Glenelg recruit Luke Parks says former Collingwood player and Bays hero Jesse White was the reason why he joined the Tigers
Teenage sensation Luke Parks looked set on joining South Adelaide to kickstart his SANFL career. But all it took was a phone call from retired Glenelg premiership star Jesse White to change his mind.
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He won the best and fairest in a premiership year and now Jesse White has helped deliver Glenelg another prize.
While the ruckman/forward surprised the club by retiring after last season’s drought-breaking flag – the Tigers’ first in 33 years – a phone call he made to former Sydney Swans Academy teenager Luke Parks was the signature move in Glenelg snatching him from SANFL rival South Adelaide’s grasp.
“Jesse was one of my idols when he played at the Swans (from 2007-13),’’ said Parks after starring across halfback in his first league game for the Tigers against Norwood in round one of a COVID-19 delayed season.
“I loved the way he went about his footy and looked forward to watching him play.
“When I was back in Sydney tossing up between the two clubs and Jesse rang to tell me what Glenelg could do for my football, it set my decision in stone.
“I realised then and there that Glenelg was the club for me.’’
Athletic, 189cm defender Parks, 19, appeared set to sign with the Panthers in January after they flew him to Adelaide from Sydney for two training sessions and he stayed at the home of chief executive Neill Sharpe.
But he was then courted by the Tigers – over lunch with premiership coach Mark Stone and head of football Paul Sandercock – after they were alerted by former captain Andrew Bradley, whose cousin Will Bradley plays for Parks’ former local Sydney AFL Premier League club North Shore Bombers.
Andrew Bradley and new skipper Max Proud also rang Parks to try to convince him to join the Bays, but it was the phone call from White – Parks revealed to Glenelg over lunch that he was a childhood hero – that sealed the deal.
Once it had his signature, the Tigers split Parks’ initial travel costs with South after an agreement between the clubs.
White, who retired at age 31 at the end of last season because of family and business commitments, presented Parks with his Glenelg guernsey at training last week prior to his league debut.
Parks, who played six games for the Swans’ NEAFL team last season, has moved to the SANFL to improve his game as he chases his AFL dream.
“That’s my ultimate goal,’’ he said.
“I knew the SANFL was the best league under the AFL and that if I could be in a good system, which I am under ‘Stoney’, then it would help take my game to the next level.’’
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Parks came through a tough initiation against a very good Norwood team in round one when he had 16 disposals and took a game-high 10 marks in the Tigers’ superb comeback from 27 points behind to win by three.
His opponents included former Crows Richard Douglas and Mitch Grigg, a dual Magarey Medallist.
“It was pretty overwhelming standing those guys and the game itself was very fast,’’ said Parks, whose strength is his intercept marking.
“I went in with the mindset of just wanting to give it a fair dinkum crack and it turned out to be a great game, and I was stoked that we were able to fight back to win.’’
Parks’ second game will be against the club he nearly joined, South, at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, where Glenelg premiership skipper Chris Curran – commuting from the Riverland where he is undertaking medical placement – will rejoin the side after missing round one.
