Port Adelaide veteran Travis Boak is pleased with his side’s start to the season, despite facing a few ‘little speedbumps’ along the way. 

At 35, the experienced former captain continues to make an impact and topple records, most recently moving into 15th place on the VFL/AFL games played list after his 358th appearance. 

Boak spoke with portadelaidefc.com.au during the mid-season bye, to discuss the season so far, his role and how it’s evolved, and whether he thinks about the possibility of game 400.  

Boak on the team’s first half of the year 
“Yeah, I think we've had a pretty good start to the season for sure. Obviously, a few little speed bumps along the way, a few injury concerns, but I think right now we're pleased with the way we're playing our footy. We’ve certainly got so much more to improve on, and we go into the bye in a pretty good position. So, looking forward to the break, we refresh and we go again, but we continue to get better.” 

Boak on his own form 
“I'm really enjoying my role in the team. You know, that could be forward, it could be on the wing, and there's a little bit on ball so it's, it's been really enjoyable. I think, for me, it's just to continue to help where the team needs and certainly help the younger boys, certainly around the group and during the week, so I'm really enjoying my role. My body feels great. Still got motivation to go out there and play and you know, what better job than to play footy? So I'm still having fun.” 

Boak on breaking records 
“I definitely don't really reflect on the (number of) games honestly. I don’t even feel like I’ve played that many games. When you talk about those greats, you think ‘oh, they played a lot of footy and they've been around (a long time), they're the all-time greats of the AFL’, I wouldn't even consider myself in that conversation. So it's more just about how can I continue to get better? How can I be a good teammate? And how can I keep having fun? So that's literally all I focus on right now.” 

Boak on whether he thinks about game 400 
“Probably not at this stage, another 50 games is a long way away, and it's a lot more pre-season, so there's a lot of challenges to get there. For me right now, it's literally just what can I do this season? You know, anytime could be my last. So I'm literally, as boring as it sounds, taking each week as it comes because it's obviously getting closer to the end. So I'm just trying to enjoy each moment.” 

Boak on what he loves most about footy 
“Competing. I just love competing. And by that I mean, our footy club going out there to win games to try and put smile on our faces of our supporters, to try and beat the opposition, see how far we can get. But also just running out there with your teammates, it is honestly the best feeling in the world coming off the ground with your best mates after a win. So, it's hard to replicate that anywhere. So I’ve got to enjoy these moments as much as I can.” 

Boak on the importance of the bye 
“I'll try and get some sun somewhere. Gold Coast is usually where I head up to. I've got some friends and a performance coach up there that I catch up with and anywhere near the beach as well, which is really refreshing. I've been fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with mum and my family this year. Mum hasn't missed a game. I can get away for a few days to the Goldy and then just sort of relax and refresh. It's a good chance to just completely switch off from footy because it is quite taxing during the year. And for our guys to get away and play golf, see family, have time where they can just completely switch off is really important.” 

Boak on preparing to become an uncle 
“I'm really excited for my sister and (her husband) Bemo to have their first kid and that's our first kid in our family. So it's going to be a special moment, and certainly really looking forward to it, but does give you a bit of perspective. And I think for me in a smaller way, I just got a new puppy, so that's kind of in a similar vein where, you know, there's just so much more to life than footy. But in saying that, footy is still such an important part of my life and just a small role of being the best athlete I can be. But really excited to be an uncle for the first time and I'll be certainly spoiling it rotten.” 

Boak on who his teammates’ development 
“I probably can't go past two guys, Jason Horne-Francis and probably Jase Burgoyne as well he's been incredible in his growth. Just seeing the work that that Horney has done in the off-season and the amount of pressure that he's had to deal with over the last couple of years to then just go out there and dominate games of footy and now really start to understand who he is as a footballer, and as a person off the field. It's just it's so good to see so he's probably one that's, I'm not surprised about it, it's just really pleasing to see.” 

Boak on who he tips next to make their AFL debut 
“Well, I think Tommy's (Anastasopoulos) pretty close, so he could be a sniff. I can't even say his last name. So, I'm just going to say Tommy, he's probably one that's reasonably close to sneaking into that forward line.”