By Peter Ryan
Even to describe defender Jake Kolodjashnij as unassuming is an understatement.
His surname would be a useful antonym for razzmatazz, such is his lack of fanfare.
Jake Kolodjashnij has made a career out of being able to play on talls and smalls in defenceCredit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
In 196 matches, he has never polled a Brownlow vote. The only player honour next to his name is the 2022 premiership. His No.8 jumper is not, we are confident to say, a big seller in the Cats’ shop. He has kicked four goals.
He loves the contest, is as reliable as the tides in defence, a contested beast who measures his kicks carefully.
His brand is not something that sells, but inside the Cats it would be defined as popular and reliable.
Perhaps that’s why there was not much external focus on the defender this pre-season as he faced his football mortality after a concussion in the final game of last season.
He took a while to recover after experiencing an earlier concussion in the previous pre-season that sidelined him for the opening three matches in 2023.
And Kolodjashnij was more aware than most of the effect such injuries can have after his twin Kade’s career was cut short due to concussion.
But in a manner similar to the way he approaches football, Kolodjashnij didn’t panic.
Geelong gave him a program to graduate his return to contact over a long summer and he kept undergoing the required assessments.
He took the issue seriously enough to weigh up his future, having declared publicly he would happily stand out of football for a season if that’s what it took to protect his health. And he spoke to people he trusted.
“There were definitely some tough conversations in pre-season but I am thankful that I chose to keep going and push through and it has paid off,” Kolodjashnij said.
Jake Kolodjashnij had a slow build-up to 2024 as he recovered from concussionCredit: AFL Photos
“I never really got close to giving it away.
“It was more [about] trying to get through. I was trying to narrow my focus and take it sort of week by week and how I was feeling. I got through all those processes and I was feeling in a good space to be able to play on and felt great physically.”
He’s only missed one match and he and his partner Amelia welcomed daughter Leni into the world in March. His year has been everything he hoped for so far.
On Thursday night, he plays his 20th final and his 197th match, meaning 10 per cent of his games have been finals.
One of those was the 2022 preliminary final, when Kolodjashnij starred, earning coaches’ votes as he gathered 12 intercept possessions in the first three quarters when the game was up for grabs – twice as many as any other defender – and took nine marks for the match.
It isn’t as famous as Tom Hawkins’ coming-of-age game in the 2011 grand final, but there is no doubt Kolodjashnij’s 2022 preliminary final was the moment any doubts Cats fans had about him ended.
A week later he became a premiership player, just reward for his resilience after several failed campaigns, including doing all he could to curtail the unstoppable Dustin Martin in the 2020 decider.
Not that he changes his mindset when the next season rolls around, regardless of how the previous one ends.
“In this environment you never really get too comfortable. Every pre-season you come back in a new list always trying to prove yourself and put your best foot forward. I can’t really get out of that mindset; otherwise I will go backwards,” Kolodjashnij said.
“Since 2022, having that premiership status helps, but you never get too comfortable.”
He does think, however, that the premiership experience will count for something in this finals series. The Cats are the only contenders with more than seven premiership players on their list.
Geelong have 21 premiership players compared to the Western Bulldogs’ seven, Sydney’s four, Hawthorn’s three, Port Adelaide’s two and the Lions’ one. Carlton and the Giants have no premiership players.
Jake Kolodjashnij stood up in the 2022 preliminary final when the game needed to be wonCredit: Getty
Kolodjashnij knows the Cats are a puncher’s chance in such an even season if everything goes right. He can only hope given the way the season has unfolded so far.
“It was frustrating, but the club was super good in managing me,” he said of his recovery from concussion.
“I had my own program without contact which helped me get heaps of running into my legs and then gradually [moved into] all contact. I think that was key. It built my confidence slowly, taking a graded approach.
“They did not rush me at all so credit to the footy club there. I just slowly built things, and it snowballed, and I got more comfortable and then back to normal now, which is great.”
The bonus is the Cats have been able to bank on Kolodjashnij for another year.
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