From “mentally checked out’’ to locked in — how Jesse White rediscovered his passion to turn his and Glenelg’s fortunes around
Jesse White arrived at Glenelg to “transition out of footy’’, now the Bays’ big man is the Tigers’ grand final trump card against Port Adelaide on Sunday.
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Jesse White admits he had “mentally checked out’’ on football before he arrived at the Bay two years ago following an 11-year AFL career.
“I’d just retired from the AFL and in my mind I was finished, I’d had enough, didn’t want to play any more,’’ he said.
“But then ‘Stoney’ (Glenelg coach Mark Stone) called and said he'd love me to help out at the club in a playing and mentoring capacity.
“My partner (Jodi) is from Adelaide and so my initial thought was that maybe it would be a good way for me to transition out of footy.’’
The powerfully-built White, who had played 127 games and kicked 148 goals in 11 seasons for Sydney, where Stone had been an assistant coach, and Collingwood from 2007-17 before pulling the pin at age 29, did not make the early impact that was expected of a big-name SANFL recruit.
Playing primarily as a key forward, like he had done for most of his AFL career, White — who famously had agreed to join the Crows as part of a trade for wantaway forward Kurt Tippett in 2012 before being caught up in the “Tippett-gate scandal’’ and having the paperwork torn up — struggled, hardly hitting the scoreboard.
He kicked only three goals in 16 games.
“I think my mentality — the fact that I had mentally checked out of the game — flowed into my footy,’’ he said.
“It was almost like I was just turning up and playing.’’
But then — halfway through the season — came the turning point.
“I started to really buy in to our playing group,’’ White said.
“I realised how much the boys wanted success and when they started to adjust and jump on board to ‘Stoney’s’ drive for elite AFL standards it made a big difference.
“It made me buy in to the whole process more and I wanted more responsibility.
“I asked to be freed up from the forward line role, where I felt that I was just camping myself down the line and having the ball kicked on my head, and move into the ruck where I could use my pace and spread against opposition big guys.
“We didn’t really have a genuine ruckman, so I put my hand up for that in the last seven or eight rounds and it really freed me up.’’
The move paid big dividends, with White raising his game and helping the Tigers, who had been sitting near the bottom of the premiership table with a 3-9 win-loss record, win their final six games of the season.
This year, at age 31, he has showcased his undoubted quality, carrying the Glenelg ruck division all the way to an unlikely grand final appearance.
“Jesse’s been massive for us,’’ said Stone, a former West Coast, Sydney and Fremantle assistant coach, who has worked wonders in two years at the helm to lift the club out of the doldrums and into its first finals series since 2011 and first grand final since 2008.
“He primarily rucks on his own. We rotate him forward and other guys go in there and give us a bit of relief but he does the bulk of the work, often against bigger opponents.
“But we use him in different ways in that we see him more as a fourth midfielder.
“He’s got so much composure with the ball and is able to feed it out to the smaller guys.
“He’s had a super year and I couldn’t be happier with him. He’s like a right-hand man for me.
“I go to him with a lot of stuff, he’s smart, has very good footy IQ and can carry out instructions really clearly.
“Jesse’s such an asset to us. He’s been enormous.’’
White, 197cm and 94kg, said he had thrived on the responsibility of carrying the rucks and being the old head on an emerging team.
“I feel like I am an extra mid in the centre squad, not just a ruckman,’’ said White, whose second child, Florence, was born three weeks ago.
“I trust my fitness and ability to get clearances and then run and spread across the ground.
“The club’s had an amazing turnaround in the past two seasons and it’s been great to be a part of.’’
White, who is a talented graphic designer and photographer who illustrated veteran Crow Eddie Betts’ children’s books, will carry a heavy load on his broad shoulders against Port Adelaide on Sunday.
The Magpies will double-team him with standout big man Peter Ladhams and emerging giant Sam Hayes.
“I felt that we did all right against those guys a couple of weeks ago (in the second semi-final) but it will be another big challenge and one I’m looking forward to,’’ White said.