Brainy Daniel to add some brawn
17 December 2004 Herald Sun
Rebecca Williams
DANIEL Jackson is just waiting for a new nickname to stick.
The 18-year-old's stunning VCE score of 96.65 this week has the witty folk at Punt Rd searching for a new moniker for the first-year Tiger.
"I think I'm going to get another nickname soon, I'm waiting for that," Jackson said yesterday.
"I've got 'Genius' happening there, but I'm trying to avoid that. I'm not too happy with that one."
But Jackson admitted he was as surprised as anyone to learn of his academic success, via a pay phone while in Queensland for a school athletics carnival.
"I really didn't expect to get that high, I was a bit stunned actually," he said.
The Carey Grammar pupil excelled in his four subjects this year -- he had completed French in Year 11 -- while balancing football commitments in his debut season.
Jackson said it had been hard at times to balance the books and the ball. His quest to make sure neither suffered, often had him squeezing in solo training sessions at odd hours through the season.
"I'd come into the club in my school uniform and everyone always had a big laugh when I rocked up for the meeting," Jackson said.
"After school when there was no one else around I was training by myself, but it all worked out well in the end."
But school always came first, with his place in Carey's football team taking precedence late in the season.
Jackson, who made his senior debut in July, opted to play for Carey instead of the Tigers for the final match of his school football season.
"That was a fairly easy decision because I played with my mates for so long and they're the ones that started me on football and got me to where I was," said Jackson, who only began playing Australian rules at 14.
"Danny Frawley suggested it was a good idea and some of the other senior players said it would be a good idea to finish off with your mates so I never looked back on that."
Jackson plans to study commerce at Melbourne University, but not before he gives his grey matter a break.
"In 2006, I'll go back (to study) part-time, but next year I'll definitely defer and just play football," he said.
"I need a rest because it's been a busy couple of years."
With six senior games in his first year, Jackson is hoping for many more in 2005.
"Last year I would have only done close to 50 per cent of what the other guys did," he said. "So this year, I'd really look forward to putting in that whole pre-season and training throughout the year and seeing what I can do."
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,11714763%255E19771,00.html
