Big-framed Sydney Swans defender Jack Maibaum is putting “all my work, all my energy and all my thoughts” into his pursuit of a long-awaited AFL debut on the cusp of the 2019 campaign.
The 20-year-old has plied his trade in the NEAFL since signing with the Swans at the 2016 AFL Draft, becoming a key pillar of the second-tier side’s defence alongside Colin O’Riordan and Ryley Stoddart.
Maibaum is now narrowing his focus on making the step up to the AFL as he powers through his third pre-season as a Swan.
“I’ve certainly got my eyes on debuting,” Maibaum told SwansTV.
“Obviously that’s when the season rolls around, so as of right now I’m just taking things session by session. Hopefully I get a call-up for the first pre-season game and show what I’ve got.
“But making my debut has been on my mind since day one at the Swans. It’s a massive goal of mine. To debut would be unreal, so all my work, all my energy and all my thoughts are going towards that.”
Fellow defender Callum Mills recently tipped his hat to Maibaum’s impressive pre-season efforts, highlighting the young backman, Isaac Heeney and Robbie Fox as three Swans “putting in big numbers”.
Maibaum has often been assigned to the most damaging key forward in the 37 NEAFL games he’s played for the Swans, and he’s featured in Sydney’s consecutive second-tier Grand Final appearances over the past two seasons.
The 193-centimetre, 94-kilogram giant believes he’s “come a long way” since signing with the Swans, and he says he has his coaches and a number of veteran defenders, like Jarrad McVeigh, Heath Grundy and Nick Smith, to thank.
“I’ve opened myself up a lot more and I’ve learned what hard work is,” Maibaum said.
“That took its time but I’m thankful for it. There have been a few hard lessons in there that have kicked me into gear and got me where I am today.
“It’s through guys like McVeigh, Grundy and Smith, and a few of the coaches, that I’ve learned everything I know today in terms of being a backman. They’ll teach you about the little nuisances, they’ll teach you about our main game plan, they’ll hit you up when you’re doing the wrong thing and they’ll hit you up when you’re doing the right thing. So they all look after you big time.”
Maibaum says one of Sydney’s recently appointed co-captains and a key cog of the Swans’ back six can be added to that list, praising the role Dane Rampe has played in his rise.
Rampe was in December announced as a 2019 co-captain along with hard-nosed midfield duo Josh Kennedy and Luke Parker, with the backman bringing 138 AFL games of experience and an All-Australian blazer to the table.
“Rampe is great. He’s a couple of spots away in the locker room and he’s always given me help on the field, in the locker room and even in the weights rooms,” Maibaum said.
“He pushes you hard and really gets the best out of people, and that’s what you really look for in your defensive anchor and your co-captain – and all round he’s just a really good person.”
