Tiger cub scores top marks
17 April 2005
Sunday Herald Sun
Jackie Epstein
DANIEL Jackson is the thinking man's midfielder.
A star graduate from Carey Grammar who has just started a commerce degree, Jackson has the brains and the braun to fill a key role in the Tigers' engine room.
This year he has played all three games, following on from playing six of the final seven games last season.
"I spent the summer training to be a defender, but towards the end we decided I may as well go into the midfield," Jackson said.
"My fitness and my attack on the footy . . . you put those two together and they had to give me a trial run."
Like St Kilda's Luke Ball did in 2002, Jackson successfully combined Year 12 and football. He emerged with a score of 96.65 which briefly earned "Jacko" the nickname "Genius".
So far he has played on Cameron Ling, Sam Mitchell and Mitch Hahn and is sure to line up on another big name against Fremantle today.
"After experiencing the last few weeks, it's a tough role but it's exciting," he said.
"You've got to work hard. You get a lot of reward from being a midfielder. Most Brownlow medallists play in the midfield, so it seems like the place to be."
Jackson, who stands 188cm and weighs 90kg, was pick 53 in the 2003 national draft.
A junior soccer player and rower, he did not play competitive footy until he was 14.
Coach Terry Wallace said Jackson, who turns 19 next week, was making pleasing progress.
"We started with Daniel Jackson and another youngster Shane Tuck in the midfield and (Jackson) was prepared to do the hard yards when the game was there to be won (last week)," Wallace said.
Jackson had planned to concentrate fully on footy this year, but was bored over summer and decided to take up one university subject.
Teammate Ray Hall has also organised some Spanish lessons for a few Tiger players each Monday. "We get a tutor in and do an hour's worth of Spanish just for something extra," Jackson said.
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