The younger brother of Swans co-captain Kieren then went on to play nine senior games for the club in his debut season, including a break out four-goal performance against Melbourne in round 15 at the MCG.
Speaking to sydneyswans.com.au about his first year as a Swan, Jack said he had exceeded his own expectations in 2013.
Your first year at the club has now come to an end, how did you sum up your season in 2013?
Obviously it was a very pleasing first year. I think there weren’t too many expectations on me coming in and even I didn’t think I would achieve the things I have, so I’m very pleased to have played a few games this year and I think I’m in good stead for the years to come.
What were some of your highlights this year?
I think definitely my two stand outs were making my debut coming out as a sub and then playing alongside my brother Kieren and the rest of the guys, and then the other one that stands out as well was the Melbourne Demons game where I came on early as the substitute and was able to get a few goals, so I was happy with that.
Can you believe how much you’ve achieved given you came onto the list as a rookie?
I just thought I’d have a pretty similar progression to Kieren. I was hoping to play reserves the whole year and have a good, solid year there and maybe next year play a couple of games. I think to play nine games in my first year, I was very happy with that.
What are some of the things you learnt this year?
I learnt so much about the game. I’ve only been playing for four years prior to this, so I’ve never really understood patterns of the game and for me it was always just getting out and running around and trying to get a kick, so I’ve definitely got a better understanding of the game, especially as a small forward I’ve learnt a lot in that role this year.
Who has been the biggest help to you this year?
Besides the obvious one which is Kieren, I’ve had Jude Bolton this year as my mentor. He’s been unbelievable with me and I’ll be really grateful for everything he’s done in years to come. Nick Davis in the development coaching role has put a lot of time and effort into me and I think Nick’s done a great job.
How special was it to work closely with Jude in his final year?
Being able to run out alongside Jude was an unbelievable experience. He’s a guy that I’ve watched on TV growing up and just to run out alongside him was unbelievable. Jude’s left a pretty big mark at this club and he’s left a very big impression on me as well.
What areas do you hope to improve on when you return for pre-season training?
Definitely after the break I’m going to have to have a pretty big pre-season because next year is very big for me. I’m thinking I really want to be in that first grade team week in, week out. I’ve really got to improve my fitness base and just finishing of my goal kicking and a few other small things.
What are your plans for the off season?
There is about 10-to-15 of us younger boys going to Bali for a week, so that will be good just to relax and just build some stronger friendships with some of the boys.
