By Rebecca Mills
Jonathan Giles describes being delisted from Port Adelaide as “hitting rock bottom”. What makes Giles' story so inspirational, is his determination to pick himself up following the shock and fight on, to now find himself the number one ruck man for the GIANTS.
Seven years ago, Giles was drafted to Port Adelaide with Pick 70 from the Central Districts.
Everything in his life, including a year 12 score of 95, took a back seat as he chased his AFL dream. He didn’t make it.
“You devote everything to your football, and everything else takes a back seat: your social life, your study and your family.
“It was four years of absolute commitment and I did everything I could to try to be successful and at the end it I wasn’t good enough.”
It would have been easy for Giles to settle himself into the SANFL system, complete his physiotherapy degree and talk about what might have been. Instead, the determined South Australian switched clubs, moving to Sturt from Central Districts and cemented himself as the club’s number one ruck man.
In 2010, the GIANTS offered Giles another shot at the AFL, taking him with pick three in the NAB AFL Rookie Draft. He packed his bags and moved to Western Sydney, willing to put everything in his life on hold for the second time and chase his dream.
This time, his hard work paid off.
On Saturday, a bigger, stronger and faster Giles will line up against his former club in his sixteenth AFL game for 2012.
“I’ve been looking forward to playing against Port.
“I was there for four years and made a lot of good friends there,” Giles said.
Giles believes that there is plenty of merit in the assertion that bigger bodies and ruckmen in particular take longer to reach their potential in the AFL. He says that while he is happy with where his body is at, he still has plenty to look strive for.
“Ruck is a pretty demanding position.
“You’ve got to be big and strong and learn how to run. It takes longer for any key position player to find their feet.
“It’s been six or seven years since I’ve been drafted. It’s taken me that long to feel like I’m at the body strength that I need to be at.
“Obviously I want to get better and I need to get better but it’s the process and the journey that makes you stronger.”
The 24 year old says that he is enjoying life in Sydney and looks back on his time at port with wisdom beyond his years and a witty sense of humor.
“It’s pretty tough getting delisted but in the end it made me a better person and a better player.
“Playing under Sheeds has been good. He is a great character and I love him. He’s a great bloke and a great coach.
“One of the things that stuck in my mind was when he was looking at some of the boy’s signatures on a hat and he couldn’t read the signatures. He started having a go at Callan Ward and Cornes and told them they need to write them clearer.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard a coach give out advice about autographs but it was good for the boys to make sure they spell them correctly,” Giles said.
GWS GIANTS v Port Adelaide
ŠKODA Stadium - Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park
2.10pm Saturday August 4, 2012
Click here to find out everything you need to know about the game
