Always on hand for a match post mortem with his 21-year-old son Kieran, it’s probably not the sporting environment that he would have imagined for his offspring. The big question is: has he come to terms with his son’s decision to pursue an AFL career rather than an NRL one?
“I don’t think he’ll ever be over it,” Kieran Jack laughs.
“He still asks me occasionally if I’m ever going to think about going back to rugby league but I’m enjoying my time at the Swans too much to even think about that.”
However Jack insists that his dad is gradually becoming an AFL convert.
“He appreciates the skills of AFL a lot more than he used to. He loves coming out and supporting me which is a great help for myself… it’s great having my family here to celebrate the good times and the bad times.”
After the Swans’ round-22 victory over the Brisbane Lions, Garry, as ever, had some advice on his son’s performance.
“He told me to kick straight. I kicked 2.2 so he said to me ‘why didn’t you kick four goals?’. Also if I ever miss a tackle he gets on to me about that,” Jack quips.
There’s no doubting that Jack is thankful for any advice his dad has to offer.
“He’s been there before and played at the top of his sport so I respect what he’s done in the game. We talk on the phone every day so we’re like best mates.”
Jack’s dad will again be there to lend support when the Swans face up against North Melbourne in their elimination final this Saturday night at ANZ stadium. Surrounded by a group of seasoned finals campaigners at the Swans, it’s Jack’s first involvement in September football and he can’t wait.
He says the experience of playing in some hyped encounters during the home and away season should help him in higher intensity finals football.
“We’ve had a few blockbusters out at ANZ stadium that have been really built up around Sydney so they’re pretty high intensity games.
"The game against Collingwood was big because we had a week off before it, so there was two weeks to build it up. That was certainly a jump in intensity from the first bounce. So I’ll pick the brains of a few boys and see what it’s going to be like.”
