Tokyo Olympics: Jordan O’Doherty dreaming big with Olyroos, Wanderers
When someone told him he was too small for his sport it did nothing but inspire this footballer to player harder and dream big.
Inner West
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Footballer Jordan O’Doherty likes to say he is small in stature but has a big heart “to make up for it’’ and few will argue.
It’s his heart that has the 23-year-old defy critics who said he was too small to be good at the game.
And it’s his heart that has seen him fight back from a major knee reconstruction to be striving for a spot at next year’s Olympic Games and with the Western Sydney Wanderers in the upcoming A-League.
O’Doherty is delighted to be back playing the game he loves after his injury and COVID interuptions have seen him play only minimal football in the past 12 months.
“I came back from the knee reconstruction a year after the injury which was in March and got to play a couple of games before everything was shut down,’’ he said. “I was chomping at the bit to get back into it after so long out.’’
But O’Doherty acknowledges the COVID-enforced break has not been all bad for him.
“They say with a reconstruction the more time the better, that every month adds strength,’’ he said.
One of the smallest players in A-League at 170cm and 65 kilos, O'Doherty said size have never held him back in the game.
“I’m small in stature but I like to think I have a big heart which makes up for it,’’ he said.
“I like to win my contest when I can.
“I’m usually the smaller end of a team but it’s never been a problem for me, in the midfield it’s doesn’t, matter. And I'm quick.
“Back when I was going through development programs I have been told I might be too small, this or that. But I reckons it all come round to technical ability. And a work ethic will take you a long way in this game.’’
The son of English parents who were living in Spain when he was born, O'Doherty said there was never any change he was going to play anything but football when the family migrated to South Australia.
“They were English and so football was the first thing they were going to put me into growing up,’’ said O’Doherty, who lives at Drummoyne and has been playing a series of games with the Olyroos this month.
“Dad didn't know anything about AFL and said I was always going to play real football.’
Now he’s hoping the sport will take him to next year’s postponed Olympic Games and later to senior Australian representation.
“When I did my ACL I did it the day before I went into (Australian) camp and it was the first thing on my mind, ‘oh no, I might not be able to make it to the Olympics,’’ he said.
“That was really hard to take and then it got postponed.
“In terms of football the Olympics are the second biggest stage to the World Cup. To be training towards something like this is a real honour.’’
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