He was born to play for Port Adelaide but he has had to bide his time. And now, Jackson Mead will finally get his chance.
The 18-year-old was taken by Port Adelaide at pick 25 in the NAB AFL Draft on Thursday night after the club matched a bid by Sydney.
The son of Port Adelaide premiership player Darren Mead said he was honoured to get the opportunity to represent the club where his father won the inaugural John Cahill Medal.
“Obviously, Dad had a pretty good career at Port Adelaide and to be able to carry on that legacy will be pretty special for me and my family,” he told portadelaidefc.com.au.
“Dad’s been by far the most influential person for me and my brother.
“Before games, after games, talking to us about how we went, things to work on. Whether he’s coached us or just on the sidelines I can’t thank him enough.”
18 years in the making, Mead’s arrival was no certainty, despite the club’s recruiting staff making numerous pick swaps to ensure it would be able to claim him.
The strong-bodied midfielder has spent the past couple of years in the club’s father-son academy, exposed to the facilities, staff and players at Alberton, but still faced an uneasy wait.
“I’ve been around the club for about two years doing small stuff around the place and meeting the guys,” Mead said.
“Over the past few weeks especially it’s felt like it’s gone for a pretty long time but today went pretty quickly so I’m absolutely stoked.
“It was sort of expected that I’d end up at Port. We thought the bid would come and Port would match it but until your name is called out it doesn’t become real.”
Jackson Mead Darren Mead
— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) November 28, 2019
Port Adelaide
AFL Players pic.twitter.com/UTkUTA2tk7
Mead’s older brother Mitchell most recently played for Port Adelaide in the SANFL, missing much of the 2019 season with injury.
While their father was a towering tall defender, the younger of the Mead brothers is a fierce midfielder/forward known for courage and attack on the football.
The Woodville-West Torrens product is also good overhead for his size and an excellent decision maker with the ball in hand.
This year, Jackson Mead also played SANFL football and was a member of South Australia's leadership group.
The draft selection by Port Adelaide was particularly special for Darren Mead - a three-time SANFL premiership player who played 127 SANFL games for the Magpies and 122 for the Power in a career that spanned from 1989 until 2002.
“It’s a dream come true once they’re born,” he revealed to portadelaidefc.com.au.
“Mitch and Jackson have done a lot of work together and have always had the realisation that there’s only a small percentage of blokes who make it.
“To get one into the SANFL to play league footy with Port Adelaide and the other to be drafted by the club is a credit to both of them.
“They’ve done a lot of work, they’ve been disciplined and the result has come their way.”
Mead becomes just the second father-son selection for Port Adelaide after Brett Ebert (son of Russell) in 2002.
He’ll also be joined at the club by another father-son in 2020 with confirmation that 2004 Premiership player Peter Burgoyne’s son Trent will automatically become a Power rookie at Friday’s rookie draft after no other club claimed him for their primary list.