American Jason Holmes to create AFL history for St Kilda

WHEN American Jason Holmes told his father he was going to try his hand at AFL, his dad had a few questions for him.

COACH Kevin Holmes first watched an AFL game more than 25 years ago on TV.

“They used to show obscure sports on ESPN,” Holmes said, speaking from his office at Central State University, Ohio.

“I had no idea what it was but I thought it was interesting. It had a lot of action and they were hitting each other with no pads and I thought it was the oddest thing in the world so I sat and watched it”.

So in 2013, when his son Jason told him he was going to an AFL combine, his dad asked him the obvious question.

“I asked him whether he was tough enough to play that sport,” Kevin Holmes said.

“I knew he was a pretty tough kid but I didn’t know if he understood what he was getting into.

“They don’t wear pads, you got guys jumping on each others necks, people are getting bloody.

“I said, ‘Can you handle that?’ because that’s what that’s about.”

Jason has proven to his dad that he is.

In just a couple of years, the 203cm ruckman has gone from a wide-eyed novice to a pro.

On Saturday, when the 25-year-old runs out for St Kilda against Geelong he’ll become the first American-born and bred to play in the AFL.

And when his family got the phone call from the club this week they were thrilled.

“When I was first told, I had this emotion come over me ... It’s pretty amazing,”

his father said.

Holmes’ father questioned whether he had the toughness for the AFL.

“I can’t really fathom how big it is for Australia. Whenever you say the first in the history of the sport that’s something — you’re the first you can’t get away from it, it goes down in the history books.

“Does it mean in somebody’s Trivia Pursuit that comes along will his name be in there? He’s the answer to a trivia question! It’s just amazing, I’m trying to get a grasp on it.”

The sporting pedigree runs in his family: his father Kevin played professional basketball in Europe, his brother Mark plays professional basketball in France and older brother Andre is a wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders in the NFL.

“I don’t know if there’s anybody in the world that has a situation where they have three sons playing, playing three different professional sports in three different continents.”

Jason’s father has become a big fan of footy.

“I really enjoy it. It’s really a show and I think it’s really poetic and majestic the way they can move the ball with their foot, marking it and advancing it up the field.”

And he’s got an eye for talent as well.

“One guy… I can’t remember what team we saw play, I think it might’ve been Gold Coast and he’s got a bald head,” Holmes said, trying to recall Gary Ablett Jr. “He’s a freaking stud.”

Jason’s parents have travelled to Australia twice to see their son play in the VFL but won’t be able to make the across-the-world trip in time for this weekend.

Instead, they’ll have to settle for streaming the game online on a Saturday morning at 4am.

“I’m going to get a live stream and hopefully it doesn’t buffer like crazy and I’m able to watch the game,” Kevin said.

“I really wish I could be there to see his first game but nevertheless, we support him 100 per cent and we’ll try to get there for the next week.”

Originally published as American Jason Holmes to create AFL history for St Kilda