Jeremy Howe hopes premiership can honour his late mum, reward his father for their support

COLLINGWOOD defender Jeremy Howe says winning a premiership would be the “ultimate” way to honour his late mother and reward his father for their support on his football journey.

Jeremy Howe tests his ankle in the preliminary final.

COLLINGWOOD defender Jeremy Howe says winning a premiership on Saturday would be the “ultimate” way to honour his late mother, Kim and to reward his father, Andy, for everything he has done on his football journey.

An emotional Howe, who grew up as a Magpie fan in the tiny Tasmanian town of Dodges Ferry, idolising his now coach, Nathan Buckley, says his thoughts have been fixed on his family as he prepares for Saturday’s Grand Final.

“That first finals win (against GWS) was an emotional time, especially for dad,” Howe told the Herald Sun this week.

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“You want to be able to share it with the people who mean the most to you, and to not be able to have your mother there is tough.

“She would have been jumping out of her skin this week, even though she barracked for Carlton. She was unbelievable for me.

“I know that she would want nothing more than for us to go all the way (and win the flag). She would be super proud and hopefully we can get the result (for her).”

Jeremy Howe at the Holden Centre.)

It was two years ago this week when Howe’s world was rocked. He and his brother Justin lost their mum, and his father lost his soulmate.

Kim was only in her mid-50s when she suffered a sudden heart attack at the family home, and her funeral was one of the biggest in the region, such was the love and respect she engendered.

In a football club flush with emotional tales and heart-warming as well as heart-breaking stories, Howe can’t help but think of the part his mother played in helping him get to where he is only four quarters away from potentially living out his childhood dream.

“Mum and dad have been the main drivers of support for me, and the only reason I have been able to do what I could was because of them,” he said.

“They have had a huge influence in the way I have been brought up, what I do now, and how I am as a person.

“I think one way you can repay them is to achieve something like this. It would be the ultimate (to win a flag).”

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley talks to Jeremy Howe.

His father and his brother will make the trip across to Melbourne for a third consecutive week to see Jeremy play in his first Grand Final after waiting eight seasons and 159 games to play his first final this season.

Other family member, including his aunt and uncle, will also be there.

Howe has always been a passionate Magpies fan, having been indoctrinated by his dad, who still has his own Collingwood memorabilia wall (dominated mainly by his son) in his shed at home.

Part of that collection is a junior No.5 black and white jumper, with the name Buckley emblazoned across the back.

It was Jeremy’s pride and joy as a 13 or 14-year-old, and denotes not only his love of the colours, but also his admiration for Buckley as a player.

“I wore it until I was about 17, and it was getting a bit tight towards the end,” he said with a smile.

“It’s still hanging in the garage. Dad has a bit of a Collingwood wall and there are some Melbourne things which are slowly getting taken over by Collingwood stuff.”

“He’s even got all the 2010 memorabilia over at the shack.”

A young Jeremy Howe (right) in action for Hobart.

Howe watched the 2010 Grand Final from Airlie Beach, in North Queensland, while on a footy trip with his Tassie club Hobart, before being drafted to Melbourne at the end of that season.

“I was barracking for the Pies so hard that day (in 2010), and to say that you could possibly be a part of something like that, that would be something else.”

The 28-year-old transferred to Collingwood at the end of the 2015 season, after sealing the deal over a Bintang beer with his former idol in Bali.

“I think Bucks has done some of his good ground work in Bali,” Howe said.

“I think he met Levi (Greenwood) in Bali, and I think Crispy (Jack Crisp) as well. If he goes over to Bali, the chances are he’ll meet someone (to recruit).”

Howe carried one of the autographs he got from Buckley as a kid on a trip over to Melbourne in his wallet for years afterwards.

When the pair met before he came to Collingwood, the high-flying prospective Magpie explained how he wanted to play a wing-forward role for the club, which the coach was comfortable with.

That was ... until injuries started to intervene a few years back.

“We went down with five injuries in the back half, and he said ‘To be honest mate, you are the only one who has been exposed to the backline, can you play there?’.

“I was like ‘I will play wherever you want me to mate’.

“Did I think I would play the next 70 games there, probably not. But to be honest, I am really enjoying from footy here. Ever since I got here, I kind of got the spark back and my love of the game back, and I feel like that has transcended into the way I am playing.”