Author Topic: Jack Higgins [merged]  (Read 39719 times)

Offline one-eyed

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Re: Pick 17: Jack Higgins
« Reply #30 on: November 27, 2017, 07:34:22 PM »
Jack’s jumping out of his new Tiger skin

richmondfc.com.au
27 November 2017


Joining the Tigers: 'ecstatic and unreal' Jack Higgins is over the moon to be drafted by Richmond.

Richmond’s first pick in the 2017 AFL national draft, Jack Higgins, caught up with AFL.com.au reporter Nat Edwards to discuss his draft-night delight at becoming a Tiger.

What was the emotion in your head when your name was called out?

“I was ecstatic. Richmond . . . oh, unreal. Couldn’t have had it any other way.”

Did you exceed your own expectations this year?

“A bit. I just go into each game to try and play well . . . I got a few rewards this year . . . I just try and win for the team, but they came along. I thought I had a pretty consistent season . . . It was good to win that (the Morrish Medal).”

Richmond’s list has a lot of small forwards. Do you think you’re going to be able to muscle your way into that line-up?

“Hopefully, but we better see when I get there. I can’t really say now . . . Hopefully when I get there I can learn off them.

Do you think you’re ready to play senior footy right now?


“Well, hopefully. I haven’t really played senior footy before, so hopefully I’m ready to go, but we’ve got to see what the coach says, and how my teammates play with me . . .

For Tiger fans, who don’t know you and haven’t seen you play, what are your attributes?

“I think I’ve got pretty good footy IQ. Sort of play a bit like a Toby Greene. Can take a pretty good mark for a small forward and got good footy IQ, so know where to get to the right spots, time my leads and stuff like that.

Would you like to eventually push into the midfield, or are you happy playing up forward?

“Wherever the coach wants me, but, yeah, I’d like to play in the midfield, when I get a bit older or a bit more developed.”

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2017-11-27/jacks-jumping-out-of-his-new-tiger-skin

Offline mightytiges

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Re: Pick 17: Jack Higgins
« Reply #31 on: November 28, 2017, 04:40:25 PM »
I saw this on social media.




All you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be - Pink Floyd

Offline one-eyed

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Re: Pick 17: Jack Higgins
« Reply #32 on: December 01, 2017, 02:48:17 AM »
Pre-draft article about Higgins from six months ago.

'I'm going to outwork them': Draft hopeful's creed

afl.com.au
1 June 2017


JACK Higgins was 10 when he put a proposal to his dad, Greg. "If I can learn to kick on my left foot, can you get me a PlayStation 3?" he asked. Greg agreed to the deal, but under a couple of provisos: Jack had to be able to guide the ball down with one hand and he had to be a good kick, not just an average one.

Greg then watched as his son spent two or three hours every night after school at the park, kicking on his non-preferred left foot. Within a month, the then grade four student had his new gaming console and in the process had become a dual-sided player. "He's always been incredibly self-motivated," said Greg.

Top draft contender set to prove his versatility

There can't be a more dedicated player in this year's AFL draft pool than Higgins, who identified a path towards the top years ago and has followed it meticulously. None of it has been by fluke.

Higgins has always been on the smaller side, so he long ago devised a plan to get ahead. "My saying has always been that they can be better than me, they can be taller, but I'm just going to outwork them no matter what. I've stuck by that," he told AFL.com.au ahead of the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, which start next week.

It started as an under-13, when Higgins played for East Malvern in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs. A member of the coaching panel there was leading AFL player agent Paul Connors, who sensed there was an inner determination in Higgins to improve. Connors suggested Higgins do some work with renowned sprint coach Bohdan Babijczuk, who Higgins has seen twice a week for the past few pre-seasons and who has helped him become sharper in movement.

In his early teens, Higgins started to ramp up his gym work, so signed up with Woodford Sports Science Consulting, where he has struck a great bond with personal trainer Christian Woodford.

The pieces to Higgins' game were quickly being put in place. Then he started with the Oakleigh Chargers' under-16s program, where he met coach Anthony Phillips. Phillips is the father of emerging Collingwood midfielder Tom and St Kilda's Ed, who was drafted last year. He has also become a father figure to Higgins.

In recent summers, Jack has often headed down to Rye for running and touch sessions with the Phillips clan, and every week during the season he catches up with Phillips – he calls him 'Ant Man' – to go over clipped vision of his games to seek feedback.

Phillips, who is also the head coach of Caulfield Grammar's first XVIII school side, has helped round off Higgins' game from being a highly attacking small forward/midfielder to someone who loves to hold the ball in and do the little things. Recently Phillips was chuffed to see Higgins had registered 15 tackles in a game for Oakleigh at TAC Cup level.

"I took him on as a bit of another son, really, because we just click really well. He's a very good listener and he learns," said Phillips. "He hooked onto seeing what Ed and Tom were doing and really saw them as role models. He's turned into a machine. He's the most readymade kid I've seen."

Catching up with Phillips is only part of Higgins' weekly assortment of extra activities to hone his game. The 18-year-old does four weight sessions and two core sessions a week, he sees Babijczuk once, goes to pilates once and also does a recovery session.

In between that are plenty of hours doing 'touch', often in the corridors of his Caulfield home, where there's rebound nets set up and football equipment at the ready. That's all on top of his scheduled training days with the Chargers or Vic Metro squads.

"I don't get sick of footy. I've always done it, I've always wanted to do it so I can't get enough," Higgins said.

Higgins has no qualms admitting footy is everything to him. When he has been on camp with the NAB AFL Academy, he has become known for waking at 5:30am and bouncing a footy against the wall in his room and kicking it to himself to get ready for the day. Often waking up his roommate in the process, he'd then leave the hotel and wander to the closest oval for some shots at goal before breakfast.

If he doesn't get drafted he'd like to be an AFL umpire (he's currently doing two days a week of work experience with the AFL's umpiring department), and even if he does get picked up for a club it's something he will keep in mind after his career. "I reckon I'd be fit enough," he said.

When he was studying at Caulfield Grammar one of the only projects he enjoyed was an IT assignment where he made the topic about football statistics. One time he also ducked out of class, printed off 10 pictures of former West Coast and Carlton champion (and Caulfield graduate) Chris Judd, and stuck them up around the school. "I was a bit bored so I thought I'd put them up and post them in some quirky spots. I didn't get caught," he says.

Higgins decided school wasn't for him at the end of last year, leaving Caulfield. He has been interviewed by all clubs and all have asked about that decision, and he knows plenty of them believe he's done it just to focus on being drafted. He said that's not the case.

"I'm not doing it at all just to focus on my footy. I was doing terribly at school and I wanted to do something out in the work force. Footy wasn't in the picture when I was making that decision," he said.

"I get asked a lot about it but it doesn't frustrate me. I don't really care. If I get drafted at pick 88 or whatever I'll still be happy. For me, getting drafted is like wanting to get 99.95 on my ATAR. That's how hard I'm working trying to get there."

Higgins couldn't have done much more. The 178cm prospect was named the best player at the under-16 national carnival in 2015, he played well for Vic Metro last year as a bottom-ager, and has averaged 25.7 disposals and kicked 10 goals this season in seven games at TAC Cup level.

He sees himself more as a small forward who can play in the midfield than the other way around, but it's rare he doesn't impact a game. His numbers are going to be hard to ignore at draft time as one of the best players in it.

"It's pretty exciting that one day soon my name might be called out in the draft and then I'll need to start from zero again," he said. "I think some people will get a shock going into the AFL system and how hard you have to work, but I don't think that's going to be me."

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-06-01/im-just-going-to-outwork-them-draft-hopefuls-creed

Offline one-eyed

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Re: Pick 17: Jack Higgins
« Reply #33 on: December 08, 2017, 01:23:40 PM »
A still can't smiling Higgins at training ...


https://twitter.com/CameronEGrimes/status/938693790361051136

Offline one-eyed

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Jack Higgins aiming to learn off Martin & Cotchin over summer (H-Sun)
« Reply #34 on: January 02, 2018, 02:04:05 PM »
Richmond draftee Jack Higgins aiming to learn off Dustin Martin & Trent Cotchin over summer

Chris Cavanagh,
Herald Sun
January 2, 2018


RICHMOND draftee Jack Higgins believes he is ready to impact at AFL level next year but says his focus for now is learning as much off the club’s senior players as possible.

The Tigers’ first selection in this year’s national draft at pick 17, Higgins said it had been “unreal” to join the reining premiers and live out a boyhood dream.

“I’ve always thought there’s no other way. It was AFL footy or bust,” Higgins told the Herald Sun.

“Just getting to know all the players, you see them on TV and stuff and now you’re teammates with them so I’m over the moon.

“I’ll probably just learn off all the great players at the club — Cotch (captain Trent Cotchin), Dusty (Dustin Martin) — just watch them train and learn off them over pre-season.”

Recruited from TAC Cup club Oakleigh Chargers, Higgins had primarily been a small forward during his junior playing days but pushed into the midfield last year with great effect.

The 18-year-old finished the TAC Cup season having averaged 23 disposals and 2.3 goals to win the competition’s Morrish Medal, following in the footsteps of Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver and Brisbane’s Hugh McCluggage who were the previous two winners of the award.

The 178cm Higgins — who idolised Hawthorn champion Sam Mitchell growing up — said he saw himself playing a combination of midfield and forward at AFL level and was determined to push his case for an early debut in 2018.

“Definitely, I feel my body’s ready. But then again it’s a bit of a different story playing against men to 18 year olds,” Higgins said.

“I’ve always been pretty fit but I’m working on my agility and speed and all that for stoppages.

“It’s a long way to Round 1. Hopefully if I play some games in the pre-season I can get in good form but you never know.”

Higgins will wear No. 28 on his back next year, the number left vacant after Taylor Hunt’s delisting in October.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/richmond-draftee-jack-higgins-aiming-to-learn-off-dustin-martin-trent-cotchin-over-summer/news-story/2128d978bca70f81c5d61cb6dc4eeee4

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Re: Jack Higgins aiming to learn off Martin & Cotchin over summer (H-Sun)
« Reply #35 on: January 02, 2018, 02:42:12 PM »
Another tall :gotigers
Caracella and Balmey.

Offline YellowandBlackBlood

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Re: Jack Higgins aiming to learn off Martin & Cotchin over summer (H-Sun)
« Reply #36 on: January 02, 2018, 03:14:35 PM »
Another tall :gotigers
Will he ruck relieve like Grigg and Rioli?
OER. Calling it as it is since 2004.

Offline MADTIGER2010

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Re: Jack Higgins aiming to learn off Martin & Cotchin over summer (H-Sun)
« Reply #37 on: January 02, 2018, 03:55:47 PM »
So we have Higgins and Graham for the next generation midfield. We'll add some more guns over the next few drafts

Offline one-eyed

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Richmond draftee Jack Higgins being groomed as a midfielder (H-Sun)
« Reply #38 on: January 26, 2018, 08:22:15 PM »
Richmond draftee Jack Higgins being groomed as a midfielder

Chris Cavanagh,
Herald Sun
26 January 2018


RICHMOND is grooming prized draftee Jack Higgins to play a similar role to Kane Lambert but has urged fans to cool their expectations on the 18-year-old this year.

Snapped up by the Tigers at pick No.17 in the national draft, Higgins averaged 145 SuperCoach points in 33 junior games, ranking elite for disposals, contested possessions and score involvements.

The Oakleigh Chargers product had been seen by some as another small forward option for the reigning premier, a role he played throughout most of his junior career.

However, Higgins has been training with Richmond’s midfield group over summer, the Tigers believing his talent can be better used there.

“He’s an elite runner so you wouldn’t want to limit him to just the forward part of the ground,” Richmond assistant coach Justin Leppitsch said.

“We often have half-forwards who play through the midfield as well like Kane Lambert and players like that. We see him in that sort of light, where he can play forward but learning the midfield system in his first pre-season is probably the most important things.”

Higgins won the TAC Cup’s Morrish Medal last year, following in the footsteps of Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver and Brisbane’s Hugh McCluggage who played 13 and 18 games respectively in their first seasons in the AFL.

Leppitsch said while the Tigers would have a better indication of all their draftees once pre-season games begun, breaking into the premiership side would be a tough task.

“Whether he (Higgins) can find his way into a pretty good team regularly, that’s going to be a big challenge for him this year and we don’t expect him to regularly,” Leppitsch said.

“We don’t put that sort of pressure on him and nor should our fans. Hopefully he can get a few games this year and build his career nicely.”

Richmond meets Essendon in its first pre-season match in Wangaratta on February 24.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/richmond-draftee-jack-higgins-being-groomed-as-a-midfielder/news-story/cf50ab42a66ba25b7cf380806d6ea8da

Offline one-eyed

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Jack Higgins motivated for 2018 (afl site)
« Reply #39 on: January 28, 2018, 06:47:48 PM »
Higgins motivated for 2018

richmondfc.com.au
28 January 2018


New Richmond recruit Jack Higgins says competition for positions in the senior side has helped drive the intensity on the training track this pre-season.

Higgins was drafted to Richmond with the Club’s first pick, No. 17, overall, at the 2017 AFL National Draft.

The 18-year-old, who won the TAC Cup's Morrish Medal last year, said he was instantly impressed by the players’ training standards.

“It’s incredible the step up in AFL, everyone’s going for their spot,” Higgins said.

“It feels like a game out there, everyone goes hard at the footy, it’s so competitive out there. If you take your mind off the footy for one-second you’re going to get crunched.”

Speaking at the Tigers’ pre-season training camp on the Sunshine Coast, the former Oakleigh small forward/midfielder said it has been a demanding, yet rewarding week.

“I’ve really enjoyed it so far,” Higgins said.

“It’s really good because I’m always learning the drills and getting used to the heat up here. It’s been awesome because you don’t really get the heat and humidity as you do up here, so just learning off the coaches and being around the boys 24/7 is pretty good.”

“I’ve learnt the game plan, structure, just tidying up my skills a bit more under the AFL pressure. The thing I’ve taken away from the camp is just being around the boys even more…”

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2018-01-26/higgins-at-home-at-tigerland

Offline one-eyed

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Turbo Tiger: Jack Higgins brings the energy (Age)
« Reply #40 on: February 17, 2018, 04:10:10 PM »
Turbo Tiger: Jack Higgins brings the energy

Peter Ryan
The Age
17 Feb 2018


As a junior he kicked the winning goal in a grand final for East Malvern and since then the winning feeling has become a habit.

In 2017, he won the Morrish Medal and Vic Metro's MVP at the under-18 championships.
His acceptance speech at the Morrish Medal presentation had the crowd in stitches as the interviewer kept throwing curveball questions at Higgins when all he wanted to do was read out the short speech his mum, Lynn, had written for him in case he won.

"I thought I was just going to get up there and read off the piece of paper but [the MC] actually asked me questions, which screwed me up," Higgins said.

A raucous laugh immediately surfaces but when it comes to football, Higgins is not joking.
He guesses he has touched a football every day since he fell in love with the game as a Saints-supporting youngster.

At 13, Higgins began to do running sessions with acclaimed fitness and athletics coach Bohdan Babijczuk.
Related Article

At Malvern's Dairy Bell ground, Higgins, his father, Greg, and Babijczuk could often be seen refining his running mechanics, building pace, strength and resilience.

Babijczuk, who works with many young footballers, soon realised Higgins responded better to instructions when he was shown what he should do.

After an app that pole vaulters use was added to an iPad to help guide Higgins, Babijczuk saw the youngster's improvement skyrocket.

"I'm not the best learner when people talk at me so I have to learn off an iPad and then I get it straight away," Higgins said.

Richmond knew that characteristic before Higgins arrived, with the youngster praising the approach his forward-line coach Justin Leppitsch and teammate Jack Riewoldt have taken in teaching him the Tigers' way.

That he knows himself and how he learns best became clear when he decided school was not for him and he would be happier and achieve more if he entered the wide world ahead of time.
Leaving school was the best option regardless of whether football was on the horizon or not.

Having already spent time with elite athletes, such as legendary basketballers Kristi Harrower and David Andersen, people introduced to him through Babijczuk, he has gleaned ideas that will stand him in good stead.

"Train how you are going to play," Higgins said.

He has been seen heeding that simple message at Punt Road over summer as training has consisted of applying pressure, learning where to run, when to give off handballs and when to snag the odd cheeky goal.

He hopes he will be able to force his way into a premiership team at some point but he knows it won't be easy.

"It's just one step at a time ... just keep on training well [and] keep on playing well," Higgins said.

"You have got to trust the process and see where that takes you."

It's an attitude in keeping with the one the Tigers carried through their magical season and Higgins is poised to add to the frenzy if he is called upon.

Although the pre-draft sleepless nights are over the fascination with the game lingers.

When asked what Tiger fans can expect from him, his response mirrors the vibe he gives others when they encounter him.

"[I'm] like a turbo-type, always energetic," Higgins said.

PREMIER PICKS

First players selected in draft after a flag who have played in a premiership

(with pick number)


2011 Joel Hamling (Geelong) 32*
2008 Ryan Schoenmakers (Hawthorn) 15
2007 Harry Taylor (Geelong) 17
1992 Drew Banfield (West Coast) 1
1991 Shane Crawford (Hawthorn) 13
1989 Ben Allan (Hawthorn) 14

* Hamling played in the 2016 Western Bulldogs premiership

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/turbo-tiger-jack-higgins-brings-the-energy-20180216-p4z0ll.html

Offline one-eyed

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Re: Pick 17: Jack Higgins
« Reply #41 on: March 13, 2018, 03:25:36 AM »
Preseason wrap

Most impactful draftee: While unlikely to be a round one starter given Richmond's depth, Morrish Medallist, Jack Higgins is ready-to-go and should receive senior opportunities in 2018. He averaged 23 disposals, five tackles and two goals per game in 2017 as a midfielder/forward.

http://kwese.espn.com/afl/story/_/id/22717282/afl-jlt-series-christoper-doerre-draftee-wrap

Offline one-eyed

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Re: Pick 17: Jack Higgins
« Reply #42 on: April 03, 2018, 09:14:54 PM »
Richmond VFL development coach Xavier Clarke provides ‘Roar Vision’ with an insight into the pre-season progress of the Tigers’ first pick in last year’s AFL national draft, exciting, young small forward/midfielder Jack Higgins.

VIDEO: http://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/2018-04-03/coaches-corner-higgins


His first pre-season at Tigerland

“He ran a 10.10 3km time trial, which is elite midfield running. If you can up to your first pre-season running those times, you’re only going to get better. His strength stuff in the gym’s been pretty good, too. And he’s been able to understand our game plan pretty quickly and pick that up.”

Key on-field attributes

“His ability to win the ball and use the ball. And in traffic he’s really good. He reminds me a lot of Jack Graham the way he runs between stoppages.  His run and ability to be able to get back in defence, and then also join in the attack, is certainly one of his biggest strengths. He’s really good in the contest and making tackles . . . And he gets a really good balance between contested and outside possession as well. The other good thing about Jack is he’s really dangerous when it goes forward. He knows where the goals are, and he loves a goal . . .

Turbo-charged Tiger

I think he’s got the nickname ‘Turbo’ now because he’s always just flat out the whole time . . . His second and third efforts, staying in the contest, is something that he’s really brought to the VFL . . .”

Innate front-and-square ability

“He is dangerous when he goes forward because he just knows where to get to the right spots . . . He has good running ability to get forward and he generally gets there one-out, front and centre as well.”

Marking ability

“It’s pretty good for a small guy. Jack’s not a massive midfielder, but he can be really strong overhead. We saw before (highlights package) him one-out in the goal-square, being able to use his body, get off and take a mark. So he’s good at that. He sees the game really well.”

Likely role in the senior side


“It’s a tough one because he can play as a ‘mid’, he could play high half-forward, he could even play a bit similar to the way a (Kane) Lambert plays, as well, at some point. So he’s got an ability to play different types of roles for us. Is he ready for AFL football? At the moment, we’re not sure, but he’s certainly shown really good signs in the pre-season . . . Hopefully, Tigers fans will see him playing senior footy soon.”   

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2018-04-03/coaches-corner-jack-higgins

Offline one-eyed

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Re: Jack Higgins to debut [merged]
« Reply #43 on: April 05, 2018, 01:14:16 PM »
Best of luck in his first AFL game  :clapping.

Offline Simonator

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Re: Jack Higgins to debut [merged]
« Reply #44 on: April 05, 2018, 05:11:55 PM »
Hopefully he can have an impact