AFL 2023: Port Adelaide star Jeremy Finlayson on his Indigenous heritage, Sam Powell-Pepper and Kellie’s cancer battle
Jeremy Finlayson and his family have been through plenty throughout his career, and before Sir Doug Nicholls Round, the forward talks his family coming together in the hardest of times.
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On the phone to his sister, Jeremy Finlayson quickly became aware he was finding out something significant about his family and his culture.
Originally from Culcairn in Southern NSW, Finlayson was well and truly aware of his Indigenous heritage as a proud Yorta Yorta man.
“My nan I think she was one of 18,” he said.
“She grew up in the Goulburn area and I’m sure that 17 of them were born in a tent because Aboriginal people back in those days weren’t allowed in the town.
“So it is on my father’s side, I’m a pretty passionate Indigenous man.”
But the death of Finlayson’s father Gordon’s mum meant that much of his family history “kind of dried up”.
But this changed when Gordon met one his cousins George Barton in 2020 for the first time.
“Dad knew about him but had never met him,” Finlayson said.
“I think they were both around the age of about 50 so they met and unfortunately George was part of the stolen generation because he was a white blackfella and he ended up jail hopping to survive because he had no family, he was stolen and there was a bit going on.
“My sister actually called me when my dad and George ended up meeting. She was bawling her eyes out and going “he has so much information about our family that we didn’t know about”.
Among the information that Barton had on the family heritage and history was that Finlayson was related to Sir Doug Nicholls.
“Being related to Sir Doug Nicholls through the bloodlines is pretty special. I think without dad meeting George we probably wouldn’t know this stuff.
“We have so much to dig deeper into.
“When my sister called me crying I knew it was some powerful stuff.”
On Friday night, the 27-year-old will be playing for Port Adelaide, who will go by the name of Yartapuulti, against Melbourne (Naarm) to open Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
It will take place just hundreds of metres from Government House where his relative Sir Doug lived after he was made Governor of South Australia – becoming the first non-white person to serve as the governor of an Australian state and the only Aboriginal person to have held a vice-regal office.
This, combined with both teams going by Indigenous names, means it will be a game that Finlayson will remember for a long time.
“It is special and I think making it even more special is having that connection to Sir Doug Nicholls as well as it being Indigenous round in front of the Port faithful, what more can you ask for,” he said.
“Coming from a small country town and hopefully being able to play in front of 50,000 people in Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
“I think I missed one or two of these rounds and it really hurt me, but Friday night under lights, it’s the first time in history that two teams have changed their names to their Indigenous ones so it will be really special.
“Leading up to the game that is all I’ll be thinking about, I’m so honoured and proud to be a part of it.”
“HE’S MY BROTHER FOR LIFE”
Finlayson speaks to his dad everyday.
“I can’t go a day without him,” he said.
Like Finlayson, Gordon is also passionate about his Indigenous heritage.
“I know heaps of Indigenous people back home who my dad has kind of wrapped his arms around, got them jobs and looked after them and got them off the streets,” Jeremy said.
“I’m pretty proud of dad for doing that.”
At Alberton, Finlayson has quickly found a family of his own, none more so than Sam Powell-Pepper who he says “is going to be my brother for life”.
It’s a friendship and brotherhood that started with Finlayson needing a lift.
“I remember when I first came over here it was tough and I remember it was Russell Ebert’s funeral,” Finlayson said.
“I knew Sam from some of the Indigenous camps but I didn’t know him that well and I just knew that it was a good club and there was good people here.
“I just reached out to Sam and asked can you pick me up, I didn’t know where I was going it was just a couple of weeks in.
“And ever since that day, I can still remember it. I was over near the Arndale shopping centre and he came and picked me up and ever since that day our families are really close.
“He was in my wedding, so was his partner and yeah we are going to be brothers for life outside of football.
“Outside of footy we click, we are going down the same part with little babies, little girls and dad life.
“Most of the boys here are still young and are out playing golf but me and Pepp have really clicked.”
Finlayson and Powell-Pepper travelled to the APY Lands in the off-season, along with young Power teammates Hugh Jackson and Jed McEntee.
“I didn’t really know them but you wrap your arms around them,” he said.
“You learn more about them and they want to learn more about Indigenous culture, which is great.”
Some of the students Finlayson and his fellow Port Adelaide players visited will be in Adelaide this week for the club’s Santos Aboriginal Power Cup.
“Indigenous cultures and communities are doing it tough and by us Indigenous players playing in this round and putting smiles on their faces and showing them what indigenous players can do,” he said.
“There is a way out and if you want to reach your goals it is possible.”
“NOTHING PHASES ME ANY MORE”
In his career at Port Adelaide to date Finlayson has faced some challenges.
Recruited as a forward, he has had to often shoulder the ruck burden for the Power because of injury or lack of form among the team’s ruck stocks.
But this is nothing compared to what he has had to deal with off the field.
Wife Kellie was diagnosed with bowel cancer just months after giving birth to daughter Sophia in August 2021.
The cancer has since spread to her lungs and she is now fighting to see Sophia start school.
So compared to this, the tough task of Melbourne’s ruck duo of Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy is nothing for Finlayson.
“I actually look forward to it, they can have 60 or 70 hit-outs if they want it is what happens afterwards,” he said of the ruck battle.
“I like the ball on the ground and I think the boys whether it is Brynn (Teakle) or Scoot (Scott Lycett) will play their role.
“I’m not really fussed about who is in the ruck or if I am against Steven May or Jake Lever we will just play the way Port Adelaide play and the rest will take care of itself hopefully.
“I think my off-field stuff has kind of helped me with my on-field stuff, nothing phases me anymore.”
With what Finlayson has to go through off the field, his performances on it have been nothing short of remarkable.
He has played key roles in the Power’s wins over Sydney and St Kilda with his goalkicking but his work in the ruck – especially when the ball hits the ground – had Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne declaring that Finlayson should become Port’s number one ruckman.
Port Adelaide star Travis Boak said he couldn’t believe Finlayson’s performances on the field with everything going on off it.
“It is incredible, his story off-field is as challenging as it gets and you don’t want anyone to go through it,” Boak said.
“He comes into the club with a smile on his face, he comes in on game day and he loves playing footy.
“It is what sport and footy clubs can do for people and not only if you are involved in the footy club we can provide a place where he can come and feel a bit of happiness because he loves playing footy.”
Finlayson said footy had been an escape for him.
“Yeah (footy has been an escape) I love it, I love being here with my mates, playing in Indigenous Round and in front of a big crowd,” he said.
“What more can you ask?
“I also love travelling around the country with my mates playing footy, I love it.”
“FOR PEOPLE TO BOO HIM IT IS PRETTY EMBARRASSING”
Over this week and next week, it will be a celebration of the contribution of Indigenous players to the game.
It comes just weeks after Lance Franklin – who Finlayson idolised growing up – was booed by Collingwood fans at the MCG.
“We will probably never see a player like him again and for people to boo him it is pretty embarrassing,” Finlayson said.
Franklin is out of contract at the end of this year, with many expecting it to be the final season of his incredible career.
Finlayson said he should get the respect he deserves.
“We should just celebrate him for however many games he is out there for,” he said.
“Because some people can just walk when they want to, if they get booed too much. He won’t but we just have to celebrate the players that we have got.
“We will never see a player like him again, he shouldn’t get booed.”
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