know and not to get deep. But what has been the lowest point in your career so far? Was there a moment where you were just thinking, like I want to throw it all the way or was there any thoughts like that that have crept in.

Yeah, there was.

There was a really hard time for me in my second year. I sort of straw everyun sort of it's hard because you know, you come in, you play a

It's quite tough.

It's quite strenuous, like you put yourself out there for the public to you know, beraate you at times. Absolutely some Blazer line up and just cop it, get abused and abused and abused. And I think people at that

You're not playing for people's multis.

If you can't afford to loser money, you don't put the multi on.

Yeah, yeah, and so yeah, that was probably the hardest bit for me, was trying to like block all that out and not really value their opinions because if opinions, don't really know and it sort of took me a long time to realize that, and so that was probably the hardest part. So then trade week was sort of coming around and my managers. It was before that I had to sit down with a plate of a manager

That's that competitive dog inside you.

And he just said, no, mate, there's there's one option here, and it's you're going to fore and you're going to give it a crack. And then that sort of was the moment I went, yeah, he's dead right giving up on this, there's no way and sort of yeah, came home and been around mum and dad and my family, my brother's, my sister and my closest mates sort of.

Just give me that you know, I don't know, like a bit of regrowth.

I suppose find a bit more enjoyment. Yeah, she really enjoyed going in and like wanting to do the hard stuff and you know, run laps in the forty degree.

Yeah it's hard.

But no, it was probably just that environment that I was around coming back home really made it easy for me, because I know a lot people want to label your silk for leaving and that sort of thing, but I look at, you know, the Geelong's list and how many players they've brought back to Geelong and yeah, it's fine. But as soon as I wanted to leave, I was called a silk Yeah, yeah, Mummy's boy and that sort

I wouldn't change it for.

The world that I you know, I've made a great decision for me personally, not just footy park footy aside, but for my happiness and outside of footy.

I've made the best decision possible.

So for sure it's worked out, hasn't it in the end, Not yet.

Ultimately, i'd love to getting, you know, a flag with.

The boys, but I love to hear that.

That's when I could say it's worked out. But yeah, at the moment, it's it's been a great three years.

Just on the messages you received and like in the media, Like I remember it was Mummy's boy, Like those things were said about you at the time when you were a bit younger.

Did that affect you.

Yeah, well yeah, it's funny everyone says, you know, I don't read that stuff like it doesn't matter.

It's hard not to hard not to read, you.

Know, when someone sends you a death threat or like I said, some of the answer and stuff, some people actually can stoop that low. And you know, I'm not trying to cry poor mey or anything, but there is a line that needs to be drawn because I think if I went out of my way to have a crack at someone.

Allowed to be plasted all over. Yeah, probably penal. It's always you know, you just blocked that out. You've got to block that out. And so there's a point of that where it's like, no, you got to draw the line a bit.

You can't just easy said than done.

Do you also pay attention to criticism from the AFL media, so past players and presenters. Does that creep into the to you or the club or anything, or do you guys block that out?

Usually No, I think some some boys it does. It's sort of now I've literally turned off everything. Yeah, unless I follow someone, they actually can't even send me a message request. Yeah, No one can actually comment on my staff. No one can get to me, because I just found that was the easiest way. You know, the people that the closest to me, the ones that actually matter. Yeah, and then apart from j L. Body and my teammates, everyone else's opinion of my game and how I play

Yeah, yeah, that must be annoying.

Smart, it's just part of it.

Like even we get that every day, and then just for things that have been said in the podcast or just like our opinion might be different to theirs.

And yeah, they take time out of their day to have a crack. It's interesting annoying.

When they hit you with the good one too.

Yeah.

Does it get intense from the particularly away crowds. I'm assuming on the sidelines they throw in a lot of.

Yeah they do, but it's a lot of the times it's like pretty harmless stuck.

Yeah, it's more in the spirit of the game.

And it's probably more than messages and stuff like that.

People a bit more brave.

Yeah, brave on the keyboard. Yeah yeah, yeah, that's definitely that that happens. Yeah, it's a thing and that sort of thing, and Multis is a big driver behind this.

And yeah, because you didn't get twenty five touches, they hope you die or something crazy.

Yeah, something like that. Or you cost me thirteen grand. You put five bucks on the bed, so buck Yeah, yeah, ridiculous stuff like that. And I don't mind a bit of harmless banter. Yeah, I'm actually quite a.

You know, I like to have a bit of fun and bit of banter.

But you know, when it gets personal and stuff like that, that's when it's stuck coming.

It's a bit of a line.

Here, Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.

How about some of the best sledges that you've received on the field and even in cricket as well, Like there's some that have stuck and something you can talk about if you don't want it, you don't have to. But and who are the best in the AFL at talking?

Lathan Vandermre is pretty relentless but we had some good back and forth, no real like sledges or anything like that. But fIF he actually had a good one the other day.

I heard.

Said something about obviously name because you know, someone come in and he just goesy such and such, come and get your dog, and that was like, that was a pretty good one. I didn't swear, didn't like get personal. It was just pretty funny and and that sort of thing. And Alex Pierce caught a funny one in gathering some bloke from Blues to your squad out you look like two backers are.

Did you hear that one?

Yeah?

I didn't quite hear it, but I remember him telling the boys and I was just like, that's like it's pretty funny. But even he laughed like yeah, yeah, it's actually not bad.

You know.

Yeah, like I haven't really copped any sort of well I'll probably have, but you wouldn't. I'm always too busy talking myself. Yeah, but no, it's all funny games sort

I suppose.

So just on you growing up supporting the West Coast Eagules and you said that you'd never play for Freo. How was it when you first went to Freo? Were you like excited about the opportunity or were you a bit like.

Fuck, I wish it was West Coast?

No. Well, it's actually funny because like with the trade and that you sort of have contact with Freo and right up at the draft Frew wanted to pick me in the draft, but Geelong sort I hadn't heard from Gelong and Geelong jumped in and grabbed me pretty much straight or two picks before Freer.

So did you have no contact with them?

Not until draft day? It was like six months before the draft.

And were you nervous to move over and that whole aspect of it or was it just pure excitement?

And then you know you look at their list back then.

Because I was going to ask about that walking into the change room, right they had ablet crazy?

What was that like, yeah, it was awesome. Yeah, so Tommy Hawks, Yeah, because everyone Tommy Stewart like, that's a crazy locker room to walk into.

It.

Very thankful for my time.

They're an opportunity obviously, and getting to witness those players definitely makes you a better player yourself because you get to learn from certainly the best and that sort of thing.

But yeah, it was pretty cool.

And then come back to Frio, Yeah, I sort of had contact with him for a couple of years, and funny enough, it was a massive Eagles fan growing up, but never had any contact from West Coast that period. So my decision was pretty easy, Like it was whoever wants they.

Want me sounds good. Yeah, when you start playing AFS, obviously you go for West Coast your whole life. You get drafted at Geelong, So do you still like have a soft spot for them in that initial few years or not at all? Does it completely switch off because you're playing for Geelong now or how does that work? And now that you play for Freo, Like, do you still have a soft spot for Geelong since you played there or how does that work? Yeah?

Yeah, I sort of not. I didn't have a soft spot for West Coast. Ye see, but I sort of coming back to Freo, yeah and watching the boys. I love beating Geelong Yeah yeah, yeah, no Touchwood. We've beat them every time we've played them since I've been home. Yeah, they've obviously won a flag so they're in front. Yeah, but I definitely have a soft spot for all the teammates I've played.

But yeah, and I guess the relationships you've been because they still did a lot for you as a club in a way.

No, exactly to see them going well and that's nice.

Yeah, it's good to you know, watch them play well and those boys, you know, dominating some of them, so it's good to see.

But it's just on your time at Geelong. Who are your best mates from Geelong and who do you still keep in touch with? And then who are your best mates at Frio as well?

Yeah, so at Geelong obviously it's a little bit different at Geelong because I didn't there's no one out of school, you know, you're just friends with your teammates and that. And I came in with quite a big draft crop, as ten of us drafted, so like very good friends with obviously, like the younger boys, like a Charlie cuntsball year, older Blake Schlends, those sorts of guys who run around the waffle now and Coop Stevens, Frankie Evans who's at port at Hawthorne.

And then the older.

Boys meets you, Duncan, Tommy Stewart, Brad Close, Joel Sellid is probably one of my closest mates.

We catch up regularly.

It's a good contact to He's.

Been awesome for me, sort of always looked out for me in a way nice and always there's been there not to just put me up give you some hard truths as well, which is you know, it's why he was such a great leader. Yeah, because he knows how to get the best out of everyone around him. So yeah, he's been a great resource for me.

But Tom Stewart what another great footy story, Like we were talking about earlier with a few of the boys.

How good is that.

He's awesome Stewie And he's an ultimate pro and yeah he's an absolute gun.

Yeah.

And the best mates at Freo.

Ah yeah, and that free Obviously it's a different sort of dynamic because like I said, I got a lot of friends. Oh, my best mates are outside of the club and that sort of thing. And sort of the biggest thing I found when I came home was when foot he's done at the club, of disconnect from footy and try not to, you know, make my whole life around footy because you spent a lot of time at the club with these boys, you know, And do.

You watch a lot of footy?

Sorry?

Do you watch a lot of foot in your spare time or not? Really?

I have done more so this year, okay, And I don't know why, but it's sort of a thing now that I'm just doing because I'm picking up on I like to just pick up on the trends of the game, just watch for little things that you know, just you can sort of pick up.

And see, as you were saying, watching a bit more footy now in your spare time.

Yeah, yeah, just pick up on a few little trends of the game and just yeah, just get a real feel for I suppose like just lock myself in a little bit. And yeah, it's sort of a part of my preparation now. A big thing at our club and j L has sort of en grained in us, is you know, getting down the funnel. We suppose is like close to the game, really narrowing in your focus and nailing your preparation.

Closest I guess people at the club for you.

Yeah, yeah, closest people at the club for me is obviously like get along with all the boys, and like I was saying, the dynamics pretty different. But yeah, in terms of, you know, the amount of youth at our club, everyone sort of gets on and but yeah, I'm very close with Obviously the boys in the back line, we're

All right, jump back in.

Sorry, guys, we've had a few problems technical difficulties with the cameras, but we'll keep pushing on and if we can't get the full video out, we'll just have to use the audio.

For this one.

But yeah, I just wanted to ask you who are some of the toughest players you have to play on and who are some of the nastiest players.

Yeah, some of the toughest players I've had to play ons when you I suppose James Jordan got measure earlier in the year and only played on him last weekend and and that sort of thing.

He's a very good tiger.

And then you know, when Brandon Walker was out at the back end last year, I think I had five weeks Charlie Cameron, Tom Papley, Willie Rioli, Tyson Stengel, and Dylan Moore. So I had the dangerous forward matchup yep, And yeah, I didn't sleep too well before games. So those sorts of roles that you have to do on those types of players are very scary.

A few of those players are so unpredictable as well with what they do. So like with matchups that you prepare for during the week, are you looking at vision of what they do right or what they do wrong?

Yeah, so we obviously look at their strengths because at the end of the day, we are the defender and they are the forward, and you know, you've got to stop them from kicking goals and that sort of thing. But it's also a lot about you know, how can I make them go the other way and make them defend? How can I drag them out of you know, where

So there's a lot of little things like that that goes into it.

But all the time it's you know, they have very good players, and I'm just focused on trying to beat them and not getting six kicked on me.

So yeah, it's a good challenge.

Most what are some of your favorite stadiums to play out?

Optus is really good. I love Optus just on Optus X shocking.

Yeah, yeah, because the stadium is unreal.

It really is, because watching and like I've noticed it, it's been all year, right, like all seasons been pretty poor.

Right. You know how they talk about wearing metal studs or whatever.

You're not allowed to wear metal studs. Okay, so you get fined.

I think the club gets fined, like forty grand to get caught wearing metal studs.

Yeah, so there's not actually a whole lot you can do.

But yeah, the deck is not its greatest for whatever reason, I'm not sure, but you know, it's probably a tough surface to probably get right when it has the amount of traffic it has on it. I think I think you've got to take your hats off to the blokes who are the curators. I suppose that they're trying their best and that's all you can ask of them. I suppose you know, they can't really stop a Taylor Swift.

Concert with undred yeah.

Yeah, so I think, you know, you just got to just be grateful that it's got a bit of grass on it, and it's got goalposts at each end and we get to play a game of foot in front of forty at it. Yeah, I think that I'm not going to be too fussy about it, to be fair. But yeah, back on the favorite stadiums, when I definitely played at Gelong, gm HbA is like a fortress, just couldn't beaten there. Yeah, so playing four Geelong at gm HbA.

Was pretty special.

Yeah.

And then obviously the g just like a childhood dream, just want to play on the G.

Is there a bit of an aura around the G like or is it just any like any other ground is it?

No, there is a bit of an aura, just a home of footy and that sort of thing, and how big it is, and yeah, there's just there's always going to be something about the MC.

Yeah, your boys have had a pretty good record there of late though.

Yeah, I think we have.

Yeah, we don't get a lot of opportunity to play there, but no, we do defend and play that ground pretty well.

Well. Touchwood in September might be there.

Yes, touch Wood.

Obviously. You get to match up against some of the best players in the league every week. Who do you think, within you know, saying five years time, who do you think will be sort of the dominant players in the comp top five? Or maybe you can name some from each position, or who do you maybe someone who's going to you really think will break out as well?

Yeah, I'll definitely Yeah, also a couple from each position. Yeah, that's fine.

I'll start with a four big Sam Darcy, Yep, no doubt. Josh Tracy, Yeah, he's already having a great he is having a good year.

He counts.

Yeah, twenty one though, that's so young.

Still midfield is obvious. Nick Dacos, Yeah, yeah, yeah, an absolute chewing Chaddy Warner's are shoeing.

Yeah yeah, unreal season, but yeah, like Tom Green, yeah.

GWS, I think he'll be really good. And then in the back line, I think someone like an illegally from g WS. Yeah, leaves some bounds when he's played. And then I've really liked the way mac Andrew's sort of played.

Yeah, he has been good, hasn't he as well? This season? Especially?

So I think you know that that will be some interesting, interesting sort of players to look forward to the future. Yeah, very athletic, those boys in the back line, so they read the ball really well.

Yeah, and also with Frio. So the difference between last year and this year, what are you guys doing different or doing better? That is, you know, putting you in the top four right now and most likely going to be I would assume a home finals for sure. So what's the what's been the big difference you think this season at the club.

Yeah, yeah, there's been.

Obviously three years ago we played very good season, played too and then.

You what fifty and now you're back up there.

And probably the expectation last year we were we still are a very young group and the expectation we didn't manage well at all. Okay, and we touched on them before but with my game, but the inconsistency between our whole probably was a bit off. I think Caleb was probably the only one that could probably hold his head up eye last year and that sort of thing, and so there this year is just sort of going back to the world with what makes us a good team?

Yeah you see hiun sixteen k goal or like you know, he.

Runs such a selfless patterns at times which you often don't get the ball. But like within our group, like that is those things are highly rated. Yeah, So that's that kind of touches on what you said, how the outside criticism from media and stuff could be.

He's had a horrific game. But then you know you're in the club and everyone's going, what a great cell team game you play?

Yeah, So like, yeah, it's just little things like role based you know, and yeah, you know you don't have to go outside of your role to have an impact on the game.

And yeah, and that's all that we sort of ask of each other, is it.

You know, when you get an opportunity over a ball or get a player on the ball, you make you play back yourself in and accept that sometimes you're going to make mistakes. It's about who can move on from the quickest. So you know there's namely a good player in the competition hasn't made it she load of mistakes in the game before.

So yeah, I think we're a group on the rise.

But it's yeah, it's just that maturity, I suppose, and consistency and buying of playing our role and understanding what makes us a good team.

That's instead.

One thing I've noticed I think is a big important thing, which you guys did last week, is winning close games. I feel like obviously Collingwood were really good at it for well, they've been good at this year, but obviously the year before they won the flag. Any year they won the flag, they were the masters of it. Really, how important is it for the I guess morale to win those close games that are within a goal?

Yeah, yeah, it's certainly really important. And I think that sometimes it's you just got to be fortunate to be in a good position to be in those sorts of games, so you can practice them when you look at training and you're practice at training, like, it's such a fortunate position to be in to train that, like it's better than going back to the well and going out boys. Our team defense is shocked and we just have to

What can I do differently? How do I keep a cool head?

How do I you know, not sort of squeeze the fish a bit and remain relaxed in those situations and no, trust the process that we have.

I think that's why me as a Freo supporter, I was so proud of you guys for the way you got that job done against Sydney. And it was a bit fortunate with missing that goal, but just after the two heartbreaking losses earlier, just to come back like it showed a bit of fight and resilience even in that Collingwood game too, to get the draw, like it seemed like you're going to get nothing from it at one stage.

So yeah, no, exactly right, And I think that's sort of, you know, the sign of our group and you know, we never say die. Sort of we have let ourselves down in a couple of games this year, and but you know what comes with that is good learning opportunities. So yeah, to be able to you know, learn from those and been able to put it into practice. Like you said, the Syney game was very fortunate, but the way you know, the boys sort of held on a bit undermanned in defense.

Yeah, and if you put yourself in the position to win and it gets there at the end and you deserve it. Yeah, right, that's as you were saying, it's good to be in those spots. Speaking of the draw, every time there's a draw, you know, there's always a debate should there be extra time in normal season? Do you like the draw in normal because I actually think there's value in the draw, particularly it gives you a bit of an edge for like a top four or a top eight you need to Well, Sydney made the

Yeah, No, I'm big on leave the drawer in the game. Yeah, because I agree the AFL is probably one of the only sports in the world that changes its rules every year. Yeah. Well, particularly, and that's not having or anything, but like there's got to be some sort of tradition. I feel out in the game and I love the drawer. Like I'm on the same side as you. Yeah, it can make or break season, I think, Yeah, there is some bad I

You know.

And but yeah, I'm sort of of the leave leave the game alone.

Obviously, I get I've got to protect the head and all that.

Yeah, which that's fine that stuff, but let's let's just leave the rules the same for a bit because I think it is creating a little bit of confusion at the moment.

We did have a few other questions about some of the rules of the game, just what your opinion or interpreting. So firstly, obviously they change the interpretation of holding the ball, like do you like the new interpretation? Do you think there's still some tweaking? And then yeah, again talking about protecting the head or the sling tackles, do you think

I think these days, as a player, you're just going to have to weigh up. It's not risk management. In a split second.

I think you're asking a lot of players who are so competitive trying to win a game.

And everything looks easier and slow does.

It always gets played in slow motion? Looks really easy?

But yeah, for example, the other day, when I think it was the debate from the essenon Geelong game and Ridley got done holding the ball, yes, and you know he just got the ball, but one arm was pin he's doing circles and I think someone said, what if he throws a boot at that missus lens and hits his head stangle gets two weeks. He's slung him to the and he's trying to dispose of it because he

And there's an imbalance and then that's where your head goes.

Brings the head injuries into it, because yeah, and some players have probably played for those free kicks issues trying to drive their head into the yeah sort of thing.

Yes, yeah, we haven't seen it with a few.

It's also what the AFL is trying to get away from as well. So yeah, Yeah, there's so many blood lines at the moment, and like you said, it's probably the hardest sport in the world to umpire.

So look, there is definitely a chop out for the umpires there and in that space. But yeah, I think it's my interpretation of holding the ball should be if you've had a chance to get rid of the ball and you haven't and hold the ball, yeah, or if you haven't hand bought it or kicked it, hold the ball.

Even if the ball gets knocked out in the tackle, you reckon that's.

Knocked out in the tackle depends like if you Yeah. The ones I don't like seeing is holding the man once where the blow just got the ball, tries to take you on knock the ball out.

How frustrating is that, Oh he dropped the ball, man, and then you get done it because they're paying the free like aff they're paying the second free in a way in that sequence that I find that so frustrating as well. It happens so often.

Yeah, and like, yeah, it's funny, like there's a little saying that we poke around the club at the moments, like ball securities, job security.

I think it's an NFL sort of saying, OK.

But it's like that's the thing like ball security, that you don't ever want to just have the ball knocked out in the tackle and yeah, spill it to the opposition. So I think that it's yeah, if you're tackled and the ball comes out and the tackle goes on, I think it should just be playing on.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's fair enough what I've noticed in the AFL. And like I could be wrong, but obviously in the Carlton game, you got done for descent, right, they haven't been paying many of those in the last couple of months.

Seems like they've relaxed on it from what I can can see.

Yeah, or I have the players gone more tightly.

I still think even like obviously we don't know what players say on field, but I think earlier on in the year, any sort of it seemed like any reaction was getting a free kick paid. It seems like it's softened a little bit now compared to earlier in the year.

Yeah, well, yeah, that was just Yeah.

I've sort of spoken on this a couple of times, but my point of view in that game was like, if someone puts themselves in my shoes for just ten seconds, yeah, I literally I didn't know the ball was touched. I'm thinking that, you know, I've just lost my team of the game. Yes, kicked over my head for a goal.

There's no doubt about it. And yeah, it's.

Obviously something I had to work on, and but yeah, in that moment, Yeah, it was obviously the umpire carded, and I think the frustrating thing was obviously the fallout from that, and yeah, but yeah, sort of moved on and sort of look back on it now, and yeah, it's sort.

Of not something I like to talk about publicly because it's.

Like, you know, it's there's no real sorry.

No, no, no, there's no like wrong or right or wrong, and there's nothing you can really say.

It's what's done is done.

Yeah, for sure, It's probably just when you're in that situation next time, I've just got you know, cop that I've lost my team in the game.

And not say anything.

So but yeah, which is hard to do when we're playing such a competitive sport for such an ultimate sort of yeah, yeah.

Just on the ultimate prize, Like I can tell just from this interview here, like you're so driven to win that flag and like you said, your move from Geelong back home, you won't be fulfilled until you have that feeling.

Just a quick little story. I remember I was out.

I was in free actually a few years ago, and I bumped into that five and I had a little chat with him. It was really good with his time. We're in a car park kicking a footy for ten minutes. Couldn't hit me on the chest, but that's right. But no, he had a chat with me and he looked me in the eyes and he said, like all he wants is to win a flag for the club and as a supporter since birth, like dad supported Frio.

So I obviously had the beanie on when I came out of the wom and all that.

So like it's just great to hear, and like I guess, it's so good that our team's so young and in a position to potentially fight for that potentially even this year.

So yeah, no, just hats off to you boys and keep it up.

Yeah. No, it's certainly exciting.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's It gives you goosebumps when you talk about it. But it's a long way to go, definitely, and it's sort of one of those things that you know where we're probably you know, like Jay also said, we were seven out of ten last night.

We still got to build on quite a bit of stuff.

But you know, our footage is good enough and we can string our footage again. Other than yeah, there should be no no ceiling on us. I suppose a few words on j L.

No, I love him. I love j L.

And he's been really good for me, really good for my development and that sort of thing. And yeah, he's quite a quirky coach. He's quite funny, quite.

Witty and very smart. So no, I really loved my time under j L.

And you know, at the start of the years, kind of laughable when everyone was trying to give him the boot because I don't think there was a player at the club that wanted him to go. So we'll have him sign on for a couple more years, because yeah, we love him.

That video of you guys reacting to him announcing that he had an extension. That was awesome because all you boys got around him like almost as though he was a player.

So that was cool. Now we're going to stop with the footy stuff.

We'll wrap up the show in a bit, but we want to know some of your favorite TV shows, favorite movie.

What do you do outside of footy things like that, hobbies and that.

Yeah, so yeah, I obviously I live with my girlfriend and I played a faver Fortnite, but she's stamp at the foot now.

A little bit, which is fair enough. So my Fortnoe career is done.

Were you decent?

Oh, I like to think I yeah, but just sort of loved it because it was with my mates and my little brother and that sort of thing, and it's a great time, you know, to burn a couple of hours. And but no, it must be a time I got. I got a Border Collie and she has a little sausage dog, so them down to the park and all that sort of thing. But no, she's obviously Page, her name is from out of town. She's got a farm,

Beer and bad favorite pubs.

Well, I live in sort of Kensington, Como, so I'll go to Camo a lot. The Big Park Strip is nice.

Brodny Hill.

Just got to be careful every through the Eagles boys around there can't tread on their toes. But no, I love to just sort of, you know, try and treat my footage is like it's a game I play on the weekend as I did when I was a youngster and nice.

So yeah, I'll try and.

Live, you know, my life within the rules of you know, being an AFL player and what our club expects of us from game to game.

Think covered it.

I'm pretty happy. So we'll wrap up it.

Actually, we'll wrap up with the question we asked every guest we've ever had on the show, how would you like to be remembered?

How would I like to be remembered? That's a great question. No, I always just want to be remembered as a guy. I never took life too serious, always had great fun, but just had a crack at everything.

Just how to crack. I like that having a crack. That's awesome.

Thanks Jordan Clark, it has been a great pleasure to have you one. We appreciate it very much.

Episode I loved it.

Good luck for the rest of the season, mate, Thanks.

That's a privilege, so yeah, sick enjoy your whole for the.

Rest of the season. No, thank you, We appreciate it.

Thank you for listening to The Gemo and Dylan Show. Make sure to subscribe to the Boys on YouTube and share the podcast with a mate.