Kieren ‘Kizza’ Jack
Kieren Jack follows in a long line of uncompromising, hard hitting inside midfielders produced at the Swans such as Paul Kelly, Jude Bolton, and Brett Kirk, and follows Kirk in making his mark at the Swans off the Rookie List. Being a true Sydney native, Jack was unaware that one had to nominate to be drafted by an AFL club, and so failed to submit the proper paper work. However, when he realised the mistake, he contacted the Swans, who put in a request for special consideration to draft Jack with their final Rookie Draft Pick in 2005 at Pick Number 57.
Making his debut in 2007 against North Melbourne, Jack played one more game for the season, but it was not until the following season when he made his mark on the senior squad, becoming a regular in the line-up, and playing every game for the season in 2008, including the two Finals for the Swans, his first two for the club. He showed his potential when he kicked 3 goals against North Melbourne in the Elimination Final that year. 2009 was another similar year for Jack, however with the Swans missing the Finals, he was unable to build on his 2008 season with more Finals’ appearances. Jack went on to have a terrific 2010 season, capping it off by winning the Swans Best and Fairest, the Bob Skilton medal.
Kieren Jack’s 2011 was disappointing by the standards that he set in the last month and a half of the 2010 season. Over the first month he averaged 21.5 possessions, with a high of 26 over Geelong in a downcast game at the SCG. However the following round would prove to be a critical game for his season. Starting the game well, Jack was able to blanket Chris Judd and curb his influence in a Friday night game against Carlton. However, in the third quarter, Jack rolled his ankle badly in a tackle. As a testament to his character, he remained on Judd, limping badly, until he was sure Jude Bolton had come to relieve him, before hobbling from the ground. This incident highlights the nature of Jack, and his dedication to the team’s cause. Judd then blew the Swans out of the water in the third quarter, demonstrating the importance of the job Jack had been doing on him.
While Jack would return to the team in Round 12, a heavy collision in the opening seconds of the Round 14 game against Collingwood, and then a reoccurrence of his ankle injury ruled him out the following week, and apart from a career high 34 touches against the Western Bulldogs, Jack was unable to capture the spectacular form that had seen him win the Bob Skilton Medal the previous year.
Jack has all the qualities required to succeed at the Sydney Swans: courage, perseverance, and a strong desire to perform for the team. Whilst he may never hold the Premiership Cup aloft as Captain, like Kirk, Jack is one of the spiritual leaders of the Swans, and is a testament to the character and culture of the club.
Player review Submitted by Stat_Machine
