Jack Viney signs four-year contract with Melbourne, credits sports psychologist for rapid improvement

JACK Viney has signed a new four-year contract at Melbourne and has praised a sports psychologist for helping get his football to an elite level.

Melbourne midfielder Jack Viney on the corner of Collins St and Swanston St in Melbourne. Pic: Michael Klein

JACK Viney has signed a new four-year contract at Melbourne and has praised a sports psychologist for helping get his football to an elite level.

Coaches Paul Roos and Simon Goodwin are also key people in Viney’s improvement, but it was Dave Williams who helped the 22-year-old wrecking ball sort out his mental approach.

Viney has capacity to earn as much as $2.5 million over four years, depending on bonuses for best and fairest and Brownlow Medal finishes and the salary cap increases being negotiated under collective bargaining.

Viney’s standing in the game has rocketed this year.

After seven rounds, he is a top-10 performer and he admits that replacing an intense and professional approach with a simplified professional mindset has helped find consistency.

“I spoke to a sports psych about how to calm my mind down, I read something on the All Blacks and some of the mental training they had, which really resonated with me,’’ Viney said.

“The sports psych was very good, Dave Williams, I spoke to him during NAB Cup last year. It was a bit of a change in mindset.

“I stopped listening to music pre-game because I felt it got me too wound up (his choice of music was expletive-laced rap) and I tried some different things.

“I don’t drink during the season, I made that decision halfway through last year. I felt a week after drinking I was really wasn’t performing, so we thought we’d try a couple of weeks where I didn’t drink, and I was actually playing more consistent football.

“So, I’ve done that this year as well.’’

Jack Viney has signed a new four-year deal with Melbourne. Picture: Michael Klein

Viney said the fact his father — list manager Todd Viney — played for Melbourne and is still involved had little bearing in his decision to sign an extended deal.

“I just believe in the direction the club is going and I’m extremely confident and happy with coaching group, and their focus on development, and then there’s the talent pool at the club and people around the club,’’ Viney said.

“It’s where I see the club going and I like the look of it.’’

Viney lives at home with mum and dad, has a girlfriend of four years named Charlotte, still drinks in the off-season and eats healthy.

He started the paleo diet last year, avoids white rice or pastas, and eats brown rice and plenty of avocado and salmon.

“In my first year of football, I was anal,” he said. “And I had too much going on in my head.

“I just believe in the direction the club is going and I’m extremely confident and happy with coaching group, and their focus on development, and then there’s the talent pool at the club and people around the club."

- Jack Viney

“I came to understand that was hampering my performance. I’ve got the drive and ambition to become anal about what I do, but I’m also a realist and am really keen to understand what’s best for me. I have learnt to relax a bit more.’’

Viney is a kamikaze midfielder, an attitude that has been with him since he was child.

“In junior footy, it was apparent I was quite physical,’’ he said.

So much so, that when living in Melbourne he would play a year above his age, and when the family lived in Echuca, he played two years above his age bracket.

“In one game, he remembers a parent of an opposition player approached him at halftime complaining about his physicality,” he said.

Jack Viney has been one of Melbourne’s very best this season. Picture: Michael Klein

“I knew my level of aggression and competitiveness was very strong. From a young age, I had a desire to be the best footballer I could be and then when the opportunity came to play up a year, I thought what a good opportunity to make myself better.

“It probably scared mum from time to time.’’

And dad? “Not so much.’’

He says he modelled his off-season last year on Nat Fyfe’s project to complement his power and aggression with greater physical conditioning, and his ability to break away from stoppages has elevated Viney’s all-round game.

“I don’t think I have an ego, but I’m certainly confident in my ability and I feel like I can be a good player and I want to achieve what I feel like I am capable of achieving."

- Jack Viney

The passion complements everything.

“I don’t think I have an ego, but I’m certainly confident in my ability and I feel like I can be a good player and I want to achieve what I feel like I am capable of achieving,” he said.

He says captaincy remains an ambition, but says he loves how Nathan Jones leads.

As for team’s performance, he has to contain his excitement.

“A lot of people thought we’d improve a lot quicker, and I probably I thought we’d improve a lot quicker, but there has been a lot of work behind the scenes, putting in a culture and an environment where we will succeed,” he said.