Jack Geary celebrates 200th game for Golden Square in Round 1
A Golden Square champion will celebrate his 200th game this weekend but he admits he wish it had of come earlier. He opens up on the highs and lows of his career.
For Golden Square’s milestone man Jack Geary he was hoping this weekend’s celebration could have happened last year.
Saturday will be special with Geary set to play game 200 against Kyneton in the Bendigo league.
A club stalwart for the past 15 years, the midfielder has played in five premierships club and was also the Michelsen Medallist in 2018.
In two of those premierships he was the best player on the ground, winning the Nalder medal, while also representing Victoria Country on multiple occasions during his career.
Geary has been the club captain for the past eight seasons and continues in the role this year.
He’s also had success up north, winning a premiership with St Mary’s in the Northern Territory when he has played there during the summer.
But while this weekend will be about him, there was a chance last year the player could have reached the milestone.
“I’ve known for a little while, because last year there was a little bit of hype around it as it would have been game 200 in the grand final if we made it,” he revealed.
“We were unfortunately eliminated, so it wasn’t to be, so first round this year.”
Geary admits he’s not comfortable with all the hype around him this weekend so he would have liked it to happen last year.
“I would have liked, not for any other reason than there would be not much attention on me as such and it would have been more about the grand final,” he said.
“Round 1 is less significant and there is a little bit more interest surrounding me and I’m not that comfortable with but it comes with the achievements of this.”
Geary has been playing at the club since he was a teenager, joining in 2008 while playing for the Bendigo Pioneers.
Success came quickly with the now 31-year-old part of the Bulldogs’ five straight premierships 2009 and 2013.
He said joining the club was easy with the culture involved back then.
“It’s the senior blokes who were already at the club and just the way they went about it, they were down to earth,” he said.
“They (Golden Square) seemed like a great option and in hindsight it was a very good choice I made as a 17 or 18-year-old kid.
“I came into a really good side and was lucky to play in those premierships early. I was probably on the coat-tails of those old blokes.
“I’ve been there for the last 14 or 15 years and I’ve loved the fact I made the decision back then.”
Geary said the premierships were the highlight of his career and he has more of an appreciation now of the success after Golden Square’s barren run over the past decade.
The club made the grand final in 2016 but hasn’t added to their premiership cabinet since 2013.
He’s now hoping to add one more to his tally to impart some of the wisdom from others in the dynasty down to the next generation of Bulldogs players.
“I’d love to win another one in the twilight years,” he said.
“The last 10 years we haven’t had success so I want to be the older bloke that could hopefully give the kids the same success I felt like I got the opportunity early to have,” he said.
“Looking back on it the fact we won five in a row in the first five years you think it is easy this caper.
“It’s not until you are starved of a little bit of success for these last few years you look back and really appreciate what we are and what we had.
“For the core to stay together it was really special at the time.”
Geary said it’s unlikely he’ll get to the next major milestone at 300 and admits the Covid years had allowed him to play longer as it gave his body time to rest.
He also feels his milestone is a celebration of those who didn’t get to their milestone during those years and retired not long after.
Golden Square head into the season as one of the teams to watch after missing out on the grand final by two points last year.
The captain said his team was capable of improving and winning those two extra games to get premiership success.
“We felt we were good enough last year but it turned out we weren’t quite there,” he said.
“We’ve worked on what let us down but the natural progression of our youth, they progress so fast.
“The difference between an 18 and 19 year old is telling.
“We’ve brought in a couple of blokes, including Tom Toma who has played with us before, so we’re hoping the addition of him and the development of kids will get us the extra few per cent we needed last year.”
Geary thanked everyone behind the scenes at the club and the coaches and players for helping him to get to game 200.
This includes those who do, according to him, far more work at the club than he does.
Golden Square take on Kyneton at 2.20pm at Wade Street Recreation Reserve.
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Originally published as Jack Geary celebrates 200th game for Golden Square in Round 1
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