Q&A with Gold Coast Suns captain Jarrod Witts

Jarrod Witts has become one of the most influential players on the Gold Coast Suns list. On the eve of the club’s Round 1 game against St Kilda in Melbourne, Witts opens up about his football journey, thoughts on becoming captain, new rules, friendships, his engagement and a unique injury not even his coach knew about last year.

JARROD Witts has become one of the most influential players on the Gold Coast Suns list.

On the eve of the club’s Round 1 game against St Kilda in Melbourne, where Witts will co-captain alongside David Swallow for the first time in a premiership game, he opens up about his football journey, thoughts on the role, new rules, friendships, his engagement and a unique injury not even his coach knew about last year.

Has the fact you have become a captain of an AFL club sunk in yet?

It has sunk in. My role hasn’t changed too much though. You have to do a little more outside of the game but at the moment I’m trying to focus on playing well and being a consistent performer as captain.

The commitments to media and other events for captains is huge. Has it been good to share that with David Swallow?

Yeah it has been pretty handy. We have shared it pretty well over the last month or so with all the different launches and stuff. We take it in turns doing things.

SUNS SEND ADELAIDE INVASION TO MELBOURNE

LIFE OF AN AFL PLAYER AGENT

MILES’ AMBITIONS FOR SUNS

You are entering your third year at the Suns after four at Collingwood. Looking back you must think it’s been a successful move?

I’m glad I made the move. I would have liked more team success but it hasn’t been the case. We are building towards that. I definitely made the right decision at the end of the 2016 season to come to the Gold Coast Suns. I really like the people here and the club.

Suns co-captain Jarrod Witts at Carrara for Q&A Photograph: Jason O'Brien

You left Collingwood in search of more football but the Magpies went on to play in a grand final. Is it more important to play a big role or be part of a successful squad?

It’s a hard one. But playing AFL footy is what everyone wants to do. Definitely the right decision to move up here. I have now been able to play my role and be a big part of what we are trying to drive going forward. If I had to make the decision again I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury labelled Brodie Grundy, your former rucking teammate, the best player in the game. Do you agree?

Brodie Grundy is very influential in their performances. The best player in the game is someone who the team really misses when he is not playing. He fits that mould, as does Max Gawn and Patrick Cripps. I’d have those three as the most influential players in those teams. I think Scott’s reasoning behind it was because Brodie can do the rucking and hit-outs but adds a different element around the ground.

AFL Round 1. 22/03/2019. Collingwood vs Geelong at the MCG. Brodie Grundy of the Magpies and Rhys Stanley of the Cats boundary throw in. Pic: Michael Klein.

Do you ever chat to Scott Pendlebury about captaincy issues you may face?

I have lent on Scotty a bit. Last year I organised for a few of our young boys to catch up with him when we were in Melbourne. He flicked me a message when the news was delivered that I was captain. He has been really helpful. We had quite a good relationship when I was at Collingwood. I understand now what is required as a leader and I have so much respect for him.

What was it like watching Collingwood play in that grand final against West Coast?

I was in Florence. The list has changed so much since my time there and so I was essentially just another football supporter and wanted to see a great game.

How would those closest to you in and outside the football club describe your personality?

I’m pretty laid back but I am a thinker. I take in everything and then make a decision. I’m not as sporadic as others would be. I try and not make rash decisions. I wouldn’t say I’m super spontaneous.

What would you say about the group of players you are surrounded with at the Suns?

You will see a group that wants to get better. They are so coachable because we want to be better and want to do it quickly. We want to go through our process and get to the top as quick as we can. We have brought in some older boys with good habits and that is good for our younger boys to see.

What do you think about the new zoning and ruck rules and how has it impacted you through the pre-season?

The centre bounce has always been an important part of the game. If you get the clearance you get your team going forward and you get momentum. There is even more pressure now on winning the centre bounce, purely because of the heat you put on your backline if you don’t win it. You can get some good looks at one-on-ones if you do win it. It is something we need to focus on and get right but also because it does get so open and there is so much space, if you’re up or down you can quickly rectify it if you get some momentum.

Pearce Hanley has moved in with you and your partner Renee Nourse, what has that been like to have him there?

Pearce and David Swallow would be my closest mates at the club. He was living down in Burleigh by himself but he has see the light and come to Miami. He has a good footy brain so we talk a bit about footy and also have similar interests away from the club too. We go out and play golf and go to the beach. I’m trying to teach him how to body surf at the moment. We work a bit on that in the afternoons.

Pearce Hanley of Gold Coast Suns passes the ball during the AFL JLT Community Series match between the Gold Coast Suns and the Geelong Cats at Riverway Stadium in Townsville, Sunday, March 4, 2018. (AAP Image/Dave Acree)

Do you ever get the surf board out and join some of your teammates?

Last year I went out with a few boys and I tried to surf for the first time in a while. I got dumped and the board landed right on the back of my calf. It gave me one of the worst corks I have ever had. I had to get through training and wrap it up and try and keep it under the radar. I haven’t looked to go surfing again. It was in the preseason and I didn’t say anything to Stuey or anyone.

You recently got engaged to Renee, how did you pop the question?

That was just before Christmas. It was pretty casual. We went back to Sydney for Christmas and decided to drive back. I just did it in Angourie on the beach there on the way home. I got the blanket out and dropped the knee. I had a picnic set up and that’s about as romantic as I get. It set us up to have a good holiday and break. We are both really excited going forward. We haven’t got too much into the planning, it’s a lot harder than I thought it was going to be planning a wedding.

How did you first find your way into footy as a young child?

I had a different pathway. I really enjoyed watching AFL when I was a kid. I used to go to the SCG with my grandfather to watch the Swans play when I was about five. Then I gravitated towards rugby union because my dad played it. I went to a rugby high school, Barker College. All I ever wanted to do was play in the first XV at school. In Year 9 my close mates were big Aussie rules fans so I played with them on a Sunday very casually. Collingwood had a wide reach and they had some people at the games watching. It evolved from there on the old NSW scholarships they used to offer prior to the academic.

GET FULL DIGITAL ACCESS FOR 50C A DAY

Do your friends from back then still take credit for getting you into the AFL?

Yeah they do a little, they remind me when I need to shout the beers. No, they were great for me growing up. They were really close mates growing up through school and we are still really close now which has been nice.

You are 209cm tall. Were you tall growing up or did you only shoot up in your later teenage years?

I was fairly tall from about 14 and then I started to develop, I developed a bit later and kept growing while everyone slowed down. I was never the tallest in the classroom. I still went straight into the ruck when I started football. I went to Collingwood at about 197cm and grew more each year.

Not many of us see the world from that height, what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of it?

I guess having the opportunity to have an AFL career is a fair advantage. In Queensland everyone has eight fans in their house so that has become a bit of a hazard. The odd doorway can become a problem. I have always been relatively tall so it’s just the way I see everything. It has got to a stage now on planes where I do need to get the seat with more leg room. Lucky enough we all fly a lot so we are platinum frequent flyers which helps. I went to Europe a few years ago and I stuffed up my ticket and I didn’t have an exit row seat for a 14 hour flight. I was in the middle of the middle and that was an interesting flight, cramping in every muscle. Pearce and I will go walking and there will be a super tall fellow walking near us and I’ll say to Pearce “have a look at the size of that guy’ and then he will walk past and we will be at eye level.