Consistency the key for South Adelaide’s Jess Kirk who is round three’s Player of the Week
“If I missed it I was going to be in the doghouse with the coach but luckily it went through,” says a South Adelaide star after being named round three’s SANFLW Player of the Week.
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JESS Kirk says she drifted in and out of games last season and the intensity of SANFLW became a bit overwhelming.
Although the South Adelaide forward featured in the side’s 2019 grand final victory, she only booted five goals and averaged 6.8 disposals across 10 games.
Kirk knew she would need to improve to hold her spot in the Panthers’ line up in 2020.
Now, just three rounds into this season, Kirk has kicked eight goals and has averaged 6.7 disposals a game with seven minor rounds remaining.
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Four of her majors this year were kicked during South’s 30-point win over Norwood at Noarlunga last Saturday, leading to her being named The Advertiser/SANFLW Player of the Week.
“Consistency was definitely one of those things high up on my list that I wanted to improve,” Kirk said.
“Being my first year in the SANFLW last year, I think it was more just realising what it takes to keep your place in the side.
“I am just trying to do my thing for the team week in, week out and play my role, really, to cement myself in the side.
“With the vision and what we get back it really helps show us what we need to improve on and consistency was one of those things for me.
“I’m feeling a lot more confident in my role this year compared to last year.
“It’s quite a big jump from local level and it does take a few games or half the season or even the season to get used to the level we are playing at.”
Kirk’s four goals against the Redlegs, which also included a checkside cracker, backed up the three she kicked the week prior in a 34-point win against Sturt.
“I actually thought we were going to get a free kick with what happened before (the checkside goal),” she said.
“But when the whistle didn’t blow I kind of just decided to take it on myself.
“I kind of had a feeling that if I missed it I was going to be in the doghouse with the coach but luckily it went through.”
Kirk started playing football when she was 10 before quitting six years later because there was no girls’ sides and switched to soccer.
She lined up with South Adelaide’s women’s soccer team before making her way back to Australian rules last year.
South’s triumph against the Redlegs has left the side undefeated.
It also sets a mouth-watering clash with fellow undefeated side North Adelaide on March 13, after this weekend’s league-wide bye.