Witts at home in black and white
This article first appeared in the Herald Sun on July 26, 2013
By Warwick Green
JARROD Witts was six years old when he first ran on to the ground with Collingwood players in an AFL match.
Growing up in Sydney’s northern suburbs, Witts would go to Swans matches at the SCG with his father, Peter, and grandfather Graham sitting a few rows back from that annoying old white-haired bloke at the Bradman Stand end.
Witts was there in 1999 on the day Sydney hosted its Round 10 match against the Magpies.
When Tony Lockett kicked his third goal just on quarter-time – surpassing the career record of 1299 set by Collingwood great Gordon Coventry – Witts was over the fence and among the hundreds of fans charging in Plugger’s direction, “just to get out and get around him”.
“I used to enjoy the AFL, just liked the free-flowing pace of the game,” Witts recalled.
“And back then the Swans used to play on a Sunday arvo, so we’d go to a Waratahs or Wallabies game on a Saturday night and watch the Swans on Sunday.”
Witts spent that year going to the local AusKick centre, before switching his allegiances to rugby union, which his father had played at first-grade level.
“At (age) seven or eight, rugby changed from being touch to being allowed to tackle and I wanted to play rugby pretty badly,” he said.
Peter Witts was also a state-level cross-country runner, while Graham was a top-flight basketballer.
Over the next decade, the young Witts spread himself between rugby, basketball and cricket. He was such a promising left-arm swing bowler that he was in the NSW Emerging Blues squad, playing alongside Australian paceman Patrick Cummins.
“He was pretty quick at that age. I can remember he sconed me on the helmet one day,” Witts said.
Then, in year 10, he was talked into having another go at Australian rules by some mates playing for St Ives Football Club’s under-16s.
“I enjoyed footy more than rugby in the end because it had more of that flowing play and I could have more influence on a game,” Witts said.
“In rugby I was a second-rower. It was just hit the ball up and then it was clean out and tackle. It was more of a 180-degrees game.”
Being an agile 197cm 15-year-old, Witts tended to stand out.
Former Swans full-back Rod Carter, scouting for Collingwood, happened to be at his third game for the Saints.
He alerted Magpies recruiting manager Derek Hine that he had found a hidden gem.
The following week, Hine rang the Witts family to offer Jarrod a place under the AFL’s now-defunct NSW scholarship program.
“I couldn’t really believe it. I didn’t know what it was or what it entailed,” Witts said.
The Magpies flew him down for some specialist coaching and to look at the club facilities. He also was invited to his second Collingwood match – the 2009 Anzac Day game.
“It was a pretty extraordinary experience for a 15-year old,” Witts said.
Once back in Sydney he began attending Swans matches again. “Not so much just to watch them but to analyse them,” Witts said.
“I used to go with my club coach at the time (former Sydney and Richmond ruckman) Tim Barling, and he’d talk me through it a bit; the tap work, the running patterns, stuff like that.”
Part of the scholarship program in 2010 involved training and playing in under-18 TAC Cup matches with Greater Western Sydney – the team Collingwood plays at the MCG today. His teammates included current Giants Jacob Townsend and Josh Bruce.
To read the rest of the article please visit the Herald Sun website:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/developing-collingwood-ruckman-jarrod-witts-making-the-most-of-his-opportunity/story-fni5f6hd-1226686520101
