Here's the text to the interview Daniel did on Monday night.
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Daniel in the Tigers’ Den
12:09:45 PM Thu 22 July, 2004
richmondfc.com.au
Daniel Jackson followed up his promising debut for Richmond last Saturday with a polished performance as the main interview subject on last Monday night’s ‘Tigers’ Club Corner’ show on Sport 927. Here’s how the 18-year-old schoolboy handled the questions fired at him by Club Corner host Andrew Kuuse.
AK: Congratulations . . . a milestone certainly to play your first senior game. Can you give us an insight into last week when you actually knew you were going to be playing your first senior game?
DJ: Yeah, well, Greg Hutchison and Greg Miller came over on Tuesday night and made sure my parents thought it was okay, a good idea. And, after they’d given it the all-clear, they informed me. So I was a bit nervous Tuesday night and Wednesday at school I got even worse once everyone else had found out there. Didn’t eat much that day, but after that I was fine. I sort of regained composure by Thursday and by the time the game was upon me, I was all ready.
AK: Interesting you say that they had to get the permission of your parents. It sounds almost like as though they were asking for your hand in marriage! You’ve got an interesting situation doing your VCE this year . . . so they sat down with your parents first before they actually decided to play you?
DJ: Right, yeah, well I’ve sort of taken my schooling pretty seriously and that was the whole deal last year. I was never actually going to nominate until the Tigers came and spoke to me and said, you know, we’ll let you finish school. They know it’s a pretty big thing that I get the score that I need . . . So, there’s been a deal that I go to school and put that first and they’re very happy to do that. They’re very supportive and they make sure I’m up to date with my study. The whole idea was that they just wanted to make sure my parents weren’t too fussed about me having to train a little bit more throughout the week. But that wasn’t a problem at all.
AK: They didn’t have to twist their arms at all?
DJ: Not at all. They were very happy – very supportive.
AK: So, take us through being in the rooms, preparing for the game, running through the banner and just even having a look around the stadium as you’re about to play this first senior game. Was it tough to handle, was it different, was it exciting, was it nerve-wracking?
DJ: I suppose the only thing I was really worried about was the whole boots situation because I’d heard of how shocking and slippery the surface at Telstra had been the week before. But when we went out there, I thought it was perfect. I’d been playing school footy on some pretty bad ovals and in the VFL. So I went out there and thought they were just whingers. We had no trouble there . . . the roof was on, there was no rain, no wind. I thought it was lovely out there. So, after I’d seen that I was pretty confident. Starting on the ground was great because it meant I didn’t have to sit on the bench to gain even more nerves . . . it was just straight out and into it. And just running out there, I suppose I hadn’t really thought about what it’d be like. But you sort of just block out everything else and I was worrying too much about what I was going to do in the game, rather than what was going on around me.
AK: But did you think about where you should be when you ran out because at some clubs there’s a bit of a pecking order isn’t there? Near the front and near the back, and some players like to be last and so on. Did you just try and ease your way into the middle of the group?
DJ: I hadn’t thought about that . . . I suppose I was in the middle there somewhere – I think standing next to Joel Bowden, that’s what I remember. But no, I wasn’t thinking about that at all. I just thought I’d let Kane Johnson run through first and that was about all I worried about.
AK: Your first touch of the football . . . You did pick up, just looking at the stats here, 13 possessions. You picked up a lot of the footy, especially after half-time. But just take us through the first quarter and your first touch.
DJ: I had to think about that, but the first touch was a mark. I’d pushed up the ground out of our kick-out, I think. I took it out over near the boundary and, funnily enough, I was running into the fence and thought it’d be a bright idea to try and stop myself with my foot. So, I nearly fell over, which was just another exciting thing. And, then there was this kick into the forward line, which actually missed Brad Ottens, but hit Andy Krakouer, I think, and we kicked a point.
AK: You played what, around through half-back, middle of the field, across the wing area?
DJ: Yeah, I was mainly half-back, with a bit of a defensive wing role on Blake later in the game – that’s how I managed to sort of get into it a bit more . . . a few more touches in the last quarter.
AK: Now, where do you play your football when you’re playing at Carey Grammar amongst players your own age.
DJ: We sort of have to change up a bit there . . . I end up usually playing centre half-forward or on the ball. Sort of depends on what the other school’s tactics are. Get a bit of rough play every now and again and quite a bit of attention. So, it’s a big difference switching between Coburg and Carey and obviously Richmond and Carey as well. The game’s just played totally differently. And there is pressure obviously – more pressure on me in the AFL – but then again, I don’t cop as much attention . . .
AK: How did Carey go on the weekend – did they play?
DJ: They did – they were actually supposed to play at the same time as the AFL, but both schools agreed that they’d be happy to change it to 11 o’clock in the morning, so the guys could come and watch. So they played before me and they only won by three points, which I suppose is lucky because otherwise I would have been held to blame . . .
AK: Boy, that’s a fantastic gesture on the school’s part. I mean no-one likes to think of themselves as being that important. But to think that the school would change the game so that your teammates could come along and have a look . . . that’s fantastic.
DJ: Yeah, I was very grateful with the school for that and also to St Kevin’s for the same thing. It meant a lot to me so I could get my friends and obviously the coaches down there to see the first game because as Danny Frawley said – you only get one first game.
AK: Take us through playing for Carey, and for Coburg. Are you trying to play enough to qualify as well because it looks as though Coburg certainly will play in the finals down in the VFL. So, how do you work out how many games you want to play for Coburg and Carey over the course of this year?
DJ: I’ve never actually looked at that. I’m not even sure how many I need to qualify. There’s only 10 school games though. So far I’ve played seven with Coburg, I think, and there’s only two more school rounds to go, which I might play the last one actually because it’s sort of the last game with my friends, who I’ve played with for the last few years. But we haven’t decided that yet. So I think, if I was to play in the VFL, I still would qualify, but I’ll have to check that.
AK: So, this senior game on the weekend . . . because of the organisation to just get you into the team and getting the okay from your family and, of course, the fact that you’re still involved with your VCE, is it a one-off? I mean, you obviously played well enough to keep your spot, but are you hoping to play more?
DJ: Well, planning to play more, as long as I’m picked. So, if I was picked this week I’d play. The only other week that’d be a bit different is next weekend with that being the last Carey game. We haven’t actually discussed that yet, but I think the school would be keen for me to play and I think I’d be happy to do that as well. But then after that, I think I’d be up for selection again. So it all depends on the club there. But, yeah, it’d either be at Coburg or at Richmond for the last few rounds.
AK: You do seem to be a very level-headed young man and it does show obviously in the importance you’ve placed on your education. So this year, in terms of your football, it is obviously secondary. How are your studies going?
DJ: They were pretty good for the first semester. After the two-week holiday break, I spent all my time just playing footy down with the other young Richmond guys and had a ball. So, I’m struggling a little bit to get back on task, but I’ll get a kick-on soon and start getting back into it. But there’s only sort of 10 weeks to go, so if I can get back on track, I’m sure I’ll last.
AK: Daniel, how old are you, have you turned 18 or are you still 17?
DJ: I’m 18 now – I turned 18 earlier in the year.
AK: Who did you support growing up – did you support the Tigers?
DJ: Unfortunately, I didn’t. I actually supported the West Coast Eagles – not very well. Apparently when I was a little boy I decided I liked the colors over there and my dad, who goes for Melbourne, couldn’t convince me otherwise. Don’t worry, I was never a very loyal West Coast supporter, but that was just how it turned out.
AK: So Daniel, with your schooling, how often do you join in training with the Richmond-listed players at Punt Road over the course of a season?
DJ: Over the first semester it was sort of not that many. Often I wouldn’t attend any in the week . . . I’d just go in and train by myself with the coaches. But over the last two weeks, obviously after being picked, I’ve attended a few more. It’s about half or a bit over, depending on the week and how it pans out with my school timetable. But I also do my own extra training on the side, so it’s never really a problem.
AK: And, do you feel as though you clicked with all of your teammates on the weekend, or is it a case of because you’re not at the club all of the time that . . . I don’t want to say you don’t feel a part of it, but how is your relationship with all of the other players there?
DJ: They’re all great down there. From the start – even though I’ve been there for I suppose even less than half the time as all the others – I still feel as though I fit in well, especially in the VFL because we’ve got quite a big, young group at the moment, which is really good. We’ve developed some good friendships and we all sort of hang out together and things. But even with the older players out there, they were all really good. Joel Bowden helped me out a lot . . . made sure I was in the right spots – played a bit of a guidance role, and Richo was the same, which was really good of them as well.
AK: Now, you’re quite a solid player – I think you’re what, 90kg?
DJ: Not quite – 88kg.
AK: Obviously that helps in playing a game of league football at a young age because I look at someone like Alex Gilmour. We spoke to him a few weeks ago on the program and obviously he’d love to play a senior game, too, but a lot of it has to do with how quickly your body can adjust, doesn’t it?
DJ: Yeah, it does. I found out that it was pretty physical – copped a few tackles and bumps. They’re just that much more intense. Obviously if you were a bit lighter, it could do some damage . . . But I felt I wasn’t too out of place out there with my size, which was very fortunate.
AK: Look, fantastic to chat to you. Well done on your debut and, as you say, if it can work in, let’s hope you can play a few more senior games this year and obviously do well in your VCE . . . Apart from the fact that you’ll be able to apply yourself to your football even more, what do you hope to do post your studies?
DJ: Next year, definitely keen on deferring and sort of hitting the Play Station for a year and just having a rest. I think 12 years of school’s enough to deserve a rest. So, all football next year and hopefully can get a lot of out of that. Maybe after that I’ll get a bit of part-time study, a university course happening then. But I haven’t thought about that too much just yet.
AK: Well done on your debut and good luck this week. Thank you for joining us tonight.
DJ: Thanks a lot – thanks for having me.
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