4 October 2019, Sydney, Australia
Obviously over the past few days I’ve announced that I’ll be pursuing a future at the Hawthorn football club.
The decision I had to make was definitely the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make and I had to put myself and my body first at this stage of my career.
These past eight years at the giants have been absolutely magical. From the day Stephen Silvagni and Craig Lambert told me I was going to be taken by the Giants months before the draft had even happened.
From the Breakfast Point days running around with 50 other eighteen year olds, just being like every other eighteen year old, egging cars and up until 3am and smashing FIFA competitions and all this carry on. Days I will never ever ever forget.
My playing career to date definitely did not go like I thought it would. Not a million years did I think I’d miss more than half my career at the giants with injury. But with great disappointment, also came great relationships and also great perspective.
I might be one of the unlucky ones in football in terms of my injuries in the past, but I like to look at it as I’m one of the lucky ones who has had an unbelievable club and people behind me.
The genuine love and care I’ve had from the Giants over the years makes me look back with no regrets and no sadness. It makes me very proud I was and am part of something so special in building a club from the start.
Again, the decision was extremely heartbreaking, but I genuinely think it’s the best thing for myself and for my career going forward.
If I were to write the script from the start, when I was drafted, I would have kicked more goals than Jezza (Jeremy Cameron), I would have played 300 games, and we would have won multiple flags together. But as life is, that’s not how it works. Nothing goes to as planned. And everyone has their own story, and this just happens to have been mine.
So now it comes to the thanking part, which is the hardest part because you want to thank so many people, but there are just too many people that I don’t want to miss out …
First of all the Lamberts, you guys … from the very start you guys had to come here from elsewhere too, and you were like us, and the fact that you guys brought in so many of us, from the start , when we were all eighteen from different states, and different cities, how you brought us in, you were complete strangers to us, but we embraced each other and you will forever have our hearts. Thank you very much.
To Leon, as we said yesterday we’ve had very tough and honest conversations over the years, but I’ve always felt we’ve had a deeper connection, you’ve always genuinely cared, even at the times when you’ve probably thought, ‘ooo Jonny thinks I’m going a little bit hard’, I always knew deep down you really actually cared for me, and I respect your family and you so much , I just don’t know how you’re going to break the news to little Jack about changing his number on his back … trust me guys, it definitely helps when the coach’s son loves you. Thanks a lot Jack.
To all the physios over the years, especially Leroy Lobo, Naresh, Luke, Heath, just everyone … thank you so much. You’ve probably had more time with me than any other player over the last eight years. Not only do you care for me as an athlete but for me as a person, it’s been absolutely amazing and thank you very much.
To Dave and Jane Matthews, who can’t be here because she’s in beautiful Noosa, which is understandable. I don’t know if there’ll be another relationship of CEO slash player slash employee like the one we had mate, honestly I don’t think there would be, and it’s only been proven over the last few months. When I was going through this decision, we’ve sat down over many expresso martinis, many wines, many oysters, many steaks, and we’ve spoken about it, and all your advice to me was to make me happy, it was never to do with a bias of the Giants, it was always that you care for me as a person, which is why we’ll always be great mates. And for that I will honestly love you forever, thank you very much.
Monty, where’s Monty (Brett Montgomery), he’s always been the coach I’ve gone to whenever I’ve needed to vent, to talk shit to, whenever I’ve needed to just speak and get advice on, and at the same time he would always tell me how it was … and for that, I love him so much and I’ll always miss Monty ..
The boys over the years … [names players] … everyone … there’s no wonder that the club is where it is, on and off the field. You guys are class acts. And I’ve loved playing every minute, and training alongside you guys. Thanks for supporting me through everything, through thick and thin.
I know at times I could be a bit of a moody guy, because of tough rehab days, but thank you guys very much, I appreciate that.
Heater, our first encounter was not surprisingly at a Melbourne nightclub called Motel, about a day after you were traded to the Giants, and ever since then we’ve been great mates, and obviously you lived with myself and Cogs for the first three years of your stint here, I don’t know if I can tell too many stories here in the public but mate you came here so misunderstood by the public, and you’ve always taken myself and Cogs especially under your wing, and the way you prepare, and the way you face adversity, is just amazing mate. And the lessons you’ve taught me not only with football but life has been amazing, and I thank you very much mate. You’ll be a brother forever.
Cogsy, where do I start. It’s funny because I was the first pick, you were the second pick. I always got that on vou bro, I always got that over you.
But no honestly you’d think we’d have some weird tension, or some weird competition, but straight away we were best mates. You were always there for me mate, through every injury, after every shit session I was fuckng getting over it, and you always picked me up. You were always there for me mate. I’m extremely proud of what you’ve done, but I’m even more excited about what you with this club taking them forward because this club is in no better hands that what you are mate. You will forever be one of my best mates, I feel very lucky I have so many memories with you, and shit man, we’re only 26, we’re going to have a lot more memories, right?
A finally my Mum, Belinda. I’ve honestly been amazed at how supportive you’ve been of my time here in Sydney. Every time that a contract has come up, you’ve just been ‘Sydney’s the best thing for you Jonny, and that’s what I’ve loved about my time here, I’ve never had anything pulling me back in terms of family or people, and Mum, you’ve been at the top of that. Like Cogs, you’ve been through the good and the bad with me, you’ve probably ridden the roller coaster a lot more than probably what I have, I know you’ll be happy to have me in Melbourne, just don’t get too excited because I have grand plans to come back here in Sydney one day, but I love you very very much Mum.
I don’t want this to be much of a goodbye.
I want this to be more of a ’ll see you soon.
I may be wearing different colours over the next few years, but the Giants will forever have my heart.
Thank you and I love you all.