bornadog
07-02-2011, 12:31 PM
Harbrow will be a star this year (http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/harbrow-determined-to-shine-for-suns-20110205-1ahr5.html)
JARROD Harbrow's departure from the Western Bulldogs is perhaps the one that has hurt the most at the kennel over the pre-season despite the retirements of Brad Johnson and Nathan Eagleton.
He is 22 and already ripening into a potential match-winner for Gold Coast this season after being enticed back to his home state by the league's 17th team as an uncontracted player last season.
He was taken in the 2007 rookie draft as a young indigenous talent and development project in which he spent plenty of time at the Bulldogs - then VFL affiliate Werribee - being groomed as a classy forward.
Advertisement: Story continues below Harbrow, instead, blossomed into another of Rodney Eade's success stories mid-way through 2009 during a move from forward to a playmaker role in defence.
He excelled on the scene with strong bursts and delivered in spades throughout last season; in which he was supposedly distracted through contract talks between the Suns and his management.
''Most of the talking was between my management and the Gold Coast and they left me out of it because I wanted to concentrate on playing footy,'' Harbrow said.
''They gave me an opportunity to play AFL football and the coaches and players, I got along with, and I gave as much as I could back to the club. They knew in the end that I wanted to head back to Queensland because of family and all that.
''I knew that my heart was always in Queensland so I knew that I always wanted to finish footy up here and the new Gold Coast club itself was really exciting and played a big part in me coming to the Gold Coast as well,''
He said the move into defence at the Bulldogs helped shape his career as he became one of most dangerous attacking defenders in the game through his scintillating pace.
''When I was playing a small forward role, my main role was to tackle and chase and apply defensive pressure and try and kick goals when I could,'' he said. ''But I found that going down back, I had a bit more freedom to run and carry and use the skills that I had and match up with the smaller forwards. Run and carry is something that I have always had in my game but I just built confidence to be able to back myself and go for those runs.''
The move home - he grew up in Cairns - appears to have helped Harbrow mature. He left a household in the western suburbs of Melbourne living with fellow indigenous Bulldogs Josh Hill and ex-teammate Malcolm Lynch to moved into a new house in Southport with his long-term girlfriend Emma.
He underwent shoulder surgery over the pre-season but has returned to training with the ambition of playing at least one NAB Cup game before the Suns's season-opener in round two against Carlton.
''I reckon I have [matured],'' he said. "It's pretty serious when you move in. You have to manage your time right and you're not just worried about yourself any more. You've got a partner that you have to look after. She's [Emma] very settled up here and she's working and loves it up here as well,'' he said.
He is now looking to unleash in the midfield and provide a strong rebound from defence after the Bulldogs' hierarchy provided the grounding work to his rising career.
''Hopefully I can play more time in the midfield here but obviously we've got a really good midfield here and I think I'm probably suited down back a bit more but long term I'd like to play consistently in the midfield.''
JARROD Harbrow's departure from the Western Bulldogs is perhaps the one that has hurt the most at the kennel over the pre-season despite the retirements of Brad Johnson and Nathan Eagleton.
He is 22 and already ripening into a potential match-winner for Gold Coast this season after being enticed back to his home state by the league's 17th team as an uncontracted player last season.
He was taken in the 2007 rookie draft as a young indigenous talent and development project in which he spent plenty of time at the Bulldogs - then VFL affiliate Werribee - being groomed as a classy forward.
Advertisement: Story continues below Harbrow, instead, blossomed into another of Rodney Eade's success stories mid-way through 2009 during a move from forward to a playmaker role in defence.
He excelled on the scene with strong bursts and delivered in spades throughout last season; in which he was supposedly distracted through contract talks between the Suns and his management.
''Most of the talking was between my management and the Gold Coast and they left me out of it because I wanted to concentrate on playing footy,'' Harbrow said.
''They gave me an opportunity to play AFL football and the coaches and players, I got along with, and I gave as much as I could back to the club. They knew in the end that I wanted to head back to Queensland because of family and all that.
''I knew that my heart was always in Queensland so I knew that I always wanted to finish footy up here and the new Gold Coast club itself was really exciting and played a big part in me coming to the Gold Coast as well,''
He said the move into defence at the Bulldogs helped shape his career as he became one of most dangerous attacking defenders in the game through his scintillating pace.
''When I was playing a small forward role, my main role was to tackle and chase and apply defensive pressure and try and kick goals when I could,'' he said. ''But I found that going down back, I had a bit more freedom to run and carry and use the skills that I had and match up with the smaller forwards. Run and carry is something that I have always had in my game but I just built confidence to be able to back myself and go for those runs.''
The move home - he grew up in Cairns - appears to have helped Harbrow mature. He left a household in the western suburbs of Melbourne living with fellow indigenous Bulldogs Josh Hill and ex-teammate Malcolm Lynch to moved into a new house in Southport with his long-term girlfriend Emma.
He underwent shoulder surgery over the pre-season but has returned to training with the ambition of playing at least one NAB Cup game before the Suns's season-opener in round two against Carlton.
''I reckon I have [matured],'' he said. "It's pretty serious when you move in. You have to manage your time right and you're not just worried about yourself any more. You've got a partner that you have to look after. She's [Emma] very settled up here and she's working and loves it up here as well,'' he said.
He is now looking to unleash in the midfield and provide a strong rebound from defence after the Bulldogs' hierarchy provided the grounding work to his rising career.
''Hopefully I can play more time in the midfield here but obviously we've got a really good midfield here and I think I'm probably suited down back a bit more but long term I'd like to play consistently in the midfield.''