AFL finals news: Harry Himmelberg praises teammate Jack Buckley ahead of St Kilda elimination final
Crippled by injury, Jack Buckley’s AFL career was in the balance. He tells LACHLAN MCKIRDY how he overcame the doubts and pain to finally play his first final.
When it comes to the career of Giants defender Jack Buckley, teammate Harry Himmelberg puts it best.
“He’s one of the most resilient guys I’ve ever met in footy,” Himmelberg said.
“He’s been through so much and for him to get out and not only participate in our backline and be one of the main pillars, his story is really special in that aspect.”
The Sydney local has always loved his footy but on more than one occasion there were genuine questions as to whether he’d ever reach the heights his potential dictated.
Buckley had to go the long way to get his shot in the AFL. He was playing in the AFL Sydney competition for the UNSW-ES Bulldogs when he was noticed by the Giants who offered him a deal as a Category B rookie.
There was excitement about the impact that Buckley could have on the GWS list, however, it was patience that became his greatest attribute.
For a teenager who struggled with his love of footy, playing only two AFL games in his first three seasons took time to come to terms with.
He finally broke into the Giants’ senior side in 2021 before tearing his anterior and medial cruciate ligaments in his left knee against the Demons and it was back watching from the sidelines again.
“I felt like I was finally starting to build a career,” Buckley said.
“Then for it to just stop all of a sudden, it was definitely frustrating.”
There were a few attempted comebacks in 2022 but he ended up spending the whole year as the Giants’ biggest supporter.
After five years and just 17 games to his name, he didn’t know what his future held.
“Last year, I was hoping to get back and it just wasn’t happening,” Buckley said.
“The club wasn’t going the way it wanted and you want to get out there and help.
“You feel pretty sheepish when you can’t get your body right. You’ve got one job and that’s to get out there, but you can’t get it right.”
But throughout that whole period, he was finding different ways to improve as a footballer. He was seeking out his experienced teammates for advice and used the time off the field as a period to work on the mental side of his game.
While he’s adamant not much has changed, this year he has arrived in the AFL as one of the competition’s best defenders.
He has played all 23 games for the Giants this season, creating a key partnership with Sam Taylor in their formidable backline.
And after signing a three-year contract extension earlier this year, he’s not planning on being out of the side again anytime soon.
“Last year, we were thinking he wasn’t even going to get on the park this year with how his body and his knee were,” Himmelberg said.
“It makes this year a bit more special in a way because if you had told me a year ago I would have played every game this year, I would have been a little bit sceptical,” Buckley added. “You always have that belief, but everyone has got their doubts.
“I take a lot of pride that I was able to get my opportunity when I did. When I walked through the doors I was a bit off the pace, I had a lot of work to do.
“I was able to put in a good three years, train away and hold my spot on the list. And when I got my opportunity finally I knew I was ready, because I’d spent a lot of years working at it.
“I wanted to make sure I could never find my way out of the team due to form. Unfortunately, injuries got me, but I like to treat every game as next week is never guaranteed.”
He is the number one key defender in the competition for pressure acts (9.8), while he’s also in the top five for tackles (3.2) and contested defensive one-on-ones (5.1).
In a career that feels like it’s had every twist and turn possible, the 25-year-old will finally get to play his first final against St Kilda.
Buckley feels the resilience he has shown across his career can be encapsulated in the belief the Giants have shown this year.
They may have been written off earlier in the year, but when they run out on the MCG on Saturday, they’ll be ready to prove a lot of people wrong.
“It’s extremely exciting, (playing a final) has been a goal of mine for a while,” Buckley said. “It’s going to be a special feeling for me and my family.
“Even when we were losing lots of games, we took confidence out of that. And once you start getting results, we would run out every week knowing that no matter who it is, we believe we can win.
“Now, with the momentum we’ve built, there’s so much belief in the group that when we play the Saints, we’re ready for it.”
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