THE road to his first AFL game was far from easy, but son-of-a-gun Jackson Mead can now cross ‘debut’ off his checklist.
Mead featured in Port Adelaide’s season-opening match against Brisbane following a pre-season showing that well and truly proved to coaches why his magnet should be among those of the best-22.
His debut was immediately laced with Port Adelaide history after his jumper was presented by three-time SANFL premiership player, the inaugural John Cahill Medallist, and perhaps most importantly, his father: Darren Mead.
“He brought up his first SANFL Maggies jumper, the old lace up,” Mead told Tom Rockliff and Orazio Fantasia on Port Adelaide’s new podcast.
“I didn’t even know he was going to be presenting it so he obviously brought that up on the plane.
“He spoke about what it means to be presented your first jumper and the legacy and tradition for my family, but also the club.
“It was pretty special for him to be able to deliver that to me.”
Despite Port falling to the Lions, Mead looked comfortable on-field and attacked the ball with enormous courage in difficult conditions – living up to his pre-season form and making a decent case for spot retention.
In a hit-out that was always going to be won or lost in the contest, Mead knew what to expect going into his first AFL game.
“Obviously Brisbane are a great side. They were a big contest team and I was pretty prepared for that, so I think I fit in pretty well,” he said on the pod.
“For the first half we were pretty good in that area, and then we got a few injuries and we were down a rotation so the boys had to stay on a bit longer.
“I think Brisbane got a run on and a bit of momentum as the injuries started to impact a bit – but that’s how footy works.”
The path to get to this point of his journey, however, hasn’t been smooth-sailing for the 20-year-old.
He lost his first year on the list to COVID-19 after the club was forced to withdraw from the SANFL competition, while his second season saw him suffer a ruptured spleen that sidelined him for the majority of the year.
“I think everyone’s ideal scenario is to come in and play Round 1, but for me it was obviously a bit different,” Mead said of his journey to AFL football.
“I had to take the hard road to get there but I think my mindset was always wanting to get better.
“I think I’m better for having gone through those hard times because it makes me appreciate the small things about footy.
“When I was injured with my spleen, I couldn’t do anything, not even a small gym session, for six weeks – so it certainly made me appreciate the small things.”
You can listen to Jackson Mead on Port Adelaide’s new podcast, Rocky and Raz, on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. You can also watch it here.
