Everyone loves an old-fashioned footballer, and Jeremy McGovern is just about as traditional as they come.
From his gutsy grabs right down to his black footy boots, the veteran of just 22 matches looks like he’s been playing the game since the seventies.
Although it may appear as though McGovern has suddenly stormed onto the big stage from nowhere, in reality his success can be attributed to years of hard work behind the scenes.
The boy from Albany was initially rookie-listed by West Coast for the 2011 season and very nearly threw away his chance altogether when he returned to the club out of condition after an off-season holiday.
But he fought hard to keep his spot in the squad and, after making his debut in 2014, has become a revelation in the backline for the team this season.
McGovern told 6PR that the transition has been a difficult one for him.
Listen to Jeremy's full interview with 6PR below
“It was pretty hard, McGovern said.
“It’s a big lifestyle change for me. Coming from Albany to Perth was a big experience, I’d never really lived up here or anything.
“And doing pre-seasons over the last few years, it’s definitely been a massive learning curve. I’ve had to learn a lot.
“We don’t get the best education on that sort of stuff down in Albany so that was probably the hardest thing, coming up and changing your whole lifestyle to the Perth lifestyle and footy lifestyle.”
It is McGovern’s presence in the air that has perhaps attracted the most attention this year, with commentators and fans alike taking delight in his precise timing and ability to read the flight of the ball.
The 22-year-old say he can thank his father Andrew for this exceptional skill, paying tribute to the advice he was given while growing up.
“The main place I can probably put my finger on is that my old man always used to say to attack the ball in the air and that’s what I’ve been doing since I was a young kid and I guess it’s just grown from there,” McGovern said.
“King of the pack was the only game I ever used to play [at school].
“Not too much running around, just jumping at the ball.”
Aside from his father, McGovern says he has appreciated the assistance of a strong network of coaches who have all supported his development in recent years.
“I probably couldn’t put my finger on one person,” McGovern said.
“That’s probably the beauty of it, there have been a lot of people who’ve really backed me in and helped me out and gave me a few tips along the way, especially [Adam Simpson].
“As soon as he got to the club, he probably backed me in more than anyone and he obviously helped to develop my game.
“[Adrian Hickmott] our backline coach has helped me out a heap.
“And in the early days, Gavin Bell and his development program that he’s got going down here helped me out the most and probably I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.”
Listen to Jeremy's full interview with 6PR below
